Quick Summary
The Arundale Sky Café is an excellent product with flocks of raving fans. It’s the only squirrel proof bird feeder we recommend that cardinals will use with no hesitation. The large dome is very effective at keeping squirrels out and also protects birds while they feed, and it's made of extra-strong and durable recycled Plexiglas to give you many years of birdwatching pleasure.
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Conclusion:
The Arundale Sky Cafe holds 5 lb or 2 kg of food, is durable and well made, and pretty too. It's a great feeder for all kinds of birds and a great defense against squirrels. Well worth your investment.
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MUST SEE: The Ugly Truth about Squirrel Proof Bird Feeders
You may also like: How to Attract Cardinals: 3 Simple Strategies
Arundale Sky Cafe Review
If you love to feed lots of different birds the Arundale Sky Cafe will be your new favorite bird feeder. The feeding tray is so large that many birds can feed at the same time, and larger birds like cardinals and jays will be quite comfortable.
Cardinals are notoriously reluctant to use small perches, but as you can see in the video below, this feeder gives them a nice platform to hold on to, with lots of room for other birds to join them, so it makes a great cardinal feeder.
Who is this product for?
The Arundale Sky Cafe was designed to stop squirrels from eating the bird feed, and it does that very effectively. If squirrels are a problem for you, you'll have a laugh a minute watching them try to figure this one out:
The Sky Cafe is a great all-purpose bird feeder too. It comes as one large bin, but if you want to offer a buffet of different kinds of seeds, you can buy a nifty Plexiglas insert that creates four separate chambers inside the bin.
You'll be able to attract finches, bluebirds, cardinals, blackbirds, buntings, doves, juncos - pretty much anything that eats seeds!
How to use the Arundale Sky Cafe
You can hang the Arundale Sky Cafe or mount it directly on a 1” outside diameter pole (not included), but you’ll need to add a baffle or a Slinky-type toy to stop squirrels from climbing the pole.
If you'd rather mount this feeder on a pole, Amazon carries a variety of bird feeder poles and feeding stations that might work. Be sure to pick something sturdy as this feeder weighs about 7 lbs when full.
If you like to DIY, you could try cheap electrical conduit piping will also work if you can figure out how to keep it vertical.
There is a “pole accessory kit” that's supposed to hold down the lid when the feeder is pole-mounted. Don't bother with it: several people report that squirrels destroy the cord within a day or so. Use a carabiner or other closed pin instead to hold the lid in place
Live in a windy area? You might want to shorten the chain by hooking the bottom of the chain to the top, so the feeder doesn’t swing as much in blustery weather.
Excluding large birds
Don't want big birds like grackles or doves to get at the food?
Arundale offers a Dove Guard for the Sky Cafe that keeps the bigger birds out while still allowing cardinals and smaller birds to feed.
Placement
If squirrels are a problem, make sure there’s 18” of horizontal and vertical clearance all around the feeder. This will stop squirrels from reaching over and grabbing the feeding tray.
In winter, make sure ice and/or snow don't build up on the cover as squirrels can use it to gain traction.
Related: The Ugly Truth about Squirrel Proof Bird Feeders
Capacity
The Arundale Sky Cafe’s generous five-pound (3 quart) capacity means you won't have to refill your feeder every day (unless you’re feeding a huge flock of birds. ) And because the seed bin is clear, you can easily see when it's time to restock.
Pro Tip: Don’t use striped sunflower, peanuts or other large seeds – they’ll block the openings and prevent seeds from reaching the feeding tray.
Filling
Filling the Arundale Sky Cafe is extremely easy - just raise the lid and add food. Be sure to replace the dome securely when you're done. If you do this incorrectly, the feeder will eventually tip and dump all your birdseed out.
Cleaning
The Arundale Sky Cafe is extremely easy to clean.
Note: Vinegar might get your birdfeeder clean, but it doesn't disinfect. To kill germs, you'll need to use either bleach or non-toxic Grapefruit Seed Extract, which is 10 to 100 times more effective than bleach.
Related: 60 (Sickening) Reasons NOT to Clean Your Bird Feeder in the Dishwasher!
Bird safety warning
There is a very similar version of this feeder – the Arundale 150 Mandarin – that has feeding ports and perches instead of a tray.
DON’T BUY the Mandarin version: several owners report that small birds have been trapped inside the feeder or gotten their heads stuck in a feeding port and died.
Alternatives to the Arundale Sky Cafe
Brome Squirrel Buster Plus - see our review - same capacity, good for smaller birds.
Woodlink Caged 6-Port tube feeder - see our review - great for smaller birds
Brome Squirrel Solution200 Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder - read our review - also works great
People who own the Arundale Sky Cafe say
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Conclusion
The Arundale Sky Cafe is a very good quality American-made bird feeder with lots of repeat buyers.
Cardinals and other birds love it, and it is squirrel proof when properly placed and kept clear of ice and snow.
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