The simplest bird feeders. Ideas for creating bird feeders from scrap materials. DIY bird feeder: video

Bird feeders have long become something more than just a device for feeding them. We admit that we not only want to make life easier for birds, but also to observe the behavior of wonderful birds, decorate our yard, realize ourselves in front of others and teach our children to love this world. If at the same time our wards help in protecting the garden from pests, it will turn out very well.

Bird feeders: what should they be?

When starting to make a feeder, it is useful to remember Exupery’s remark: we are responsible for those we have tamed.

In other words, having accustomed the birds to easy food production, we are obliged to think about them all winter.

IN otherwise, they will experience great problems, deprived of food overnight, and may even die. Now we list a number of characteristics that a poultry canteen must meet:

• the bird table must have sides that will prevent the wind from blowing away the food;
• the craft should not have sharp edges that could injure birds’ legs;
• a roof over the table will protect food from rain and snow;
• the feeder should be, if possible, inaccessible to cats;
• the holes in the walls of the craft must be of sufficient size so that the birds are not afraid of closed spaces;
• the product must be moisture resistant in order to last at least one season;
• the craft should not sway too much in the wind, that is, it is better to weigh it down with a piece of linoleum or pebbles.

The birds won't like this feeder.

Bird feeders: what are they?

There are so many people who want to make an exclusive table for birds that they have created an innumerable number of hand-made works. Obviously, everyone's preferences and capabilities are different. We intend to offer you a range of different products with a description of their features and designs. Of course, we will also discuss the wishes of the birds themselves. Putting everything together, you will have the opportunity to compose your own “symphony” called “bird feeder”.

Made of wood - most options

The picture shows feeders made from planks. Depending on preferences and availability of material, you can choose one or another design. The very first option has a twist: a gap on the side bar for water to drain. Any product will last longer if it is treated with impregnation, painted and varnished.

These products are a little more complicated - they are all made of bars and slats. This material allows you to make quite interesting and exclusive options. Pieces of roofing felt on the roof will significantly increase the durability of the craft. The bars and slats can be secured with small nails or glue.

Using tree branches will bring your craft closer to nature. The product can be quite simple and unusual. The use of impregnation and varnish is also advisable in this case.

Feeders made from birch branches look very interesting. Given such material, I would choose this option. Various roof construction methods are possible. Birch bark already has protective functions, but varnish will not hurt.

The photo shows several feeders for mounting on a wall or to a tree trunk. They all have a back plate with a hole for fastening. You can independently make options of varying complexity. The glass jar feeder is very simple and easy to use.

The photo shows surprisingly simple and original wood structures. It’s quite possible to make such feeders yourself. Treatment with protective impregnation did them good.

Carved products are fraught with considerable possibilities. However, in this case it is difficult to do without a jigsaw. A piece of galvanized steel on the roof is correct. Processing with a blowtorch will give the product a special color. It is simply necessary to protect a product on which a lot of time has been spent from moisture.

The images above show a selection of products made by professionals. All parts of the feeders were first processed and painted, and then assembled into a single structure. As a result, we have impeccable appearance and durability. Nothing prevents you from repeating the same thing!

The photo shows feeders that will decorate a mansion of any level with their presence. Probably, such products are made by specialists in a workshop. I am sure that if you set a goal, it is quite possible to repeat the elite version yourself.

In the photo above we have selected the most interesting ideas for wood feeders. They differ in materials and design. Moreover, it is quite possible to make such products yourself.

Made from plywood – its features and capabilities

Here are several designs of plywood feeders. There are quite a lot of products made using this technology. The parts of such feeders are cut out on a machine and sold in stores in the form of sets. Crafts are assembled easily and quickly. A set from the store is interesting and useful to process and paint to your taste.

These products are made in a workshop from thick plywood. The designs are assembled from simple parts and can be easily replicated yourself if you have a jigsaw. Clean plywood clearly requires coating and decoration.

It is much easier to make a plywood feeder using bars and slats. In this case, you can do without a jigsaw. The designs shown in the picture are different, but simple.

Plywood feeders using wood are quite popular. We demonstrate several more possible options. Simplicity of execution cannot create barriers to exclusive options if creative people get down to business.

The picture above shows evidence of the effectiveness of using paints in making a feeder. In the hands of craftsmen, fairly simple products can easily turn into fabulous attributes. In this case, desire is more important than the inclinations of an artist.

Especially for those who want to make a feeder from plywood and blocks, we have prepared product drawings. All parts are numbered for convenience. To assemble the feeder you will need 4mm thick plywood, a block with a cross section of 20x20mm and wood screws.

Here is a drawing of the parts of the feeder. The number of the latter is given in the table. The cross-section of the 20X20 bar is not shown in the drawing.

From bottles - simple and reliable

Very often bird feeders are made from plastic bottles. This is due to the availability and durability of available materials and ease of manufacture. Transparent plastic bottles allow you to easily observe the behavior of birds.

The sharp edges of the plastic must be treated with electrical tape or a PVC tube cut along the length. Then the birds will not injure their legs and plumage. Light bottle feeders should be weighted with pieces of linoleum or pebbles to prevent them from swaying in the wind. The image above shows the simplest options.

Containers made from automobile fluids make it possible to obtain more reliable and voluminous structures. Unfortunately, they are not transparent. In feeders made from any plastic containers, small holes should be made in the bottom to allow water to drain.

Five-liter eggplants can be decorated beyond recognition. Burlap, twine, washcloth and small twigs will do. To prevent beauty from fading quickly, it is necessary to use moisture-resistant materials and glue.

As you can see, there are plenty of options for decorating feeders made from five-liter bottles. Show your imagination and make it your own and unique. Don't forget about the reliability of the design.

In the photo above there are several more typical techniques for using plastic bottles:

1. In the first picture, two holes were made in the bottle opposite each other, closer to the neck. A stick was inserted into the holes - a stick. A hole for food was made just below the perch. It should have optimal dimensions: the seeds do not spill, but are accessible to the bird. Then they poured in the food, turned the container upside down and secured it to the tree.
2. In the next image, the role of dispensers and shelves is played by the two upper parts of the bottles, tightly inserted with their necks into the holes on the sides of the main bottle. The lower edges of the specified parts are bent and turned inward so that the birds do not injure their paws.
3. The picture on the left below shows the possibilities of using paints. The simple, tasteful design brings the technical transparency of plastic to life.
4. The presence of wooden spoons helps to call the birds for dinner. They are simply threaded through the holes in the bottle. It is better to place the spoons at an angle so that two birds can eat at once. The holes for food above the spoon should not be too large so that the food does not spill out all at once.

Made from cardboard and bags - cheap and cheerful

Bird feeders made of cardboard and cardboard boxes the most unreliable. But you can make a large feeder and decorate it as you wish. You can increase the service life of a cardboard bird canteen by covering it with tape or film.

Dairy and juice bags are a good way to make feeders. They cost nothing and have good moisture resistance. Of course, bottles are more durable, but bags are easier to work with. You have several options for execution.

We decided to make a fun and simple feeder from a 2 liter juice carton. The idea came up to feed the birds on a makeshift bus. The master class on assembling the craft is quite simple:

Unusual – bunker, transparent, designer, funny

Of particular interest to us are bunker feeders, which provide automatic feed supply as it is consumed. This way, bird food is not blown away by the wind, and we do not have to constantly monitor the availability of grain. The design of such a feeder can be very different, but the essence is the same: through a hole of a certain size, food pours in from above and replenishes the bird’s table.

