Wine Bottle Bird Feeder

I’ve always had a bit of a passion for birdwatching which stems from my childhood sitting by the kitchen window recording and drawing all the bird species that visited our little semi detached garden. One of the best ways to attract birds into the garden is to feed them, and feeding them is equally essential during the harsh winter months.

These days the interest in feeding garden birds has expanded significantly since my younger years and there are a plethora of feeds and feeders available on the market but there’s no need to spend too much when this simple project can be put together for a fraction of the price. On top of that this particular project not only indulges my love of wildlife but also my love of wine, soI have to say that this is a favorite build project, though quite possibly fuelled by the fact I have an excuse to empty a bottle of wine in order to make it!

One plank and one plonk (emptied first of course) is all you need to create this bird feeder. The precise dimensions of some of the cuts, such as the neck hole, will be dictated by the size of the bottle used but the principle is fairly straight forward to follow and modify.

As a handy hint don’t fix the bottle holder permanently to a wall because when you come to refill the bottle it will be easier if you can insert the bottle into the holder in an upright position and then tip it over as you re-hang the holder. Also should the bottle become grubby then simply recycle it and replace it with a new one, obviously enjoying emptying the new bottle first.

One plank, one plonk bird feeder

(By the way, the Great Tit in the picture arrived to feed within 10minutes of hanging the feeder up, so there’s one happy customer.)

What you will need

Tools

• Saw
• Hammer
• Drill with hole saw fitting
• Tape measure
• Rasp
• Sandpaper

Materials

• One wine bottle, enjoy emptying it the night before
• One 1 metre 20cm thick plank, 40cm wider than your wine bottle
• Screws and panel pins

Step 1

Measure out and cut the backboard (150mm longer than your bottle), table and neck supports (10mm wider than your bottle).

 

Step 2

Using a hole saw cut the neck hole in the centre of the neck support section. Smooth the neck hole for a snug fit using a rasp or sandpaper.

Step 3

Screw the table section to the bottom end of the back support

Step 4

Using 10mm wide lengths of plank (or some spare beading) pin three edges to the table. This will reduce the seed spillage.

Step 5

Insert the bottle into the neck support and position it approximately 20mm from the table. Mark the position and then screw the neck support to the backboard

Step 6

Cut 20mm wide lengths of plank, 20mm longer than the bottle width. Position these as the bottle base support and screw into position.

Step 7

Cut another 20mm length to act as the cross beam. Make sure the bottle fits snugly in place with a bit of give but not so it rattles.

Step 8

Screw the cross beam in place attaching it the two side supports to complete your base support

Step 9

Find a suitable location. Drill and attach the unit to the wall, shed or other relatively flat surface. Fill the bottle with seed and slot it into position.