Bird Feeders Made With Two-Liter Bottles

Many birds, including the cardinal, will visit a bird feeder.

Feeding birds can bring hours of entertainment watching them come and go to your feeder. While you can purchase bird feeders in several designs, a simple and effecitve feeder is easy to build from a 2-liter soda bottle.

Materials

To make the bird feeder, you will need a clean 2-liter soda bottle with the label removed, a 1-foot length of bailing wire, a small washer, two 9-inch sections of 3/8-inch diameter wooden dowel, and an electric drill with a 1/8-inch and 3/8-inch drill bit.

Bottle Preparation

Drill a 3/8-inch hole into either side of the 2-liter bottle just below the shoulder of the bottle. Drill another pair of holes between and about 1/2-inch lower than the first two holes. Drill a final 1/- inch hole in the bottom of the bottle.

Assembly

Remove the cap from the bottle. Wrap the end of the wire through the washer several times. Insert the other end of the wire through the mouth of the bottle and into the hole in the end of the bottle. Pull the wire through. Insert the wooden dowels through the holes in the side of the bottle and center the dowels.

Set Up

Fill the bottle with bird seed. Replace the cap on the bottle. Wrap the wire around a branch on a nearby tree. Invert the bottle and let it hang freely.

References

• North Dakota State Game and Fish Department; Building Nest Structures, Feeders, and Photo Blinds for North Dakota Wildlife: Chris Grondahl, et. al.