In the above examples, the dispenser is:

• gap between two glasses;
• narrow neck of a glass bottle;
• holes at the bottom plastic bottle.

We have already considered similar options in the description of feeders made from plastic bottles. Based on these principles, you can certainly come up with something new.

Feeders using plexiglass look elegant. Birds and food are clearly visible. The design approach makes you want to repeat a successful experiment.

I don't want to throw away the rest of the tea set. Here are four options for using dishes as a feeder. The moisture resistance and appearance of the material are beyond doubt. Securing a cup or teapot in the garden is not difficult.

Particularly persistent and talented home-made people create funny feeders - jokes. We must be determined to repeat the best examples. It’s especially nice to compose something of your own.

To begin with, you can try a simpler option made from plastic bottles. Much depends on the materials you have at hand. The above examples are quite subject to female hands.

Here are four options for a “male” cool wooden feeder. The design of the crafts is quite obvious. Repeating the proposed ideas is a very real task.

Here are images of several more options for unusual bird feeders. The main idea is obvious: don't be afraid to experiment. It’s easier not to torment yourself with searching for exactly the same materials, but to use existing ones.

Let's make a feeder together - a snowman from a plastic bottle

Of course, I want to make a bird feeder simpler and more interesting. It seems to us that a snowman with gifts from Santa Claus for the birds is a suitable option. The master class for making crafts is as follows:

1. On one side of the bottle we mark the snowman's mouth with a marker. Now this wall will be the face. We cut out the outlines of the mouth according to the markings. Bend the resulting tongue down 90 degrees.
2. On the side we mark the ear in the form of an inclined oval, narrowed at the bottom. Cut a hole simulating an ear.
   
   
3. Place the resulting piece of plastic on the other side and outline it with a marker. Cut out the second ear.
4. Mark a large rectangular hole at the back of the head and cut it out.
   
   
5. The result was a blank, as in the photo above.
6. Paint the snowman's cap the same blue as the bottle cap. Paint the bottom of the eggplant with white paint.
   
   
7. We paint the tongue with red paint.
   
   
8. We put a plastic corrugated tube with a diameter of 16mm on the edges of all holes. In an electrical goods store, 2m of such pipe will cost absolutely nothing. We first cut the tube along its entire length.
9. To weight the container we use linoleum. Place the container on it and trace it with a marker. It is better to cut out two such parts.
   
   
10. We prepare plugs, screws, a sealant cover and a stick in accordance with the picture. We make holes in the corks for screws. We make a hole in the red cork for the stick.
    
    
11. We make two holes to install the nose stick. We punch one at the place of the nose, the other at the back of the head. We insert a stick into them. We first put the red plug on it, and then the sealant cover. The result is a snowman's nose.
    
    
12. We collect the eyes from small white and large blue caps. We screw them into place with self-tapping screws. From the inside, we screw two more covers onto the protruding screws to securely fasten the eyes and protect against sharp screws. All is ready!

Master class on making a classic feeder

At school, my youngest son was encouraged to make a bird feeder. The following materials were found:

• painted galvanized corner 50x50mm;
• wooden slats with a cross section of 20x40mm;
• a piece of plywood 4mm thick.

From which it was decided to compose my work. The sequence of the master class is as follows:

Cereal biscuits for birds

Sometimes you can do without creating a feeder to help the birds. You can hang special bird cookies on tree branches. Note that bird cookies made from grains look so tempting that I would eat them myself.

The first way to make a delicacy is as follows:

• prepare molds for making cookies;
• place pieces of twine in the molds that will serve as pendants;
• dissolve the gelatin packet in warm water;
• pour grain feed into the prepared solution;
• pour the mixture into the prepared molds;
• place the food in the refrigerator to harden;
• We hang the finished cookies on tree branches: accessible to our eyes and out of reach of cats.

In the absence of forms, beautiful food for birds can be made in another way:

• cut out figures of various shapes from cardboard;
• we make holes in the cardboard blanks, thread twine through them and tie rings for fastening on the tree;
• to attach the food to the cardboard, we prepare special glue, which consists of an egg, a spoonful of honey, 2 tablespoons of oatmeal and flour;
• mix the mixture and leave to mature for half an hour;
• When the glue is ready, lubricate the cardboards with it and roll the latter in bird food;
• send the semi-finished product to the refrigerator to harden;
• When the cookies are ready, we hang them on the tree and go to the window to observe.

Bird food: “what is good and what is bad”?

Take a close look at the birds that have remained to spend the winter in our area. The hope was frozen in their eyes that we would not give them an “expired product” or harmful food for them, from which the birds would suffer. Let's remember what we cannot treat our charges to, what should never be included in their diet:

• salted and fried seeds;
• cream pies and cake;
• fresh white bread;
• Rye bread;
• nuts;
• chips;
• cereals;
• leftover bananas and other citrus fruits;
• fresh fruits.

Fortunately, the range of possibilities is much wider. Birds can be offered:

• bread crumbs;
• sunflower, pumpkin and watermelon seeds;
• cereals: oats, wheat, millet, barley;
• rice, buckwheat;
• unsalted lard especially for tits;
• viburnum and rowan, maple and ash seeds especially for bullfinches.

Eggshells, coarse sand, and crushed chalk will serve as seasoning for birds' dinner, especially during the nest-building period. Thus, we know almost everything about bird feeders and bird food. By the way, observing the behavior of birds in spring and summer is no less fascinating than in winter. We wish you good luck and offer a video to help.

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Sadly, on average, out of 10 birds, only two manage to survive the winter and greet spring with their cheerful singing. The rest die from hunger and cold, since the lack of food reduces the birds’ ability to fight frosts. However, it is important to feed birds not only in winter, but also at any other time of the year, especially if you do it in your garden or summer cottage. The fact is that our feathered brothers effectively fight midges and insects, thereby protecting the crop from pests. In addition, a DIY bird feeder will allow you to show your imagination and decorate your area with an exclusive accessory. How fun it is to do this with children!

Selecting the material and suitable location for the feeder

Many people associate a bird feeder with a wooden birdhouse that resembles a miniature house. This shape is ideal for organizing bird feeding areas:

• firstly, the birdhouse has a roof that protects food from precipitation and wind;
• secondly, a wooden feeder is usually durable and reliable;
• thirdly, a wooden birdhouse fits harmoniously into any landscape.

However, you should not limit your imagination, because a bird feeder can be implemented in almost any form, the main thing is that it meets the following criteria:

• reliability and durability. When choosing material and fasteners for the feeder, keep in mind that they must support the weight of feathered guests;
• durability of the material. To ensure that the bird feeder pleases the birds and you for a long time, make it from materials that are not deformed by precipitation. Of course, a small birdhouse can be made from cardboard or food packaging, but keep in mind that such a feeder will last until the first rain or snowfall, then it will have to be replaced;
• safety. When making bird houses, you will have to cut out entrances, windows and other openings into them. To prevent guests arriving for the meal from getting hurt on the edges of the product, treat them with protective materials - electrical tape, polymer clay, resin, etc.

In addition, it is very important that feeders and birdhouses are located in places convenient for birds. There is no need to place them in the thick of branches, in a heavily blown area, or in places where cats can reach. To attract the birds' attention, hang the birdhouse in an open, easily visible area.

