How do you make a simple water bottle bird feeder?

Making a simple bird feeder out of a recycled water bottle is an easy and fun craft that can provide hours of entertainment while also helping our feathered friends. Birds need a reliable source of food, especially in winter when natural sources are scarce. A homemade bird feeder allows you to easily provide seeds, suet, nectar or other bird food in your own backyard. Watching the birds come visit your feeder and seeing how each species eats can educate kids and adults about backyard birds and nature. This activity also helps reinforce the importance of recycling and reusing everyday items.

What You Need

Here’s a list of supplies you’ll need to make a water bottle bird feeder:

• Empty plastic water or soda bottle, thoroughly cleaned
• Scissors or craft knife
• Twine, string or other hanging material
• Bird seed, suet nuggets or other bird food
• Optional: Googly eyes, markers, paint and other craft decorations

The exact size and type of bottle doesn’t matter. A 16-20 ounce bottle works well but larger 2 liter bottles can also easily be turned into a feeder. Try to choose plastic bottles without sharp ridges as these can injure birds’ feet. Thoroughly clean and dry the bottle before starting.

How to Make the Bird Feeder

Making a recycled bottle feeder only takes a few easy steps. Here is the process:

1. Use scissors or a craft knife to carefully cut a large opening in the bottle near the bottom. This opening should be big enough for birds to easily access the food inside, about 2-3 inches across.
2. Poke or cut a few small drainage holes in the bottom of the bottle. Add more holes along the sides if desired.
3. Decorate the outside of the bottle with markers, paint, googly eyes, stickers or other craft materials. Let dry completely.
4. Add bird food into the bottom of the bottle through the large opening.
5. Thread twine or string through the bottle cap and tie it tightly. Trim the ends.
6. Hang your feeder from a tree, hook, stand or other spot where birds can easily reach it.

Watch birds find your new feeder and enjoy it. You may need to experiment with different foods or feeding locations to find what works best. Change and clean the feeder regularly to keep birds healthy.

Bird Feeder Tips

Here are some additional tips for getting the most out of your recycled bottle bird feeder:

• Use a mix of seeds and nuts to attract different bird species. Black oil sunflower seeds appeal to many backyard birds.
• Add suet for nutritious energy in winter. Make your own or buy cakes.
• Try different depths for the seed level. Chickadees and finches prefer shallow 1-2 inches while bigger birds like cardinals and jays will access seeds 5-6 inches deep.
• Adjust feeding location height based on the birds you want to attract. Sparrows and juncos feed well on low feeders while goldfinches like higher perches.
• Clean feeders regularly with soap and water to prevent spread of bacteria and disease.
• Use hot pepper powder or safflower seeds to deter squirrels if needed. Put up deterrents like baffles.
• Supplement feeder food with natural sources like fruiting trees, shrubs, and ground cover.
• Watch for crowding, aggression, or unhealthy birds. Separate feeders if needed.

Use high quality bird food and keep feeders clean to have the healthiest backyard flock possible.

Different Types of Bird Food

There are many types of bird food that can be used in a homemade water bottle feeder. Here are some common options:

Seeds

• Black oil sunflower seeds – Attracts cardinals, finches, nuthatches, grosbeaks, doves.
• Nyjer thistle – Finches, pine siskins, redpolls love this tiny black seed.
• Safflower – Cardinals, chickadees like these oils seeds. Squirrels usually don’t.
• Cracked corn – Jays, doves, some woodpeckers eat these larger seeds.
• Millet – Small round white seeds for ground feeding birds like sparrows, juncos.

Mixes are also available with various combinations of these popular seeds.

Fruit

• Raisins – Robins, catbirds, mockingbirds enjoy raisins soaked in water.
• Grapes – Cut in half to attract orioles, tanagers, grosbeaks.
• Apples – Woodpeckers, jays like chunks of apple.
• Oranges – Orioles enjoy oranges and the jelly inside.

Fruit is typically set out in mesh bags or on spikes, not mixed into feeders.

