Hanging feeders around the house is a great strategy to attract beautiful birds to your yard or garden! You have the option of purchasing the ready-made structure, but how about building one yourself from the materials listed in this article? Just don't use wood: according to experts, some types contain toxic chemicals and lead to mold growth. But do not worry! Follow the tips below and the process will be simple and quick.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Using a Detergent Bottle
Step 1. Draw two circles and two dots on opposite sides of the bottle
Take a pen and draw a circle and a dot on one side of the bottle. Then repeat the process on the opposite side, making the marks at the same time. The circles should be about 10 cm in diameter, as they will be the feeder openings. The points, in turn, should be 2, 5 cm and will house the perch (and therefore need to be level).
- Thoroughly wash the bottle and remove all detergent residues before making the pan.
- If you don't have a pen, use a pencil or a regular pen.
Step 2. Cut the circles with scissors
Take a pair of scissors and cut the circles following the marker lines. Make a continuous cut so as not to leave any uneven spots in the pan openings. Then push the tip of the scissors through the lower points to make the perch holes.
- The bottom holes don't need to be perfect, as you'll be perching on them next.
- If you prefer, make the cuts using a knife.
Step 3. Insert a 6-inch peg into one of the smaller holes
Buy a longer wooden dowel, something between 6 inches long. Stick the end of it into one of the little holes you made under the feeder opening and pass it to the other end. The perch must go through the entire bottle.
- You can buy bundles of dowels at building supply stores or online.
- If you can't find wooden pegs, use barbecue sticks or even chopsticks (sushi sticks).
Step 4. Place birdseed in the bottle and tie a string to its mouth
Place a funnel in the mouth of the bottle and add the birdseed to the trough until it reaches just below the perch. Then, tie a cord at the mouth of the structure and tie a knot.
Use a piece of string, string or wire
Step 5. Hang the pan in an open place
Tie the other end of the string to a tree branch or a rafter in your backyard. The important thing is that the structure is in a protected place, but still visible to the birds. Install it at a minimum height of 2 m from the floor.
- Be patient: birds may take a while to approach the feeder, but they will become loyal visitors once they know the structure is safe.
- Put more birdseed in the feeder from time to time.
Method 2 of 3: Transforming a Plastic Bottle
Step 1. Get a clean plastic bottle with a cap
Take an empty soda bottle and wash it well until all the liquid residue is removed (to avoid the growth of mold and bacteria). Also, keep the lid - which serves to protect the seeds.
- Use a 2 L PET bottle.
- Take the label off the bottle before starting.
Step 2. Drill two holes in the base of the bottle
Turn the bottle upside down, take scissors or a sharp-edged screwdriver, and drill two holes in the base of the bottle. They should be 1.5 cm apart from each other.
See if you can thread the string through the holes using a needle or hook
Step 3. Pass a piece of string or wire through the holes and tie a knot
Using a needle or hook, insert one end of a piece of string or wire into one of the holes. Be careful, as you need to pass this end through the other little hole right away (as if you were sewing).
- The length of the string or wire will determine the height of the pan. For example: use a 12-inch piece if you want to hang the structure 10 cm from a tree branch or beam.
- Remember that the base of the bottle will be the top of the trough.
Step 4. Drill two holes 7.5 cm from the cover at opposite ends
Use scissors or knife to make a hole 1.5 cm in diameter within 7.5 cm of the bottle cap. The two must be level as they will serve as a perch for the birds.
Step 5. Pass a barbecue stick through the holes
Take a barbecue stick or chopstick and insert it into one of the 1.5 cm holes you made earlier. Slide the material until the end of it goes through the other little hole. There: this is the perch of the feeder.
- You can buy barbecue sticks or chopsticks at any supermarket.
- Use a resistant material as the birds will land on it.
Step 6. Drill two 8mm holes 5cm from the barbecue stick
Take the scissors or knife and make two holes 5 cm larger from the perch (below the toothpick if the bottle is in its original position, but above if it is already inverted). These holes are small, but they are used for birds to catch birdseed from inside the feeder with their beak.
Do not leave sharp edges in these holes. Birds can end up cutting themselves
Step 7. Fill half the bottle with birdseed and replace the cap
Remove the cap from the bottle and add birdseed until half of it is filled. Then put the cap back on and screw tight so the seeds don't leak.
Step 8. Hang the feeder near a window or on a tree branch
Use the piece of string or wire you passed through the bottle earlier as a handle for the feeder. Hang the structure in a spot accessible to birds but where there are no cats and other possible predators. The ideal is to choose a tree branch or a house beam.
- Do not hang the feeder in hard to reach places, such as low porches.
- From time to time, take the feeder, turn it upside down and add more birdseed.
Method 3 of 3: Making a Natural Feeder
Step 1. Cover a pine cone with peanut butter and birdseed and hang
Buy a pine cone at a flower shop or garden store and spread peanut butter on it with a butter knife. Then sprinkle birdseed on top and hang the natural feeder with a piece of string on a tree branch or on the beam of your home porch.
Collect the pine cone after the birds have eaten all the birdseed
Step 2. Cut a pumpkin or melon in half, fill with birdseed and hang
Take a knife and cut a pumpkin or melon in half. Scoop out all the pulp and seeds with a spoon, then drill two holes on opposite sides of the skin. Pass the two ends of the same string through these holes, tie thick knots on the inside (so they don't come out) and add the birdseed to the edge. That's it: now just hang the feeder!
- The pumpkin or melon should end up rotting and falling off the tree branch. When this happens, immediately collect the husk and make another feeder.
- If the birds eat all the birdseed before the pumpkin or melon rots, take advantage and put more seeds in the shell!
Step 3. Place birdseed on citrus peel and hang with string
Cut a citrus fruit (such as an orange or lemon) in half with a knife and remove the pulp and seeds. Then cut four pieces of string 10 inches long and tie a knot at the end of each. Using a needle, make four holes in the rind of the fruit a few inches from the top. Pass the hole through each one until the knots touch the outside sides of it. Finally, tie the other four ends together - as if you were going to make the strings for a puppet - and hang them up.
- Put more birdseed on the fruit skin from time to time.
- Collect the fruit when it starts to rot.
Tips
- Hang the feeder in a safe area, but farther away from the points of the house where people circulate. That way, the birds will be more at ease.
- Don't move the feeder too often. The birds will be cornered.