Backyard Pine Cone Bird Feeder

A fun and easy way to provide food for your feathered friends! See how many birds or cool new species you can attract to your backyard

Materials you will need:

A type of cone (pine, fir, spruce)
Peanut butter
Nutritious birdseed (low-priced seed may contain fillers like milo & wheat)
Special dried fruit mixture (if wanting to attract other bird types that are not seed specialists)
String
Pie tin
An area to hang cone with little traffic
Cone feeder protector (barrier to guard from raccoons, squirrels & other furry friends)

*Note: Squirrel baffles or protectors can be found at your local hardware store or around your yard and home – 2L plastic bottles, pie plates, galvanized piping

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Tie the string around the pinecone.
Spread the peanut butter onto the pinecone (try to get it into the open areas of the pinecone!)
Put the birdseed (and dried fruit mixture) onto a pie tin.
Roll the pinecone into the birdseed mixture until well covered.
Choose a tree and hang your cone feeder at least 5 feet from the ground.
Place the pie tin on the string between the cone and the tree branch (or wire hook) for added protection!

Why limit the fun? You can always put out more than one type of cone or put a few out at a time!

Tips and Tricks:

Birds collect and eat various types of seed from various species of trees. So if you’d like to attract different species of different sizes, a variety of healthy seed is a good option. Dried fruits too – these foods can attract woodpeckers, waxwings, bluebirds and many more. To avoid overcrowding, positioning more than one cone at various levels may help.

Materials
Finished Product

Unless you want to attract more than just birds, ensure that your cone hangs at least 5 feet from the ground. For added protection, place your pie plate or squirrel baffle on the string in between the cone and tree branch (or wire hook). This will help minimize furry friend visitors, like raccoons or squirrels! The added protection also helps keep the cone dry, minimizing the spread of parasites or mould.

This all-season mixture of peanut butter, seed, and dried fruit is a nutritious, high-energy snack that contains both calories and fats for the birds. While some birds fly further south for the colder months, many birds stick around and are active throughout the winter. Putting out your peanut butter cones is a good way to find out which ones they are!