Examples of beautiful birdhouses made by yourself

And now the most interesting thing is a selection of beautiful bird feeders that are not so difficult to make with your own hands.

Wooden house

To build a birdhouse out of wood, you do not need to be a carpenter. Do wooden house for birds you can use planks, beams, small logs or even wine corks, the main thing is to securely fasten all the elements and install them on a solid base. To make it convenient for birds to dine, take care of a wide entrance.

Alternatively, a wooden feeder can be made from an old one. To do this, you need to cut out and clean its core, and also come up with a durable pendant. Such feeders are often used for poultry, installed, for example, in chicken coops.

Bottle feeder

Even a child can make a bird feeder from a plastic bottle. To create it, you just need to cut a wide entrance into the container, process its edges and select a suitable pendant. However, to ensure that the plastic feeder not only serves as a dining room for birds, but also decorates your garden, complement it with bright drawings, inscriptions and decorations.

You can cover the bottle with rope, wrapping it very tightly, and decorate it with natural materials - tree bark, dry leaves, rowan, etc.

You can also make a feeder with automatic feed from an ordinary plastic bottle. To do this, you need to cut paired holes on both sides of the container and insert wide wooden spoons into them. If the bottle is filled to the top with food, the grains will pour out into the spoon in small portions. And the bird will sit comfortably on it.

A similar feeder can also be made using a product in the form of a hollow tunnel instead of spoons. You can also use food containers instead of a bottle.

Feeder made from old dishes

A dish feeder is unlikely to accustom your feathered guests to table etiquette, but it will certainly become an original garden decoration. Glue the cup to the saucer using super glue, select a reliable suspension (chain, rope, wire) and install the resulting feeder, for example, on a tree branch.

If you want to make a structure that will simultaneously serve as both a bird feeder and a water bowl, make a hanging item using a cup, saucer and deep plate, fastening them with strong decorative chains.

These feeders look very nice in which the cup is turned on its side. In this case, it also needs to be glued.

You can also use a ceramic teapot as a feeder, the hole of which will become an entrance for birds. The teapot needs to be turned to its side, make a hole for a rope or wire on the side wall, as well as on the lid, and hang the structure as shown in the photo.

You can make an original feeder right on your site, in which saucers with cups are attached to the legs of an old table, and the legs themselves stand in a bucket of sand. It would seem simple, but at the same time original and not like everyone else.

Here's another interesting idea for a bird feeder, which you can make from a saucer and attach a roof to it. And there can be a lot of such ideas using old dishes.

Saucer feeder with roof photo

A very beautiful feeder can be made from an old wine bottle turned upside down. You just need to choose the right holder for it. But such a feeder is only suitable for small food; if the grains are larger, it is better to use a glass bottle with a wide neck, for example, for dairy products or juices.

Pumpkin feeders

From a round pumpkin you can make not only vases, as we have already told you about in autumn and Halloween decorations, but also bird feeders. It is enough to cut a through hole in the pumpkin, clear it of seeds and hang it from a branch by a rope.

Mesh feeders

A simple and original bird feeder can be made from mesh, which is used in supermarkets for packaging fruits and vegetables. To do this, you just need to fill the net with food, tie it firmly in a knot and hang it in any suitable place. From such a feeder, birds will freely get grains, crumbs, porridge, and even the strongest wind will not be able to scatter them. If you are decorating an area for the holiday, a net with food can become an element of any other accessory. Essentially, these are disposable feeders, and when they run out of food, you just need to make new knots. By the way, such nodules are often filled with ready-made porridge for birds rather than with dry food.

Using exactly the same principle, you can make a feeder from a metal mesh. It is best to use flexible material, since in this case it will not be difficult to give it any shape.

Hanging bird feed

If you want to make life easier for birds, but at the same time you have absolutely no time to build a birdhouse, you should not give up your good goal. Nowadays you can find hanging pressed bird food on sale, which is very convenient as a homemade feeder. Since this food is intended for parrots and other caged birds, it comes with a convenient hanger. If there is no pendant on the stern, you can make one using strong thread or thin wire. Often this food is made in the form of a variety of intricate figures, so it will become another decoration in your garden for a while (until it is eaten). In principle, you can make such food yourself; there are many master classes with step by step photos and detailed instructions.

Make sure that your DIY bird feeder is always filled with grains, bread crumbs and other bird treats. Very soon this accessory will bring many guests to your yard, who will thank you with loud singing and the absence of annoying insects.

A bird feeder performs several functions at once. Firstly, it is a place to save birds from starvation. Secondly, the feeder decorates the exterior of gardens, parks or simply streets. Thirdly, making a feeder is quite an entertaining process that unites parents and children and teaches the younger generation norms of behavior and human qualities. Therefore, whenever possible, we recommend building feeders, and we will learn how to do this further.

How to make a bird feeder with your own hands

We invite you to familiarize yourself with the main variations of bird feeders, which are most often used to feed them in the winter.

The first and simplest option is to make a roofless forest canteen. It has a flat shape with sides that prevent feed from spilling out. Such a bird canteen is good because it attracts birds, as they do not like enclosed areas. The disadvantage of the feeder is that the food quickly gets wet and spoils under atmospheric influences, and the wind easily overturns such a feeder. To construct this variation of the feeder, one piece of plywood and bars that serve as a frame are enough. The feeder is fixed using a regular rope; in order for the feeder to attract birds, paint it in a bright shade.

A DIY bird feeder made of wood with a roof is a more sustainable option. On a regular base, four are installed supporting pillars, and the roof of the feeder is fixed on them. The top part for the roof should be slightly larger than the bottom to protect the feed from rain and snow. This version of the feeder is also simple and does not require special experience in working with wood. Among the disadvantages of this design, we note that snow accumulates on the flat roof, the feeder becomes heavy in weight, and can fall from the tree. Therefore, it is recommended to periodically clean such a feeder from snow or install a pitched roof.

If you have sunflowers or large berries at home that birds can eat, it is enough to treat the birds with them. A variation in the production of rowan beads or beads from cones is possible. You can build such a feeder from scrap materials. For example, you can put treats in a regular net, in which tangerines or oranges are sold. You need to hang such a gift on a regular rope. Another method is to add wheat or another grain delicacy to unsalted melted lard; after hardening, you need to make a small ball from this mixture, which is placed in any place accessible to the birds. The congealed fat holds the grain, which is gradually eaten by the birds.

To protect the food in the tangerine net, you can additionally build a roof. This way, the food will not be exposed to moisture and snow. Periodically, such a feeder needs to be filled with new food. It is possible to supplement the main feeder with additional mesh feeders containing a variety of delicacies. These feeders will be an excellent place for small birds to feed.

If you have coconut shells at home, you can also use them to build a small feeder. It will be a natural addition to any tree and will not stand out particularly against its background. It is necessary to cut two round holes in the shell. We also recommend placing grain mixed with melted fat inside the feeder. This variation of the feeder has an unusual and original design. If you have a steel mesh with a small cross-section of cells at home, you can also build a feeder from it. Select the diameter of the feeder individually; try not to make it too large, as too much feed will make the structure heavier. Make a protective cover on such a feeder to prevent food spoilage.

