This feeder works for a wide range of birds. It holds a large amount of feed, so it doesn't need to be filled as often as others. No feeder is truly squirrel-proof. I found that this feeder, combined with a squirrel shield on top and hanging from a pole that has been enclosed in empty plastic water bottles, works fine. Don't waste money on the battery-powered model, which will need to be recharged. This works every bit as well. This was a replacement for one that we had for 4 years & was out year-round in Buffalo, NY weather. ( One of the perches finally gave after intensive use, but the rest was still in good shape.)

I bought the Whipper not only to deter squirrels but also the bully blue jays that scare the smaller birds away. Because the feeder is so long, I also purchased a deck pole iron railing mount which I attached to my shepherd's pole to extend its height maybe 18". Anyway, the squirrels either don't come around anymore or just when I'm not around. I only spotted one squirrel attempt and he only got as far as the top of the feeder, He seemed baffled as to how to reach the perches. That's good. However, all the Droll Yankee models appear to handle squirrels - some in amusing ways.

Now to the blue jays. That simply doesn't work. They land on the perch and are undeterred by the slight dipping of the perch. Customer Service suggested adding weights to the end of the perches. I went so far as to add different weights to different perches - 1 oz. to 1 3/4 oz. The blue jays had no problem with any of them. Even with the weights, the perches don't "collapse" but simply dip down maybe half way. That's the nature of the springs. They move gradually and will only collapse if a significant weight - like a squirrel - hangs on. So I am disappointed that the manufacturer's claim that it's "calibrated to collapse when approximately 2 oz. or more rests on the perch" is not accurate or at least is misleading.

I suspect a more responsive mechanism is required to collapse the perches. Possibly a magnetic catch that keeps the perch in place until a certain weight exceeds the magnetic pull and causes the perch to suddenly drop. The perch could be restored to its former position with a battery-powered mechanism. (The Yankee Flipper already uses a battery-powered motor.) Or maybe the perch could vibrate when it dips halfway. The key is to also make it customer-adjustable. I do like that the feeder is large and doesn't need to be refilled too often.

If you love feeding our birds, and don't want the squirrels eating all your expensive birdseed, then step up and buy Droll feeders! They are by far the best bird feeders ever made. I won't ever buy any other kind. (As we all know, there are hundreds of other cheap'os out there, and I have wasted a lot of money over the years buying them. These are an investment to save you time, (they hold A LOT), and money). This is my second one of this style, and I bought it to place in a second location. The first one I bought is 6 years old, and still in great condition! They hold up in ALL seasons. What does that tell you?! Besides, it's a hoot watching the squirrels TRY to get the seed. There is nothing they can hang on to! Now come on admit it, after the frustration over the years of watching them devour the seed,(and in some cases the feeder!), outfoxing them is rewarding! I throw dried corn cobs and some peanuts on the ground for our nutty friends, so they still eat. I might get the 'ole stink eye from them once in a while, but I can live with that....... Oh, and the price is FANTASTIC here on Amazon, trust me on that. Check your local garden centers for this feeder and you'll see.

This is not my first time with birds and feeders, and I was concerned that I would purchase and have "buyer's regret." I have been disappointed before - primarily because I live on the edge of a highly-treed area. My last feeder worked well, and I liked the number of birds it feed, but over time, I attracted grackles, I think I became the county feeding station. I was inundated with them. While the issue wasn't necessarily the feeder's problem (likely had more to do with my location), it sent me looking for a new solution. The many ways I tried to thwart the grackles simply didn't work.

Before I purchased this feeder, I corresponded with the company. One of my concerns was that several of the choices I'd seen in the marketplace that eliminated grackles from getting to the seed (such as the feeders with cages around the food tube) excluded cardinals also since they were of a larger size. Only smaller birds could get through the wires. The Droll Yankee Company explained that the perch system would not allow the heavier birds to feed from it, but the feeder was calibrated to allow cardinals to perch. I also had a couple of other concerns, such as only four perches, whether I would get a lot of seed loss, and how successful it would be for thwarting squirrels (since this problem had been identified by other reviewers).

I've now had this feeder for several weeks. To say I am delighted is an understatement. No more grackles, no squirrels and no excessive seed loss. It took the birds a couple of days to warm up to it, but now I'm once again seeing a wide variety of birds on the feeder. Interestingly enough, I see female cardinals eat at it regularly, but see the male cardinals intermittently. I know the males are around, since I saw six of them sitting in a tree recently. Guess they will need more time to trust it. At least I know from watching that the heavier cardinal males can land and eat at this feeder.

The price of this feeder was a concern for me, but it's sturdy, stays clean, keeps the seeds dry to the last one, and has eliminated my problems with feeding birds. I plan to buy the "Dipper" for my smaller, thistle-eating birds.

This feeder is worth the investment. I am very pleased I decided to buy it and would encourage those of you with similar problems to my own to try it. I also found the communication with the company to be useful, and I feel if I had an issue, I could get it resolved with them.

I'm replacing the Droll Yankee Flipper. The darn squirrels burned out the battery with constant attacks, so I'll trying this no battery model. 100% it keeps squirrels off, they hate it, and fall flat on the ground. Problem is my chubbier birds seem to be pecking around on the ground for scraps (mourning doves, blue jays etc...) and only the small birds like it.

Clearly the bars wiggle a bit, but nothing different than a natural tree branch. My 2 Mrs. Cardinals love it. Hubbies on the ground so far. Chickadees and finches are fine. Fat readdy headdy woodpecker fine, but they are tough birds.

It's July, and nobody is starving. I bet they adapt and get more risk taking as fall comes.

In sum: it's behaving like a song bird feeder so far, but I'm pumped the squirrels are unpleased.