Quick and Easy Bird Feeder Plans - Bird Feeders

Quick and Easy Bird Feeder Plans

These bird feeder plans will show you how to make your own bird feeder. In all honesty, a basic bird feeder doesn't need to be any more complicated than a bird table. If you think about it, all the birds are interested in is a safe place to eat their food. A bit of shelter from the elements and some protection will be a welcome bonus for them.

When you start building your own bird feeder, make sure you get hold of some wood that has been properly treated to prevent it splitting or rotting when it gets wet. Consider using something like exterior grade plywood which is perfect for the job, preferably from a sustainable source. Wood with a thickness of 0.5 to 1 centimeter is ideal.

Any piece of solid timber will make an excellent base for a bird table feeder. There isn't really a maximum size, but try not to make the table too small or the birds will have to fight for room and the smaller birds might be kept away. A piece which measures 30cm x 50cm will probably be about the right size.

You should fix a rim about 1 cm high around the edge. This will help stop the bird food from falling or being knocked or blown off. It's a good idea to leave gaps at the corners to allow rain to drain away and to make cleaning easy.

Before you assemble the pieces, sand them smooth to remove crevices that can hold dirt and disease. It is best to leave the table itself untreated.

If it must be treated to prolong its life, use a selected water-based preservative such as Fenceguard or Sadolin and make sure that it is completely dry before use.

Another tip is to put a few nails or hooks in the edges of the table. These will be useful for hanging out nut or seed feeders or fat balls.

If you're up to it you can put a roof on your bird feeding table. This is great for offering some protection to feeding birds from the rain, snow and hunting sparrowhawks. You might find that some birds may even roost at night on a table with a roof.

It also provides a dry place for seed hoppers and nut containers. Be careful though, as a roof can sometimes deter the more shy and larger birds from visiting. In most cases an open table is really just as good.

Once you've got your bird feeder built, make sure to secure it properly. You can either put weights over the feet, or even better, drive a couple of pegs into the ground next to each foot and tie a good quality rope between the pegs. This will help prevent the bird feeder falling over if it gets a bit windy, or if a cat tries to climb it.

Tags: Bird Feeder Plans
Published under Building Bird Feeders

6 Responses so far ↓

Frank
Oct 29, 2008 at 6:59 am

Just wanted to say thanks for these bird feeder plans. Mine doesn’t look quite as good as the one in the picture, but it works!
Frank.

Beth
Nov 15, 2008 at 6:38 am

Is there any chance you could give us a printable version of these plans?

Vince Babb
Nov 25, 2008 at 9:57 am

Well I have managed to construct one with help from your plans, I have added a roof also, many thanks.

Boyd Albert
Sep 3, 2009 at 8:13 pm

Hi Peter. I respect anyone who contributes to feeding wildlife. We have taken away their habitat, the least we can do is ease their search for food. I have 3 feeders up, it started with chickadees, blue jays and doves only to mention a few. Now we have 3 deer, 2 racoons, a family of squirils, 1 mink and a martin. I am seriously thinking of claiming all of them as dependents on my tax form. My location is east coast Nova Scotia.

Gene
Sep 20, 2009 at 9:08 am

Hi Peter,
My base will be 12″ x 14.25″… it’a a 3/4″ thick of lumber I have. I’ll add a lip. I want to use it to attract birds like woodpeckers. I’m going to suspend it from a sheperd hook hanger I have in my back yard. What type of food should I use?
Thank you,
Gene.

Admin
Sep 20, 2009 at 2:53 pm

Hey Gene. Best food for attracting woodpeckers is suet with nuts, fruit, berries or seeds – they love it!

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