Build a Simple Bird Feeder
A plastic bottle, two wooden spoons, and some string are all it takes to build a bird feeder you can watch from indoors.
- A clean, empty plastic bottle (like a soda or water bottle)
- Two wooden spoons
- Scissors
- String or twine
- Birdseed
Build it
- Make the perch holes. Carefully poke two holes on opposite sides of the bottle, near the bottom.
- Insert the spoons. Push the handles of the wooden spoons through the holes, so the spoon heads stick out. These are the perches.
- Make the hanging holes. Punch two more holes near the top of the bottle, on opposite sides.
- Add the string. Thread the string or twine through the top holes and tie a knot to make a hanger.
- Fill it up. Carefully pour birdseed into the bottle.
- Hang it up. Find a good spot outside, like a tree branch, and hang your new bird feeder.
Why this works
The bottle holds the birdseed, and the holes let a little of it spill out where the birds can reach it. The spoons give the birds somewhere to sit while they eat — a bird that has nowhere to stand will not stay long. The string lets you hang the feeder high, where birds feel safe.
Try this next
- Try different sizes of bottles.
- Decorate your bird feeder with paint (make sure it is dry before you fill it).
- Find out which birds live in your area, and choose birdseed they like.
Now you have a bird feeder. Hang it somewhere you can see from a window, then wait — birds are cautious, and it can take a few days before the first one trusts it.