Built from scratch with some copper pipe and pieces of glass, this DIY bird feeder with a chalet-style roof is a lovely way to observe small birds while keeping their food away from squirrels.
The trick to keeping the food safe is in the structure of the metal sides, each made from 21 small pieces of copper pipe. Designed and built by YouTuber and tinkerer Chris Notap, the triangle of 1.5″ diameter pipe disks lets the birds in but keeps squirrels out. He notes, “Most small birds can enter holes 1″ to 1.5″ and squirrels can get into a hole not much smaller than a 2″ hole…” Sanded edges keep the birds safe from scrapes. A GoPro session camera captures some shots from inside the feeder, too. Watch ’til the end.
Follow this with Watch These Frustrated Squirrels Go Nuts and A squirrel takes a GoPro up into the tree branches.
Bonus: Dropping a neodymium magnet through a thick copper pipe.
This Webby award-winning video collection exists to help teachers, librarians, and families spark kid wonder and curiosity. TKSST features smarter, more meaningful content than what's usually served up by YouTube's algorithms, and amplifies the creators who make that content.
Curated, kid-friendly, independently-published. Support this mission by becoming a sustaining member today.