A bird feeder supports birds all year round and especially over the winter with enough food. Best of all, you can build a feed dispenser yourself at low cost.
In a nutshell
- Feeders can be constructed on your own
- one bottle is required for the project
- Wooden spoons serve as a feeding bowl and perch for the birds
- Spoons are put through the bottle and placed precisely
- no drills or other equipment needed
materials
You do not need expensive materials from the hardware store for the bird feeder. You can simply use items that are already available in your household. For this project, the following materials are used as the basis for a feeder that will automatically add food once the birds have eaten the previous portion:
- 1 to 2 liter plastic bottle
- 2 to 3 wooden spoons (at least 20 cm long)
The plastic bottle serves as a container for the food and the wooden spoons are used as perches and 'feeder bowls'. This variant is extremely easy to do and does not even require the use of a drill. It is also very easy to do with children. A bottle made of thicker plastic is suitable so that it is robust enough. The bowl of the cooking spoon should not be too small. You will also need the following materials:
- package cord
- waterproof tape (transparent)
Notice: As an alternative to a plastic bottle, you can use a plastic tube if you have a spare. All you have to do is cut it to size and seal it at the top and bottom to serve as a feeder.
tools and utensils
Aside from the actual materials, you still need the right supplies to build a bird feeder. In most cases, tools and aids that you have available in the household are sufficient for this. The following list gives you an overview of everything you need:
- half-round file
- Sandpaper (240 grit)
- scissors
- marker
- triangle ruler
preparation
Before you can DIY the bird feeder, you need to prepare the materials. More precisely, this means the bottles and chopsticks or cooking spoons, because these cannot simply be used. Thoroughly clean the sticks or spoons before use. There must be no leftover food or other dirt on them. Empty the bottle and rinse thoroughly with water. After that, it must be dried from the inside, otherwise the birdseed will begin to rot. Now you are ready to implement the project.
manual
You can start right away and build the feeder. The feed dispenser can later be painted or pasted by you with weatherproof paints if you want to add a colorful accent to the garden. Just don't block the holes so that the food can still get onto the bowls of the wooden spoons. The following steps explain exactly how the project is implemented:
- mark desired places for wooden spoons on the bottle
- 1 spoon should be placed in the top or second third
- the others at regular intervals below
- last spoon needs 2 to 4 cm distance to the bottom of the bottle
- one mark per spoon is enough
- The neck of the bottle must point upwards
- cut holes in the bottle at the markings
- Holes should only be slightly larger on the side of the spoon bowl
- as a result, grains automatically slide behind
- Push the cooking spoon through and tilt it down a little
- Make a mark at an angle of 10° to 15° on the opposite side
- alternatively use the end of the wooden spoon for marking
- also cut holes
- Sand down holes with file and sandpaper
- Put the spoon in one hole and move it to the other
- fix the end without shell with adhesive tape
- If necessary, fix the spoon bowl from below with adhesive tape
- so food comes through automatically
- Fill the bottle with seeds or other goodies
- turn off the bottle
- Fasten the packing cord around the neck of the bottle
- To do this, run the cord under the strap at the neck and tie a knot
- alternatively cut 2 small holes
- thereby pulling the cord
- hang up to finish
Notice: Be careful not to injure yourself when cutting the holes. Children in particular should be careful not to touch the cut edges.
More variants
In addition to the instructions for a bird feeder that can be found here, there are other variants that not only automatically feed birds and can be implemented on your own. If you're a bit more dexterous, you can turn the bottle upside down and hang a bowl under the neck of the bottle. Wire is recommended for attachment. The bottle itself is cut open at the bottom so that the food can be filled in and then fitted with a lid. If you choose a glass bottle, this is not necessary. But there are even more options and materials for a bird feeder:
- classic feeder
- Hang cans
- acrylic glass (very easy to clean)
- Hang up feeding bowls (sunk into pieces of wood).
- Milk or yoghurt cartons
- use old garden lanterns
- Gourds (hollow, dried)
- inverted flower pots for fat balls
There are no limits to your imagination when building a bird feeder.
frequently asked Questions
What do you have to consider when using the feed dispenser?A bird feeder will become dirty over time. For this reason you must regularly check and clean it, especially the perches of the animals. Excretions and leftovers collect on these, which can lead to the transmission of diseases. Thoroughly clean the dispenser and hang it up again. If the perches cannot be cleaned sufficiently, simply replace them.
Can the feeder be filled with all seeds?Yes, as long as these are eaten by the birds. Also make sure that you break up larger nuts so that they do not block the openings of the holes. You can grind these by hand or in a blender on low. Then simply mix the nut pieces with the seeds. The mixture is then poured into the feeder.
What should be considered when hanging?Since self-made feed dispensers made from leftover materials are usually not as stable as professional solutions, you should look for a place in the garden that is protected from the wind. This way the feeder doesn't swing around and the birds can enjoy the feed without any problems. Also, water should not get on the bottle permanently, otherwise the food on the spoons will start to rot.