Suet

• Suet cakes or nuggets provide pure animal fat that birds convert to energy.
• Especially valued food in winter by woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees.
• Commercial suet is widely available. Can also make homemade suet by mixing animal fat, seeds, peanut butter, cornmeal.

Hang suet inside feeders or from specialized suet cage feeders.

Nectar

• Sugar water nectar attracts hummingbirds.
• Red food coloring can be added but isn’t required.
• Mix 1 part white sugar with 4 parts water. Boil and cool before filling feeder.
• Clean nectar feeders thoroughly every few days to prevent mold.

Specialized hummingbird feeders have built-in chambers and feeding ports.

Add Perches and Landing Spots

While a basic recycled bottle feeder is simple to make, you can add some easy modifications to improve the feeding experience for birds:

• Glue or tie small wooden perches onto the sides and bottom of the feeder. Start with 3-4 perches.
• Include a larger landing perch below the feeder opening. This gives birds a place to wait their turn for food access.
• Add more drainage holes and use a drill or awl to make the existing holes larger. Improves rain drainage.
• Hang feeder from a tree branch or hook. Or mount onto a wooden post or metal pole.
• Use fishing line instead of string or twine. More transparent and less noticeable to birds.

Remember bird safety and watch for issues like overcrowding or sharp edges. Relocate or modify feeders as needed to create better feeding conditions.

Bottle Feeder Locations

Proper placement is key for your water bottle bird feeder to be effective. Here are tips on positioning:

• Hang feeder 5-7 feet off the ground.
• Place within 3-5 feet of trees, shrubs or other cover so birds can escape.
• Avoid areas near windows where birds may collide with glass.
• Pick shaded spots protected from direct sun and rain exposure.
• For winter use, make sure feeder area is free of drifting snow.

Observe bird traffic patterns and behavior to select the best feeding locations. You may need to experiment with different heights, distances from cover, and placements to find the ideal setup.

Bottle Feeder Maintenance

With regular cleaning and care, a plastic bottle feeder can provide years of use. Follow these maintenance tips:

• Check feeders at least once a week and remove old, wet seed and hulls.
• Discard any seed that smells musty or looks moldy.
• Use a bottle brush, soap and water to thoroughly clean inside bottle.
• Let feeder dry completely before refilling.
• Use vinegar and water solution to remove mineral deposits and residue.
• Replace string or cord periodically as they degrade with weathering.
• Watch for signs of damage. Repair or replace parts like perches as needed.

Deep cleaning all feeders at least once or twice a year removes built up dirt and prevents contamination. Providing clean food and water is important for bird health.

Bottle Feeder Project for Kids

Making recycled bottle bird feeders is a great outdoor project for kids. With adult supervision, children can learn about birdfeeding, recycling and crafting. Here are some tips for completing this project with kids:

• Have kids collect and wash empty plastic bottles ahead of time.
• Go over types of birds and food that will attract them.
• Demonstrate cutting and poking holes in the bottles.
• Assist with tying hanging cords. Use kid-safe craft supplies.
• Let kids decorate bottles with markers, stickers, paints or other embellishments.
• Fill feeders with kid appropriate seeds like nyjer, safflower or sunflower.
• Monitor feeders together and teach kids to identify visiting birds.
• Have kids keep a tally or journal of bird sightings at the feeders.

Educate kids on proper bird feeding techniques like keeping feeders full and cleaning them regularly. With supervision, children can take an active role in the whole process.

Conclusion

Crafting simple bird feeders out of recycled bottles provides an easy and engaging way to start feeding backyard birds. These feeders can be customized, decorated, and modified in endless ways to create functional and beautiful bird feeding stations. Project variations with added perches, multiple bottles or suet holders allow you to expand the feeder as desired. Installing feeders made from recyclable materials also helps teach sustainability. Enjoy the birds drawn to your handmade water bottle feeder, and the opportunity to learn more about your avian visitors during cold winter months or the active breeding season. With a little creativity you can build a unique feeder that both you and local birds will appreciate.