There’s nothing like being able to fill up a bird feeder, sit back, and watch the birds (and pesky, funny squirrels) flock around. It makes for hours of bird-watching without ever leaving your backyard!
Sometimes, though, the bird feeders in stores are just too expensive for the cheap materials they’re built with. But aren’t feeders hard to build? Actually, no, and there are plenty of resources on the Internet for bird feeder plans. There are several to even get the kids involved!
So if you want to save some extra money for the bird seed and feeling a bit DIY, here are some books and websites with DIY bird feeder plans.
Birdfeeder Plan Books
Note: All books mentioned are available on Amazon.
1. Audubon Birdhouse Book – It’s not a bird feeder how-to, but it is an interesting read. The author talks about the different North American birds and uses years of research to provide birdhouse and feeder designs that are natural for the birds, not just human aesthetic. It’s available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle formats.
2. Handmade Birdhouses and Feeders – Just published last year, this book has 35 designs to choose from. The author first takes the reader through basic woodworking skills, then divides the book into different sections such as “Rustic Birdhouses” and “Modern Birdhouses”.
3. Easy-to-Make Bird Feeders for Woodworkers – Published in 1989, this has several easy designs for beginner woodworkers or DIYers.
4. The Bird Feeder Book – This looks to have a mix of easy and advanced bird feeder projects, so it might be better suited for an intermediate woodworker. It’s still worth a mention, however, for the various designs, it has from the practical to the more whimsical.
5. Birdfeeders, Shelters and Baths – There are 25 easy designs made for beginner or weekend woodworkers. With simple, clear instructions, you’ll soon have not only bird feeders but a birdhouse and bath for any feathery guests to hang out in.
6. Build Your Own Birdhouses and Feeders – This book has several fun and easy projects for feeders, houses, and nesting boxes. Packed with color photos and easy to follow instructions, you can quickly put together a fun project for your garden or yard.
7. Audubon North American Birdfeeder Guide – While not a DIY birdfeeder guide, anyone who likes bird watching should have some sort of guidebook. It covers different species of birds that you may attract in your region and even bird behavior. Whether you build yourself a bird feeder or not, this is a handy book to have nearby.
Websites for Bird Feeder Plans
8. National Audubon Society – Again, it’s not a site or book about building bird feeders or houses, but the National Audubon Society website is an important resource, nonetheless. The website is chock full of articles and information on how to plant a bird-friendly garden, how to identify different bird species, and an app you can download for easy access.
9. Free Bird Feeder Plan – It looks like this website only has one plan for a basic feeder. However, the plan is well detailed with alternative ideas to make it better and clear instructions on how to build it. It also has several other pages about bird seed and keeping squirrels out.
10. 5 Easy DIY Bird Feeders – This article has several fun and easy ideas to recycle old bottles or mason jars and turn them into feeders.
11. Project FeederWatch – This site provides useful information on the different types of feeders, what birds they will attract, what food you can use, and how to care for feeders. It may not have actual plans, but it can help spark some creativity in building your own feeders.
12. 32 Easy Homemade Bird Feeders – This article has some really fun and easy ideas to get your kids involved in building bird feeders. It says it bird feeders for winter, but many of these ideas can be adapted and used all year-around.
13. Pinterest – If you really want an overload of bird feeder ideas, Pinterest is the perfect rabbit hole to fall down in. With a simple search of “bird feeder designs”, you’ll come up with hundreds of easy designs and ideas for any type of bird feeder. Just be careful and come back out of the rabbit hole in a few hours to actually use some of the ideas.
Other Resources
14. Library – Your local library may have some of the books mentioned above and more to help you start building bird feeders and houses.
15. Fish and Wildlife Organization – You local Fish and Wildlife will probably have information on feeder birds local to your region and ideas on how to attract them. Or they could have a local Audubon Society chapter they can point you towards.
