So what is the key to choosing the right garden bird feeder? What do you need to do first, and is your choice truly that important? I guess in the beginning, it's not as important as it might be later on. It's perfectly OK to choose a basic garden bird feeder as your first one, even one with a low price tag. To start with, you won't need anything too fancy, at least until you work out what you really want from your bird feeder.