Andy Camper

Birds of a Feather

Create It

Create a Bird Feeder

Using energy at the rate of a Hummingbird, a human would have to eat 340 pounds of potatoes every day! Over 100 species of birds in North America use bird feeders to supplement their own efforts to gather food for themselves and their hatchlings. Feeding birds in your backyard not only helps the birds but also gives you an opportunity to attract and watch birds right at home. You might think that feeding is only necessary in the winter when “wild” food is in short supply, but feeding is also important during spring and fall migrations and summer nesting.

All you need is some bird food, fresh clean water for drinking and bathing, and bushes or plants near your feeder for birds to hide if threatened by predators. Be sure to clean your feeder every couple of weeks to remove droppings and moldy seed. Cleaning around your feeder is important to keep it healthy for the birds and pets and to keep rodents at bay. Also try to keep feeders away from windows so birds don’t accidentally fly into your window and get injured. A water source can be as simple as a tray that you fill and clean regularly. Most birds will not bathe in dirty water but they will drink it if thirsty enough.

What you’ll need:

• Small milk carton (the kind at school)
• Non-toxic poster paints
• Stapler with staples
• Hole-punch
• String

Pine Cone Feeder

What you'll need:

• Pinecone
• Paper plate or tray
• Butter knife
• Smooth peanut butter
• Birdseed
• String
• Scissors