There are many ideas for DIY bird feeders, all you have to do is get creative and get the necessary materials. A feeder can even be built from cutting a branch. It is enough to connect several of these parts together to form the bottom of the feeder. The roof is made in the same way.

Some craftsmen make feeders from ordinary glass jars. They set them at a certain angle and pour food inside. You can paint such a feeder using special paints for glass surfaces. In the same way, you can make a feeder from the old part. It is better to put gelatinized food in it, previously poured with melted gelatin. In the same way, you can make attractive bird feeder decorations. For example, in silicone mold a solution of gelatin and various seeds is poured in, after hardening it is possible to obtain beautiful shapes: heart-shaped, star-shaped, semicircular, etc.

Beautiful DIY bird feeder

We offer a variation of creating a cereal canteen for birds with your own hands. For this product, it is enough to use food, while the feeder perfectly complements the exterior of the garden and becomes its decoration. When performing the workflow, you will need the following accessories:

• a variety of small-sized food, most often grains or cereals are used;
• eggs;
• oatmeal;
• flour;
• gelatin composition;
• pencil;
• thick cardboard base;
• scissors and thread.

Using a pencil and cardboard, come up with a shape for the future product. It is possible to make a bird canteen in the shape of a star, polyhedron, oval, circle or heart. Using scissors, cut out the previously prepared drawing.

Prepare materials that act as bird food. It is possible to use various grains or bread crumbs. Using a needle, attach a thread to the future sketch, which will later secure the feeder to the trees. In order to firmly hold the grains on the feeder, it is necessary to connect them with a natural adhesive composition.

To prepare it, combine the ingredients in the form:

• two tablespoons of oatmeal, ground into flour;
• one egg;
• one teaspoon of honey;
• a few spoons of flour.

After combining all the components, leave them for half an hour and only after this time, combine them with the previously prepared food.

First, the base of the workpiece is coated with adhesive. In a separate container, all ingredients for the food are combined with glue. Roll the workpiece in the resulting mixture on both sides. To make the feeders harden faster, place them in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

In the absence of any of the ingredients of the adhesive composition. You can prepare natural glue in another way. To do this, just take one pack of gelatin and soak it in warm water, according to the instructions on the package. Small grain products are combined with the solution and placed in a refrigerator to harden.

This composition can be placed in an old cup or glass; they are also fixed to trees using a rope. This bird canteen is quite easy to make, but at the same time it is an excellent place to feed birds in the winter.

We also suggest that when performing the work process, prepare materials in the form of:

• three flat-shaped boxes of sweets;
• glue;
• tape;
• ropes.

In order to build this feeder, it is enough to connect two candy boxes together with an adhesive solution. At the same time, they should form a roof. The third box is used as the bottom of the feeder. This variation of the feeder is quite easy to make, but at the same time it is an excellent place to feed birds. To protect the cardboard from moisture, the feeder is covered with tape on all sides. In order to fix the feeder on the tree, an additional rope is attached to it. You can decorate the feeder with colored paper in accordance with the chosen design. The only drawback of this feeder is its light weight. It is unstable and does not hold weight well.

Make a bird feeder with your own hands photo:

We offer another easy option for creating a bird canteen. To do this, you need to use a box from any drink. The upper part of the box is fixed to the tree with a cord, and a hole is cut out on the lower part for feeding and eating food. It is recommended to additionally seal the box with tape to avoid its destruction under the influence of water.

DIY bird feeder - original ideas

There are many creative ideas for creating bird canteens. Most often, these exterior elements are made of wood or plastic. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the variation in the construction of a PVC feeder.

When executing the workflow, you will need to have:

• scissors or knife;
• plastic tank with a volume of five liters;
• wire.

In addition, you should prepare food for birds, which will be located in the forest dining room. Using a utility knife or scissors, cut a circular hole in the bottom of the container. The diameter of the opening should be such that a bird can easily fly into it. It is possible to construct several windows at once through which feed will be supplied. The upper part of the container is wrapped with wire and installed on a branch. To weight the finished product, use plywood or similar material that is placed at the bottom. This bird canteen has a roof, so the birds' food will not be wet. In addition, the presence of large diameter holes is the key to ensuring that there will always be a lot of birds in your feeder.

It is possible to design a do-it-yourself bird feeder using PVC bottles. When working on a dining room for birds, you will need to prepare the following materials:

• PVC bottles;
• wires;
• two spoons made of wood.

Using a knife or scissors, make an opening in the container so that a wooden spoon can be inserted through it. 5 cm higher, make another identical hole. Set the spoons and pour food into the bottle. On one side of the spoon, which is adjacent to the bottle with a wide edge, build a hole of a larger diameter. Thus, as the birds eat it, food will spill out of the bottle. The upper part of the container is fixed to the tree most often using wire or rope.

DIY bird feeders photo:

An easier variation of making a bird canteen is to cut out a small door in a PVC bottle. In order to avoid injury to birds as they enter the feeder, all edges of the opening are sealed with electrical tape. Food is poured directly into the container.

Original DIY bird feeder

In the process of creating a wooden forest canteen for birds, you need to stock up on tools in the form of:

• wood or plywood;
• hammer with nails;
• timber;
• screwdriver;
• compositions to protect wood from high humidity.

Using plywood and a board, use a screwdriver to cut out the base for the feeder. The second part should be the same shape, only slightly larger. Thus, it will protect the feeder from moisture. Saw the timber into several parts, from which you need to make sides for the feeder.

To fix the beam, use fasteners and a hammer. A wire or cord should be fixed to the roof, which will hold the roof on the branches. To connect the roof and the bottom of the forest canteen, additional supports are used, installed in the corners, or two in the center. Open the feeder with an antiseptic, which prevents its destruction under atmospheric influence; it is additionally recommended to varnish the feeder.

Please note that it is strictly forbidden to feed birds fresh bread, rye bread and flour, citrus fruits, salty foods, toasted seeds, and oatmeal. These products will not bring any benefit to the birds, but will only harm them.

Used as food for birds different kinds grain, wheat, nuts, fruits, dried foods, lard, rowan and viburnum, etc. A beautiful homemade bird feeder will decorate any interior; children will enjoy watching the birds eat food and rejoice in the fact that they are taken care of.

DIY bird feeder video:

Scientists now clearly agree that there are no harmful birds at all. Even from such arrogant rogues as hooded crows and cormorants, as it turned out, there is still much more benefit than harm. Documented attacks on climbers by bearded eagle and lamb's eagle have been caused by climbers approaching their nests; a brood is a brood, it needs to be protected. The second thing that experts are unanimous about is that in winter a bird feeder is needed in residential areas. Many of the small and most useful of them do not make regular flights, but undertake feeding migrations in winter. Near human habitation, food areas remain plentiful longer than in the wild, and when real cold comes with lack of food, there is no longer enough strength to fly: there will be nothing to eat along the way.

If you describe the bird in one word, it would be movement. There are no and cannot be birds that hibernate or otherwise save their own energy resources when unfavorable conditions occur: the body’s adaptation to flight requires a high metabolic rate. If the bird is hungry and/or cold, it becomes more and more anxious, looking for something nutritious to peck. She does not weaken at the same time until she falls, numb, at the feet of a passerby. Take it to the veterinarians - maybe they will come out. But it’s still better, after spending a little labor, to build a feeder for the winter with your own hands; Almost any household scraps or scraps will work for this.

