iBorn Metal Roof Metal Tray Bird Feeder Review
I bought the iBorn copper-plated bird feeder for the 18-month warranty and the solid metal roof. Here is how the flip-top, chew-proof tube held up.
This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Quick Verdict
I bought this iBorn metal roof metal tray bird feeder mostly for the 18-month warranty, then kept it for the solid lid. My last feeder from a different company split right along the seam of its arched roof. This one won’t do that.
Buy if you:
- Keep replacing cheap feeders that crack or split at the roof seam
- Want a warranty most online feeders don’t come with
- Refill seed constantly and hate wrestling the whole feeder down
- Deal with rain soaking your seed through a swinging wire
Skip if you:
- Expect glass, the clear tube is polycarbonate you can squeeze slightly at the sides
- Want a huge hopper, this is a compact 1.32 lb feeder
- Prefer a swinging wire hook over a fixed hanger
Clicking takes you to the seller's website. We may earn a small commission if you purchase, at no extra cost to you.
Why I Bought Two of the Same Feeder
I specifically just purchased this bird feeder and another one by the same company, and the reason was simple: they come with an 18-month warranty. A lot of the bird feeders I buy online don’t come with any warranty at all. That’s the whole reason this iBorn metal roof metal tray feeder landed in my cart. You can check the current price on Amazon here, and I’ll walk you through exactly what I liked and the one thing I got wrong about it.
I’ve had feeders fall apart on me before, including one I taped together at the roof seam just to limp through the season. So when a brand backs a feeder for 18 months, that’s a signal: they’re not building something they expect to crack in the first hard rain. I’d bought from iBorn once before, which is exactly why this one, and a second feeder from the same line, went into the cart the same day.
Copper-Plated, Metal Roof, Metal Tray
This is a copper-plated feeder with a solid metal roof and a metal tray, weighing 1.32 lb. The clear seed tube is chew-proof polycarbonate, not glass, which I’ll get to in a minute. Three stainless steel perches fold right down, and the bottom detaches with a wing nut for cleaning. Here are the specs that matter.
The Flip-Top Fill Is the Part I Use Most
Filling this one takes seconds and one hand: lift the lid, it folds to the side, pour, done. I never have to unclip the feeder from the hook, which sounds minor until you’ve done the two-handed death-grip shimmy off a shepherd’s hook in the cold with a bag of seed under your arm. That flip-top is the feature I use every single day.
The little perches fold right down too, and there are three of them, so the birds aren’t fighting for one landing spot. The bottom comes apart with a nice wing nut when you want to clean the whole thing, no tools needed. For a feeder you’re refilling and rinsing all season, those two things save you a lot of small annoyances.
I Thought the Tube Was Glass. I Was Wrong.
The clear part is not glass, and I’m glad it’s not. I really thought it was glass when I first looked at it. It’s sturdy, you can kind of squeeze in the sides a little, so I’d say it’s probably some type of plexiglass or plastic. It’s the chew-proof polycarbonate the brand talks about.
Here’s why that matters to me. If a storm knocks this thing off the hook, I’m not standing there picking up broken glass and wasted seed. That’s one less worry. The tube sits in a holder that keeps it locked into the rings so it stays in place instead of sliding out.
The Squeezable Tube Is the One Thing to Know
The polycarbonate tube has a little give when you squeeze the sides. When I first handled it, that surprised me, because I’d assumed a rigid glass wall. It’s not a flaw, that flex is exactly what keeps it from cracking when a squirrel bites down or when it takes a knock. But if you’re expecting the heavy, solid feel of glass, this will feel lighter and more plastic-like in your hands than the photos suggest. Worth knowing before it arrives so you’re not caught off guard the way I was.
Get it now
iBorn Copper-Plated Metal Bird Feeder
Get the best price on Amazon →This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
The Solid Roof Fixes My Last Feeder’s Problem
The solid metal roof is the reason I keep coming back to these. One of the other bird feeders I had, from a different company, had an arched roof, and the seam across the top already came apart. I ended up taping over it, which is not really what I wanted to do with a feeder.
This is a solid lid. I know it’s not going to come apart into pieces. And it’s also going to protect the bird seed from getting water in it when it rains. The metal roof metal tray build plus the fixed hanger means rain doesn’t run down a wire into the seed either. That combination is what keeps the food dry and fresh, which is half the battle with an outdoor feeder.
