Req 5b — Bird Feeders

Every morning, somewhere around 50 million Americans look out a window and watch birds at a feeder. Most of them see this as a relaxing hobby. You’re going to turn it into something more disciplined — a systematic observation project that mirrors the kind of population monitoring real wildlife managers conduct. Two weeks of daily written records, feeder placement analyzed by habitat and season, and species you may never have noticed are right outside your window.

Building Your Feeders

The requirement says “construct” — so you’ll need to build at least the main feeder yourself, rather than buying one. The good news is that functional bird feeders are among the easier woodworking projects you’ll encounter.

Platform/tray feeder: The simplest design. A flat board (16" × 16" or larger) with 1" sides to keep seed from blowing off and drainage holes drilled in the floor. Hang it from a branch or mount it on a pole. Attracts the widest variety of species.

Hopper feeder: A rectangular box with sloped sides that feed seed down to a trough at the bottom. The seed is protected from rain. More complex to build but keeps seed fresh longer and holds more.

Tube feeder: A cylinder of PVC or wood with dowel perches and holes sized for specific seeds (small holes for nyjer/thistle, larger for sunflower). Finches and small sparrows prefer tube feeders.

The type you build matters for which species you’ll attract. Building two different feeders (a platform and a tube, for instance) loaded with different seeds will bring in a more diverse set of visitors — which makes your observation records more interesting.

Feeder Placement

Place feeders where you can observe them easily — a window you pass by frequently, or an outdoor spot where you can sit quietly. Placement also affects safety:

• Within 3 feet of a window or more than 30 feet away: birds either don’t build up enough speed to be injured in a window strike, or they’re far enough that a strike is unlikely. The danger zone is 10–30 feet from a window.
• Near shrubs or brush piles where birds can perch and watch for predators before flying in
• Away from areas with heavy foot traffic, which discourages timid species

Your Two-Week Observation Project

Once your feeders are up, the main work is daily observation and recording. Here’s what makes a good daily log entry:

• Date and time of observation (you don’t need to watch all day — a consistent 15–30 minute watch at the same time each day is more comparable than random observations)
• Species name (use a field guide; iNaturalist can help with identification)
• Number of individuals of each species (or “at least X” if a flock is large)
• Which feeder (if you have multiple)
• Behavior notes (feeding, chasing other birds, preening, alarm calling?)
• Weather conditions (temperature, overcast/sunny, precipitation)

Identifying Your Visitors

Don’t worry if you can’t identify every bird immediately. The skill builds quickly with practice. Essential tools:

Field guides: The Sibley Guide to Birds, National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, or the Peterson Field Guide series. A regional guide (Eastern or Western birds) may be easier for beginners than the full North American guide.

Apps: Merlin Bird ID (free, from Cornell Lab of Ornithology) includes a Sound ID feature that identifies birds by their vocalizations in real time — useful when you hear a bird you can’t see. iNaturalist allows you to upload photos for identification help from a global community.

Notes to take for ID: Size compared to something familiar (sparrow-sized, robin-sized, crow-sized), bill shape, color pattern including any wing bars or eye rings, tail length and shape, behavior while feeding.

Analyzing Your Data

After two weeks, look at your records as a whole:

• Which species appeared most frequently?
• Were any species only seen on certain days? What was the weather like on those days?
• Did activity vary by time of day?
• Were certain species dominant (chasing others away)?
• Did you see any species you’d never noticed before?

Your counselor will want to discuss your findings, so think about what your data actually shows — not just a list of birds, but patterns and questions.

Once you’ve completed your feeder observation project, you can compare your approach to other options or move ahead to requirement 6.