Gardeners, gardeners and summer residents who visit their plots in winter will benefit greatly from this: even granivorous birds, sparrows, for example, feed their brood with insects. In the spring, just in time for the chicks to hatch, pests wake up and become active. If you make a bird feeder in the fall and feed their beneficial community on the site, see Fig., you will need to spend much less on plant protection products. Bird feeders, let the reader know, can be made attractive for some types of birds and not very convenient for others, from which there is less benefit. How exactly – this is the focus of this article. Not to the detriment, hopefully, of other aspects of the issue, such as materials that are cheaper or completely free, design, etc.

What kind of feeder should it be?

Let us first imagine the design of a feeding trough. Let’s just imagine it, because there is no need to draw it up on paper and run around with it in offices with serious uncles and caustic aunts. But, firstly, you need to know where and for what purpose there will be a winter bird canteen: in the city, outside the city, for temporary feeding in the very cold or for permanently attracting useful helpers. Secondly, who will we feed? Who should we let go ahead, and who should we unobtrusively ask to wait? For example, if others have a bad time, sparrows, crows and pigeons will certainly kill each other. They have long become accustomed to humans and will find something to profit from in the most severe food shortage, but in a dacha or on an estate other birds will be of more use.

Having decided on the “range of desired clientele,” we will choose the design of the feeder. Birds not only do not eat all the same things, they also take food in different ways: from the ground or an extensive solid level support, from thick branches, twigs and tree trunks, clinging to them with their claws, from swaying thin branches and blades of grass; The design of the feeder should provide advantageous access to feed to desired guests. We do not mean birds that take food in the summer; they are all migratory. After this, we will choose the material for the feeder, preferably free, and from it we will see how to make it. This is approximately the WPR (work execution plan).

Who will feed?

As already said, sparrows, pigeons and, especially, crows need to be discouraged from the feeder. What kind of birds are desirable on it? Of course, wintering in this area. They can be divided into 2 categories: the first are nomadic. They do not have specific wintering places; Where there is enough food, it is good there even in winter. They will be the most frequent guests at the feeder. The second ones are obligate, i.e. necessarily wintering in their permanent feeding stations (areas). Only extreme circumstances can drive them to the feeder: a particularly harsh winter, etc. In the central zone of the Russian Federation and in the south of Siberia, in addition to the ubiquitous persistent sparrows, the birds shown in the figure fly to the feeder; a list with names is below it.

1. nuthatch;
2. pika;
3. lesser spotted woodpecker;
4. crossbill;
5. jay;
6. nutcracker or nutcracker;
7. bullfinch;
8. waxwing;
9. common grosbeak;
10. goldfinch;
11. yellowhammer;
12. greenfinch;
13. great tit;
14. blue tit;
15. tufted tit;
16. Muscovy tit;
17. long-tailed tit;
18. chickadee.

The first trinity are obligately wintering insectivorous birds. Nuthatch and pika extract insects from bark cracks and wood passages with beaks specially adapted for this purpose. Woodpeckers, as you know, gouge their way to prey. At the feeder, you can almost certainly expect only the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker: it has already, one might say, completely gotten along with people, and with a lack of animal food, it is able to feed on hard seeds. Other woodpeckers (black or yellow, great spotted, green, golden or Syrian) will never fly to the feeder, and if a nuthatch and/or pika appear there, it means that the birds are generally unwell this winter, and high-calorie food with animal fats should be given and proteins; which one exactly – more on that later. All these birds take food by clinging to a support.

Crossbills also overwinter obligately, but feed by husking the seeds of conifers from cones, these are the most specialized of shelling birds, their beak has turned into something like tongs. Crossbills even hatch chicks in the middle of winter, when there are plenty of puffed up cones. In general, they don’t care about taking food from a branch or clinging to a support, as long as it’s not from the ground. Jays and nutcrackers are also shellers, but not as skilled. By the way, Kedrovka can be seen not only in the north; sometimes it undertakes long-distance feeding migrations, during which it reaches Spain.

All shelling birds are very useful for the forest, because... contribute to the spread of trees: the crossbill loses a lot of them, restoring the existing forest, and the jay and nutcracker create storehouses of seeds, which are not fully used, or are even completely forgotten. This is how the forest spreads. Forestry specialists are confident that without nutcrackers, maintaining the supply of Siberian pine (Siberian cedar) would be impossible. In addition, jays and nutcrackers destroy a lot of wintering harmful insects.

It is possible to attract shelling birds to your site, but they need a special type of homemade feeders, see below. Shelling feeders are also sold ready-made, but there is nothing in them that you cannot make yourself. They will also be suitable for crossbills in case of cone harvest failure, however, after feeding, they will fly back into the forest.

Note: Just in case, let us also remind you: insectivorous forest birds and shellers fly to people for food in the most extreme cases, and then they must be offered nutritious, high-calorie food. Along the way, they will thoroughly clean up the garden and vegetable garden from overwintering harmful little things.

The bullfinch, waxwing, grosbeak and goldfinch are considered primarily frugivorous birds. There is no mistake here, we are not talking about the flesh, but about juicy fruits and berries. Their seeds in the digestive tract of these birds, as a rule, are not digested, but the germination of seeds after such treatment increases. That is, frugivorous birds contribute to the spread of berry bushes and trees. However, frugivorous birds feed their chicks with insects, and while/when there is no harvest, they themselves do not disdain them. Actually, frugivorous birds of middle latitudes can be considered avian omnivores, because. animal feed makes up a significant portion of their diet. The goldfinch can generally consume more insects than plant foods. In the extermination of wintering pests, they complement insectivores and shellers, because those, as a rule, do not take prey that is completely open and motionless, for example. pupae.

It is advisable to introduce frugivorous birds to the site, but with caution. A good bait would be pieces of soft, juicy plant food placed on the roof of the feeder: apple cores with seeds, pumpkin, cucumber. However, before you put bait, you need to take a closer look at those eating: if a grosbeak is seen among them, it is better to refuse baiting. In the spring, it pecks out swelling buds and in some places has become a real scourge of gardens and vegetable gardens. Later, the grosbeak more than compensates for the damage, destroying huge numbers of May beetles and cabbage caterpillars, but still there is no need to promote its excessive reproduction.

Note: Sometimes it is advised, as a winter vitamin supplement, to put twigs in the feeder that have been left in water at home until the buds swell. No need, just like any other seedlings, or even absolutely useful tits, can learn to “bear wood.” The best vitamin food for birds in winter is cores of apples and pears with seeds, fibrous core of pumpkin with seeds, bunches of viburnum, rowan, elderberry, dried rose hips, cherry (can be made from compote) and grape seeds. For more information about feed, see below.

Fruit-eating birds take food from the ground and clinging to a support, so the feeder for them can be anything other than a swinging suspension, see below. They are stronger and stronger than sparrows, but not so impudent, so they are not competitors for tits if there is enough food. Goldfinches are the most common species at the feeder; they are close to becoming obligately hibernating human symbionts. Here it is useful to remember Saint-Exupery: “We are responsible for those we have tamed.”

Siskins, buntings and greenfinches are granivorous birds. Their seedlings have nothing to fear from weeds: they prefer wild grass seeds. The chicks are fed insects. Food is taken from the ground and from a swaying twig/blade of grass. They are friendly with tits, but sparrows need to be kept away from their feeder: granivorous birds are small, not very strong and non-aggressive.

