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Dual bird feeder

Put an empty wine bottle to good use with this feeder that can cater for a range of New Zealand garden birds.

How to make a dual bird feeder

You’ll need to be patient once you’ve hung your feeder as it may take some time for the birds to find it.

As seen in kiwigardener

You will need

Materials:

  • 140mm x 19mm kwila decking timber in the following lengths:
    • 180mm for the base
    • 380mm for the back
    • 350mm (x 2) for the sides
    • 200mm (x 2) for the roof
    • 120mm (x 2) for the supports
    • 300mm for the base trim
  • Energy cake holders (x 2)
  • Energy cakes (x 2)
  • Lightweight rope
  • Resene testpot (we used Resene Clover)
  • Ring hooks (x 2)
  • Screws
  • Wild bird seed
  • Wine bottle (clean and label removed)

Tools:

  • Clamps
  • Drill
  • Funnel
  • Hole saw
  • Paintbrush
  • Pencil
  • Saw
  • Tape measure

Resene paint:

Note:  Our wine bottle measured 300mm high, but if yours is a different height you may need to adjust the timber lengths to suit.

Bird friendly:  We used kwila offcuts for our bird feeder because it’s naturally weather-resistant; however, any other hardwood would also work. Avoid treated wood because the chemicals can be harmful to birds.

Instructions

How to build a dual bird feeder:

How to make a dual bird feeder - Step 1 Step one
Cut one end off each of the roof lengths at 30 degrees, sloping down to the ribbed side, as shown.


How to make a dual bird feeder - Step 2 Step two
Cut one end off each of the side lengths at 30 degrees, sloping down to the smooth side, as shown.


How to make a dual bird feeder - Step 3 Step three
Make a mark at the centre of one of the short edges of the back board. Cut both corners off at 60 degrees using the mark as your starting point.


How to make a dual bird feeder - Step 4 Step four
Cut the length of timber for the base trim down to a 40mm strip and then into three pieces: two 60mm and one 180mm. Make 45-degree cuts at the ends so that they will join as shown.


How to make a dual bird feeder - Step 5 Step five
Stand the back board on the base and then place the side panels in place with the ribbed sides facing in. Clamp into position and screw together (ensure you drill pilot holes first).


How to make a dual bird feeder - Step 6 Step six
Using a hole saw slightly bigger than the base of your bottle, cut a hole out of the centre of one of the supports. Repeat for the second support using a hole saw the size of the neck. Cut from each side of the smaller hole to the edge of the wood to create a ‘U’ shape.


How to make a dual bird feeder - Step 7 Step seven
Screw both supports in at the correct height for your bottle, starting with the lower support first. When the bottle is resting on the lower support you should have about 1cm between the bottle opening and the base, and the bottle should be held in at the top by the upper support but still be able to slot in and out of the front of the feeder.


How to make a dual bird feeder - Step 8 Step eight
Screw the three base trim pieces into position along the front of the base.


How to make a dual bird feeder - Step 9 Step nine
Screw the roof onto the feeder.


How to make a dual bird feeder - Step 10 Step ten
Apply two coats of Resene Clover to the roof, allowing each coat to dry.


How to make a dual bird feeder - Step 11 Step eleven
Attach a ring hook on each side of the back of the feeder, near the top. Make sure both hooks are at the same height.


How to make a dual bird feeder - Step 12 Step twelve
Screw two screws three-quarters of the way in on each side board, 260mm up from the base, so you can hang your energy cake holders.


How to make a dual bird feeder - Step 13 Step thirteen
Place an energy cake into each holder and use a funnel to fill the wine bottle with bird seed. Cover the wine bottle with your finger to stop seed spilling out and slot the bottle in place.


How to make a dual bird feeder - Step 14
Step fourteen
Find a secure spot to hang your feeder (birds feel safe feeding high up off the ground). Cut a piece of rope to the length required, thread though the rings at the back, tie the ends together and hang in position. As birds eat the seed, the tray will automatically fill with more food.


How to make a dual bird feeder - Finished project
Finished project
A close-up of the finished dual bird feeder project.

Words and photos by Klaudia Krupa. July 2023

 

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