A bird feeder comprising: a feed container having a side wall , a plurality of feed openings in said side wall ; a shroud extending about said feed container , said shroud having feed openings therein, said feed openings being located between a bottom of said shroud and a top of said shroud , said feed openings being spaced from said top of said shroud by a distance equal to between 20% and 80% of the total height of said shroud ; a cover secured to an upper portion of said shroud ; a base , a center tube , and a center rod within said center tube , said center rod being secured to said base , said shroud resting on said base ; a spring mounted about said center rod , said spring being biased at an upper end against an upper movable stopper secured to said center rod , said spring being biased at a lower end against a fixed stopper secured to said center tube ; and the arrangement being such that said feed openings in said shroud and feed openings in said side wall of said feed container are normally aligned to permit access to feed within the container, said feed openings of said shroud moving out of alignment with said feed openings in said side wall when a predetermined weight is present on said shroud or cover , wherein said feed container has an outwardly sloping bottom wall to direct feed to said feed openings in said side wall ; characterized in that an upper portion of said center rod is threaded, that a non-rotatable nut forms said upper movable stopper; and that said center tube has vertical grooves formed on an interior side wherein said nut has flanges fitting within said grooves to prevent rotational movement of said nut and permit vertical movement of said nut. a feed container having a side wall , a plurality of feed openings in said side wall ; a shroud extending about said feed container , said shroud having feed openings therein, said feed openings being located between a bottom of said shroud and a top of said shroud , said feed openings being spaced from said top of said shroud by a distance equal to between 20% and 80% of the total height of said shroud ; a cover secured to an upper portion of said shroud ; a base , a center tube , and a center rod within said center tube , said center rod being secured to said base , said shroud resting on said base ; a spring mounted about said center rod , said spring being biased at an upper end against an upper movable stopper secured to said center rod , said spring being biased at a lower end against a fixed stopper secured to said center tube ; and the arrangement being such that said feed openings in said shroud and feed openings in said side wall of said feed container are normally aligned to permit access to feed within the container, said feed openings of said shroud moving out of alignment with said feed openings in said side wall when a predetermined weight is present on said shroud or cover , wherein said feed container has an outwardly sloping bottom wall to direct feed to said feed openings in said side wall ; characterized in that an upper portion of said center rod is threaded, that a non-rotatable nut forms said upper movable stopper; and that said center tube has vertical grooves formed on an interior side wherein said nut has flanges fitting within said grooves to prevent rotational movement of said nut and permit vertical movement of said nut. <EOS>