Platform Bird Feeder Plans Ground, Pole or Hanging
Bird Feeder Plans: Platform - Ground, Pole or Hanging
A plan for woodworkers for building a simple, open platform bird feeder. They can be hanging, table, ground or pole mounted bird feeders and host a wide variety of songbirds.
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It’s rough, so please forgive us! In our opinion, these open feeders are the best for attracting the widest variety of songbirds to your backyard habitat. All bird species can land on them and since they are open, the bird watcher has a great view. Our platform feeder is hanging and very active all day long. Different species will land on it at the same time, from woodpeckers to chickadees to nuthatches and cardinals.
You do have to clean and fill them more often, and they are exposed to the weather, so this is not our primary feeder. We tend to keep up with the higher maintenance though because of the use it gets.
Basically, build two frames and sandwich some heavy mesh in between the frames. Screw these together from the BOTTOM using wood screws - pre-drill your screw holes to keep the wood from splitting. Place a screw 1″ away from each corner and at each center point in the bottom of the platform frame.
TOP: The top frame should be made of wood which is 1/2″ thick. Just go ahead and use the thicker wood in your plans, it will be sturdy and last for years. The top layer of the platform should be 1 1/2″ deep in order to hold bird seed or whatever you offer your backyard friends
MESH: The second layer is galvanized mesh which is outdoor quality and will weather well. Use a tighter weave on your mesh choice so seeds and food do not fall through!!! You can use screen for this but screen tears under clawed bird feet and can’t take the scrubbing it will occasionally need when you clean your platform feeder. We actually use a double layer of mesh on our platform feeder and it’s 10 years old and doing just dandy.
BOTTOM: The third layer is the bottom of the platform feeder and 3/4″ deep from 1/2″ thick wood. A 4 1/2″ support bar is run through the center. This not only gives your platform feeder strength but allows you the option of pole mounting it if you wish. A platform feeder without a support bar will sag in the middle. It is made from the same 1/2 thick wood we used on the top and bottom frames.
WOOD TYPE: We always use rough cedar on these as it holds up well, can take a fierce cleaning and does not need to be painted. We do not recommend painting feeders or bird houses. The natural cedar is very attractive to the birds and easy for them to grip - ask our woodpeckers who prefer to hang off the sides to eat instead of actually landing on the platform. You can use white pine or cypress as other choices. Do not use pressure treated wood as it releases toxic chemicals as it ages.
MOUNTING: This platform feeder can be pole mounted using a pipe flange screwed into the bottom support bar, or post mounted with “L” brackets which can also be screwed into the bottom support bar.
HANGING: To hang your platform feeder, use an eye bolt and nut about 1″ from the shorter, 1 foot SIDES of the feeder. Be sure to only use an eye bolt and nut combo long enough to go fully through the 1 1/2″ sides. Do not use screw eyes, these will just work their way out. Do not screw through the top of the platform with screw eyes as again, they will just work their way out. You can use decorative outdoor chain or vinyl coated wire to hang your new platform feeder.
Another option is to add a long screw from the bottom up through the middle support bar so that the screw sticks out the top (in the middle of the tray) several inches. This will create a short pole in the center of your platform. You can skewer fruit such as apples on this.
TABLE FEEDER: This can easily be turned into a table or ground bird feeder by adding legs. The legs should raise the platform about 8″ off the ground.
Shop for already built platform bird feeders at Platform, Fly Through Bird Feeders
August 16th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Your blog is interesting!
Keep up the good work!