Who This Feeder Is For
If you’ve taped a cracked roof, picked glass out of spilled seed, or just quietly bought the same cheap feeder a third time, this is the one to stop that cycle. The chew-proof tube and one-piece metal roof are doing real work here, not just marketing words. The 1.32 lb compact size makes it best for a patio hook or a window-facing branch where you’re watching a handful of cardinals and finches, not trying to feed an entire tree line.
It’s also for people like me who refill constantly and want the flip-top instead of unscrewing a lid every time. And if you’ve ever bought a feeder online only to find zero warranty, the 18-month coverage here is rare in this price range.
My Advice Before You Hang It
Give the wing nut at the bottom a good check when it arrives so you know the tray is snug before you fill it. Take the whole thing apart once before your first fill just to see how the pieces come off, so cleaning day later isn’t a puzzle. And use the fixed hanger the way it’s designed, the point of it is stability and keeping rain out of the seed, so don’t rig it onto a swinging wire and undo that benefit.
The solid roof and flip-top lid solve the two biggest annoyances I had with my last feeder: seam splits and one-handed refills. That’s why I bought two.
Pros
- Solid metal roof won’t split at a seam the way an arched roof did on my old feeder
- 18-month warranty, which most online feeders don’t include
- Flip-top lid fills with one hand without taking the feeder down
- Chew-proof polycarbonate tube won’t shatter like glass in a storm
- Bottom detaches with a wing nut for tool-free cleaning
- Three foldable perches so birds aren’t crowded
Cons
- The clear tube squeezes slightly at the sides, feels more plastic than the glass I expected
- Compact 1.32 lb size means a smaller seed capacity
- Fixed hanger only, so no swinging-wire option if that’s your preference
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the metal roof metal tray feeder squirrel-proof?
The tube is chew-resistant, not a weight-triggered squirrel guard. The polycarbonate is shield-grade hardness so squirrel teeth won’t crack it, but the feeder doesn’t close off ports when a squirrel lands. If you want zero squirrel access, pair it with a baffle or hang it away from jump points.
What seed works best in it?
General wild bird seed and cardinal blends work well given the three perches and open tray. The wide-mouth opening makes pouring larger mixes easy. For very fine seed like nyjer for finches, check that it doesn’t sift out faster than the birds eat it.
How do I clean it?
Loosen the wing nut at the bottom and every piece detaches for a full water rinse, no tools. Water carries off the dust and old seed, then you wipe it dry with a cloth. Doing this every couple of weeks keeps mold and damp seed from building up.
Will the seed stay dry in the rain?
Yes. The solid metal roof covers the tube and the fixed hanger stops rainwater from running down a cable into the food. That’s a step up from feeders with an open seam or a swinging wire that channels water straight into the seed.
Is the clear tube glass or plastic?
It’s polycarbonate, not glass. I thought it was glass at first, and I’m glad it isn’t, because it won’t shatter if a storm knocks the feeder down. You can feel a slight give when you squeeze the sides, which is normal for chew-proof polycarbonate.
Does the 18-month warranty cover weather damage?
The feeder ships with an 18-month warranty, which is the main reason I bought it. Check the exact coverage terms on the Amazon listing before you buy, since warranty details can vary. The point for me was that the brand stands behind it far longer than the no-warranty feeders I’d been buying.
Can I hang it on a shepherd’s hook or tree branch?
Yes, the fixed metal hook works on a shepherd’s hook, a branch, or a bracket. Because the hanger is fixed rather than a floppy wire, it stays more stable in wind. Just pick a spot squirrels can’t leap to easily.
How big is it and how much seed does it hold?
It’s a compact feeder at 1.32 lb empty, so it holds a modest amount of seed rather than a giant hopper’s worth. That’s fine for a patio or a smaller yard where you refill often. If you feed a large flock and don’t want daily top-ups, you may want a bigger capacity feeder.
Is it hard to assemble out of the box?
No, it comes together simply and the same wing-nut mechanism used for cleaning is what holds it assembled. I’d take it apart once first just to learn how the pieces separate, so cleaning later is second nature. There are no tools involved.
Get it now
iBorn Copper-Plated Metal Bird Feeder
Get the best price on Amazon →This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
🛍️ Shop everything in this video
Every product mentioned, in one place — these are affiliate links, so I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
🛍️ Bird Feeder with Copper-Plated Design and 18-Month Warranty — check price on Amazon →