Note: The author is deeply convinced that the old song about the little siskin who drank vodka on the Fontanka was composed not only as a mockery of the cadets of one of the elite cadet corps who wore yellow and black uniforms. In nature, the siskin really has a somewhat drowsy and arrogant look, like that of a beginning heavy drinker who has just grabbed (snatched, grunted, missed, rolled, knocked over, knocked over, etc., etc.) a stopper or two, see fig. on right. That doesn’t stop him from being as careful and prudent as a bird.

Finally, a horde of tit birds who steal wheat only from the house that Jack built. In fact, insects are an indispensable and significant part of their diet, and of varying sizes. If the great and tufted tits are able to cope with locusts, then the long-tailed tit and chickadee are not averse to pecking at aphids and spider mites. The tits have gotten along quite well with people; there is no need to attract them, they will come on their own. In normal winters, feeding should be given with dry plant matter, and in severe frosts - highly nutritious, like other insectivores. Then, having become bored with the dry grass over the winter, the titmice will attack the pests in the spring, not allowing them to properly stretch their mandibles, and they will immediately have no time for seedlings with crops. And whoever survives this beak slaughter will no longer be able to cause significant damage to the crop. Tits can take food from the thinnest branches blown by the wind; they only have one evolutionary step left to learn how to take food from the summer. This makes it easier to create specialized tit canteens.

What about sparrows?

Sparrows are no less useful than other granivores, but they are daring, sneaky, and live in flocks. And an ordinary bird feeder, unlike crows and pigeons, is quite suitable in size for them. Sparrows take food mainly from the ground, but they are not afraid of branches. Therefore, they are able to eat other birds, when for them feeding is a matter of life and death, and the chirping scoundrels themselves, in the meantime, could hold out somehow. So it is advisable to arrange a winter bird feeder in such a way that sparrows fly to it only if the wind is really blowing in the crop.

Here you can use their caution and manner of avoiding danger. If you noticed, the sparrows run away, starting from a place steeply upward. Therefore, a feeder with low entrances (windows for birds to access the food) and a steep roof with large overhangs is unattractive for sparrows: in order to escape from there, you must first flutter to the side, and this is not sparrow-like. An “anti-sparrow” feeder can be made similar to a chicken feeder, diagram in Fig. Next we will consider other options.

Types of feeders

When choosing the type of feeder, in addition to the species composition of the guests, you need to keep in mind the following:

• Birds navigate primarily by sight; Their hearing is rather weak, and their sense of smell, one might say, is non-existent. Therefore, the food should be visible from afar.
• The food must be protected from being blown by the wind, snowed in, or eaten by unwanted visitors such as squirrels or chipmunks.
• It is also advisable to avoid spilling food on the ground so as not to give “beacons” to small predators. By the way, the most dangerous of them are not cats, domestic and wild, but much more cunning, ferocious and bloodthirsty ferrets, weasels and stoats. There are quite a few of them living near homes, but they are very good at avoiding being seen.
• It is better to hang feeders for temporary feeding in winter, so they will attract sparrows less.
• Stationary feeders for attracting birds to the site should be placed on poles with protection from predators, see below. Birds flying to feed will recognize the area as theirs if the food is found on a sufficiently large, flat, stable area.

Based on everything stated above, let’s see which winter bird feeders are better in which case. Their main types are shown in the figure:

1 – hanging feeder. Just food on a string or in a mesh case. A typical tit feeder in case of extreme cold. Among other birds, it can be visited by forest insectivores, except woodpeckers. “Antifreeze” food for tits – just a piece of unsalted lard, pos. 1 on next rice. A more nutritious option, also designed for shellers, is a ball of a mixture of seeds (see below), held together with congealed internal fat (liard) or peanut butter in a net for vegetables, pos. 2. However, there is no need to cast the feed mass into plastic cups or beautiful shapes and freeze it (pos. 6,7), it is difficult for birds to cling and the calories from feeding may not compensate for the energy consumption to support themselves by fluttering their wings. The ball from the finished mass must be sculpted by hand in the cold; the fat hardens quickly, and the ball can be hung immediately.

A hanging feeder can be made for certain species of birds. For example, great tits readily peck at garlands of dried berries (especially rose hips) or peanut pods, pos. 3, 4. But blue tits love to ride on swings, and balls for them need to be hung on the thinnest and most elastic branches or even designed in an original way in the form of mobile sculptures, or mobiles, poses. 5. Great tits will also fly there, but they do not fight with blue tits.

For shelling birds, bullfinches and waxwings, hanging feeding from a cone will be good; For visibility, it’s a good idea to supplement it with a bunch of viburnum or rowan, pos. 1 to the following figure:

If there is no fertile cone, any disheveled one will do: it is doused with peanut butter (pos. 2), solid food is stuffed between the scales (pos. 3), and hanged. Bird lovers and animal photographers, hanging cone baits since the summer, manage to make even crossbills their regular guests.

A hanging feeder for any birds that take food from a swinging support can be quickly made from paper. In fact, paper is not a material for winter feeders: it becomes limp and pecks. But a spool from a toilet paper roll, smeared with the same peanut butter and sprinkled with seeds (see the picture on the right), can save more than one poor creature right before your eyes, and you can make such a feeder in literally 5 minutes. The colored tails below are not a whim; they are visible to birds from afar and attract their attention. It is better to make the tails red and/or green: for birds, red means berries, and where there is greenery in winter, there will be food.

2 – platform. The advantage is that the feed is clearly visible. Disadvantages: the food falls asleep in the snow, the wind blows it up, a lot of it wakes up, the sparrows feel at home on it.

3 – house. The food is protected from snow; By selecting the roof structure, the feeder-house can be made windproof and anti-sparrow. But a lot of food still wakes up, and only birds that are accustomed to feeding will come to dine. Forest dwellers, reaching for housing in an extreme situation, may simply not see what is there and drop dead two steps away. A feeding house with a sloping roof can also be quickly built from a box, as shown in Fig. on right. If circumstances allow, then it is advisable to soak the box three to five times diluted with PVA (it is also useful for cardboard feeders), and glue supports from sticks/twigs. Then the structure will be enough for more than one winter. This feeder is nailed to the tree.

Note: the feeding platform can be converted into a house and back as needed (weather, etc.) by attaching a removable roof made of thin hard plastic, see fig. left. PET from cut bottles, sewn with fishing line or stapled with a stapler, works well, but thin polycarbonate will also work. In the latter case, you need to nail slats with grooves to the sides of the platform and slide the roof in and out of them.

A feeder-house with a pitched roof is also convenient for fairly large and strong birds: pigeons, waxwings, jays, nutcrackers. They all don’t mind feeding in a row, so a dining house for them needs to be made with a perch. Material – any suitable, incl. and treated cardboard as a wood substitute, see below. The feeder for these birds should be larger than for small birds; For approximate dimensions see fig. on right. It’s tempting to quickly build a similar one from a shoebox, in the same place, but it won’t last long: strong, active birds will tear and peck at the weak material in a feeding or two.

4 – bunker. Optimal in all respects, including anti-sparrow resistance. The fact is that sparrows are flocking birds. If the flock does not fit in the feeding area, 1-2 sparrows will not “run over” the buntings with chickadees: they will eat in someone else’s company, but take turns and observe decency.

