Simplest Bird Feeder

This project takes about 30 minutes, only uses common household waste, and requires only basic skills. At the end, you will have a bird feeder and become a friend to the birds in your neighborhood.

Step 1 Bill of Materials

You will need the following materials:
2 liter soda bottle (other sizes work well also, but 2L is a good volume to hold seed)
1 gallon or 1/2 gallon plastic milk jug
~9 feet of hanging material (I used a bike tube because it was handy, string, wire or others will work)

You will need the following tools, or suitable replacements:
Scissors (should be heavy duty enough to cut plastic bottles)
Awl (or other hole-punching tool)

Comments

[valhallasmine]

Would this work? at end of assembly, how about sliding a washer (1/2" inner dia) down your 3 rubber strips to sinch them together. Then just slide the washer up to free the bottle for refilling? Love your Instructable -- good one!

[Capt. Fat]

would this be good for sparrows and robins? My father want's a bird feeder for outside the house for small birds in a Newfoundland climate.

[Nicola Tesla]

cool i like it

[apccool]

Thanks, but at this point I can safely say it needs further refinement, at least for southern California birds. I never saw one on it, presumably because there is not a good enough roosting spot.

[hammey1008]

cool

[Kiteman]

Cool. We just made a load of these with our Cub pack, except the other way up (the extra piece was a lid), and with skewers through the side to act as perches. What have you had on your feeder since you made it?

[apccool]

Well, this is actually an experimental build, as this is the prototype. I just had the idea and saw it come together suddenly in the kitchen. I put it up yesterday as it was getting dark and today it rained, so no visitors to report yet, but I will try to update as the feeder's success is proved or disproved. Perches are something that I might need to add, if the milk jug lip is not sufficient for perching...