Homemade bunker feeders come in different designs, see fig. In the center there is a special area for tits and small spotted woodpeckers (a hard narrow area, see below). She and the one on the right are anti-sparrows. Modern materials make it possible to manufacture such an effective feeder as a bunker in 5 minutes. How is clear from Fig. on right.

Materials – PET bottle, plastic plate, nylon thread, superglue. Tools – scissors, knife, gypsy needle. And this feeder will last for more than one winter.

5.6 – tray. The food is poorly visible, so these are feeders for familiar and important birds. What is better to do in front of the entrance, a landing platform or a perch-pole, depends on the type of feeding; What is more convenient for someone, we will see further in the course of the presentation. They are divided into designs with free access to feed (5 in the figure at the beginning of the section) and its automatic feeding into the feeding tray (6 in the same place). The latter are even better than bunker ones: the feed practically does not spill. We will look at them in more detail later. A tray feeder can be designed to accommodate only 1 or several species of birds (6), but to do this you need to have serious knowledge of ornithology, appropriate tools and skills; Specialized tray feeders are commercially available in a fairly wide range.

Note: if the tray canteen is planned to be publicly accessible, the food in it can be made clearly visible by making the bin completely or partially transparent from plastic.

7 – specialized feeder-husker for birds of the appropriate type of food. The feed is held in place by a metal mesh. It can be combined with a tray and thus become combined.

Materials and designs

Plastic

The most popular feeders today are plastic. There are several reasons: empty, unusable plastic containers have nowhere to go, transparent plastic makes the food visible from afar, working with plastic is easy, not wasteful, and can be done at home without special tools. Plastics are durable, resistant, bird feeders made from them will last for many years and can be made of any type.

If you make a feeding house out of plastic, pos. 1 in Fig., please note that the roof should be matte and generally opaque. Wild birds, of course, are smarter than tame canaries and parrots, but when they see a sneaking cat (or, say, the shine of a lens), they can hit the transparent lens out of fright.

Good small plastic feeders are made from used toys: cubes, etc. They are made from polyethylene, so the only reliable way to glue, for example, a roof is instant cyanoacrylate glue (superglue). The feeders are clearly visible, all birds are curious to one degree or another, so there are no problems with the visibility of food. Round holes in polyethylene are easily cut with a ballerina compass with two needles. Homemade products for pos. 2 For complete bird happiness, the only thing missing is perches: polyethylene is slippery.

At pos. 3 and 4 are already purchased plastic feeders. Just a note: the house on pos. 3 costs 180 rubles, and the transparent “firm” at pos. 4 – three times more. But the same feeder can be glued together from scraps of polycarbonate and equipped, if you really want it for a window, with suction cups for bathroom shelves.

Feeders made from unusable plastic containers deserve special consideration, see fig. below. The design for pos. is very well thought out. 1. A wide tray provides good visibility of food, and in combination with a perch allows any birds to feed. The large capacity of the tray and the corresponding supply of food in it do not require frequent approaches from feeders, which frightens the birds less. The trough-shaped tray ensures minimal spillage of feed. Wing hatches bent upward provide an anti-sparrow effect; The platform they form on top allows you to place juicy vitamin supplements.

Feeders for pos. 2 and 3 are focused on tits, goldfinches and granivores. The main thing in them is a properly designed dispenser tray, see below. Simpler feeders for the same tribe, pos. 4 and 5, you can hang it if the sparrows are not very annoying. At pos. 4 there was a container for computer disks, this is more for small things like siskins, and the feeding station from a sour cream bucket (item 5) will feed bullfinches and waxwings.

Feeders made from used containers for liquid products can also be classified as plastic. The milk-kefir bags are, however, cardboard, but they are laminated with film on both sides, so they will last through the winter. Well, as for bottles and containers, they are made of PET. Small milk and juice packets make excellent feeders for tits, goldfinches, and granivores; you just need to insert a perch stick, pos. 1 on next rice. For the same birds, if the egg is used, you need to cut openings in the vessel about 6x8 cm, each on 3 sides, not reaching 3-4 cm to the bottom, and bend the valves outward, pos. 2.

If you screw a hard wooden circle to the bottom of the dishes instead of wobbly valves, you can count on visits from the Great Spotted Woodpecker. He won’t sit on a tit flap: what kind of woodpecker will he be if he doesn’t cling to a tree with his claws?

Large bags make public canteens, then the openings need to be cut larger so that the food can be seen from afar. In the case when the feeder is suspended in free space, you must also pierce it with a perch, pos. 4. When placed in a bush as perches for tits, its branches, pos. 5, and the sparrows will be uncomfortable here.

Egg bag and tray...

How to make a feeder from a plastic container and a 0.25-0.5 liter bottle is shown in Fig. on right. The hook at the bottom is optional; hanging food can be hung on it, see above. However, for other types of feeders, the bottle dispenser tray may be too big. In this case, it can be glued together from cardboard or several layers of paper soaked in diluted PVA, see next. rice.:

Yellow arrows show the paths of feed movement. To make him wake up less, the inner end of the perch stick should reach the rear edge of the tray; Of course, you can pierce the vessel right through with it. The arrows in the center of the circle give the horizontal and vertical scale, i.e. the entrance will be 6 cm in diameter, this is enough for birds no larger than a great tit.

... and a house made of packages

From 2 juice packets you get a good tit feeder-house, see fig. on right. The entire structure is held together with straws from the same juice, their protruding ends will be perches. To prevent the perches from bending (the corrugation of the straw remains outside), it is advisable to insert thin twigs into the tubes; can be broken off right there on the spot.

Tree

Wooden feeders are good for their durability: impregnated with drying oil, water-polymer emulsion or its substitute in the form of diluted PVA and painted, they last for years. Therefore, wooden feeders are most often made stationary. Of course, to make them you will also need carpentry tools with a separate workplace.

The traditional design of a wooden feeder is a house. A view of the simplest homemade wooden feeder with dimensions is shown in Fig. left. However, firstly, such a feeder does not protect food from weathering, because space under flat roof blown through. Secondly, by seemingly slightly changing the configuration and proportions of the parts, it is possible to specialize the feeder quite strongly. E.g. pos. 1 in Fig. Below is public. Pos. 2 will attract shelling birds: landing on sideways protruding slats and pulling seeds through the slats will give complete illusion usual eating process. Pos. 3 and 4 – with weakened blowing of food and a noticeable anti-passerine effect, for small and larger birds, respectively. Pos. 5 – almost windproof and fundamentally anti-sparrow: a sparrow that has retained its common sense will fly into this only as a last resort.

It is more convenient and easier to make winter hanging wooden feeders from plywood and blocks of approximately 30x30 or 30x40 mm. Here you can do without lumber at all by gluing PVA bars from strips of the same plywood. However, stationary feeders on poles will be more durable from solid wood, because... plywood outdoors, except for expensive waterproof birch, after a season or two begins to delaminate with any impregnation.

For example in Fig. Above is a drawing of a country, garden or forest feeder for all types of birds. A tin tray on a pole not only keeps predators out, but also serves as a dining area for sparrows. The lifting liner (it slides freely on the post) makes cleaning easier and allows birds of one species to feed from their recess, leaving others to feed. You can hang nets or cones with food for shellers on a pole under the roof, and hanging food for tits at the corners of the platform. The roof is removable and on hooks for easy maintenance.

Wooden special

A hanging analogue of such a feeder, as they say now, with simplified functionality, is shown in Fig. on right. The diameter of the floor platforms is about 500 mm. The ledges on the middle platform are convenient for birds looking at the food before starting to eat. In this case, the sparrows are given the upper platform: these troublemakers will scatter the food anyway, so you can do without a side, although it won’t hurt.

In Fig. Below are wooden feeders, bunker and tray, which can be converted into combined ones, suitable for hullers. The fact is that in these designs, to improve the visibility of the feed, the bunkers are made with glazed windows. Replacing glass with a steel mesh with a mesh size of about 5x5 mm will allow shellers to pull out seeds while others are pecking from trays or from the platform.

How to do without a tree

Wooden feeders look better than home-made plastic ones; they are easier to adapt to the needs of both the birds and the owner. But what to do if you don’t have woodworking tools or don’t want to start carpentry with its sawdust and shavings in the house?

A feeder that is not inferior to a wooden one in terms of convenience and appearance and can last at least 3-4 seasons can be made from corrugated cardboard from packaging boxes that have become unnecessary. Of course, it will take more time, but the only tools you will need are a pencil, a ruler, a square, a sharp knife, scissors, an awl, PVA glue and a brush for it. The technology is similar to making cardboard shelves:

1. For each part, 2-5 blanks-plates of the same size are cut out, depending on the required thickness, but with an internal corrugation oriented alternately along and across, see fig. on right;
2. Each layer is impregnated on one side and the other with a water-polymer emulsion. It is not sold in small packaging, but its full replacement is PVA diluted three to five times with water. This work should be done on a plastic film underneath;
3. A day later (if the sheets were drying at room temperature), the part is glued together with PVA in the same order: corrugation along/corrugation across, see the same figure;
4. The part is dried on film, the top is also covered with film and pressed down with several books, evenly covering its entire area;
5. The feeder is assembled using the same PVA glue;
6. After drying, the end connections are reinforced with pins made of toothpicks or pointed matches without heads: the holes for the pins are pricked with an awl from top to bottom, a drop of glue is introduced into each and the pin is immediately pressed in;
7. The open ends are sealed with strips of plain cardboard or thick paper soaked in diluted PVA;
8. After 3-4 days of drying, the product can be painted, varnished, openings can be decorated with plastic, mesh can be attached, etc.

Original feeders

Anyone who takes up tinkering wants to make something of their own, unusual and unique. Unusual feeders can be divided into original ones based on the technique of execution or some functional features and simply beautiful, designer ones. One, of course, is no hindrance to the other, if only one’s hands were in place.

The first few, let's say, technical and functional ones, are shown in the figure:

Pos. 1 – special for shellers, frugivores and large granivores. The cob is placed on a nail driven through the bottom. Here it is necessary to note that the corn should be hard, fodder or oilseed varieties, with smaller grains. Canteen sugar will be harmful to birds: its grains contain too much starch and sugars.

Pos. Doesn’t require 2 comments: over the summer I accumulated ice cream sticks, then PVA, strings, and that’s it. If you make a pole on each side, then 4 siskins or chickadees will be able to feed at once. Pos. 3 is woven from paper tubes. The work is complex and time-consuming, especially considering that they need to be properly protected from limpness. However, judging by the fact that in such a small area there are as many as 3 great tits feeding and another one is waiting in line, the birds really like this creation.

Finally, pos. 4, out tin can. Here it would not hurt to put a perch made of a stick in the braid instead of a slippery cold piece of iron. The manufacturing technology allows this quite well: the can is tied with a rope in the same way that sailors, riggers, or, say, high-rise assemblers, apply a mark to the end of the cable, see fig. on right.

If you take decorative feeders, then there are no restrictions on the design: the bright colors of the birds do not scare away, they can easily distinguish a drawn cat from a living one, and they will even peck the image in revenge; Let's just give a few examples in the figure:

According to the execution technique, it is better to avoid varnished and shiny surfaces, as in pos. 1. On a smooth surface, it is more difficult for the claws to catch on, the grains dodge the beak, and the glare hurts the bird’s sensitive eyes.

Pumpkin feeders for wild birds do not fit into any classification, but for birds this is a real paradise: proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and microelements - all in one and in sufficient quantity for everyone. Plus, the support is strong and at the same time pliable under the claws. It is not necessary to make something like a house out of a pumpkin or carve a scarecrow’s face on it, as in the figure: it is enough to remove a piece of skin from one side to the pulp, and before spring only the peel will remain from the pumpkin. Perhaps suitable for fun crafts.

What to feed wild birds?

All that remains is to decide what kind of bird food to put in the feeder. The best food for all wintering birds is wild grass seeds, especially burdocks. Songbird lovers and ornithologists collect turnip seeds in the summer or buy them at pet stores. Next, in order of preference by birds and benefits for them:

Note: if it is possible to buy the so-called at a pet store. Canary seed or grain mixture for budgies is just what any bird at the feeder needs.

Wheat, rye and bread made from them should be avoided: the bird's body is not designed to process excess starch. Black bread is especially dangerous: it causes inflammation of the goiter, which often leads to the death of the bird. Completely dry crumbs white bread Can be given to pigeons and fruit-eating birds. The same applies to all cereals that swell greatly during cooking: barley (barley), rice, buckwheat. As mentioned above, you need to be careful with corn. In general, it must be borne in mind that wild birds are smaller than chickens and ducks, and their digestion is unaccustomed to domestic feed.

Note: the peel of citrus and tropical fruits - bananas, mangoes, avocados, mangosteens, sapodillas, etc. is a deadly poison for our birds. It's a matter of sugar composition.

The best vitamin supplements, as already mentioned, are brushes and bunches. wild berries. In addition to the mentioned rowan, viburnum, and elderberry, barberries, currants, chokeberries, and junipers are also readily eaten. In the southern regions - cotoneaster, berries of “wild grapes” (cissus), boxwood. Seeds of table grapes, cherries and cherries from compote, melon and watermelon seeds (not pulp!), cores of apples and pears with seeds, grated raw carrots are also an excellent vitamin supplement. You should not give whole fruits: having fed on them, even the most principled tit will not resist the temptation to peck them in the garden in the summer.

An important component of the bird's diet is mineral nutrition and solid inclusions that grind food in the stomach. The most important mineral is calcium. Its source at the feeder is finely crushed eggshell. It must be given without fail if you want the winter eaters to nest right away in the spring. Birds, like domestic chickens, also need sand. It needs to be sprinkled a little at a time, always river rounded and the smallest.

One last funny thing

So, a certain young man with an actively destructive way of thinking in the winter heard that black bread and banana peels are killer for birds. He immediately set to work: he was not lazy and put together a feeding trough, dried and finely crushed banana peels. Then he forked out for a loaf of Borodinsky for 40 rubles. at the price at that time, I crushed it too. I mixed everything, hung up the feeder, and poured bird poison into it.

The next morning I went, anticipating the “task,” to see how many of them were lying there dead with swollen crops. It turned out - not a single one, the food was not touched. Before the unlucky terrorist had time to decide what he should think about this, flocks of trees fell from the surrounding trees and showered Grisha with “business cards.” The individual “cards” merged into a continuous blanket, and a pile formed on the head. Since then, the poor fellow carefully and cautiously avoids even flocks of sparrows on the asphalt.