A wine bottle hummingbird feeder is a special way to combine a wine lover's joy of wine with their love of bird feeding. Many styles of feeders are available and they are very easy to make -- this is a great way to recycle empty wine bottles and make a perfect gift for a wine lover!
Creating a Wine Bottle Hummingbird Feeder
The concept is very simple. Surround a clean wine bottle with copper wire, add a feeding tube, and hang the bottle upside down. Hang your newly created feeder in the shade, either from a branch or under the eaves of your home or apartment.
Supplies
You'll need a few basic supplies to make a wine bottle hummingbird feeder. Everything should be easy to find at your local craft store, except for the feeding spout, which you can find available for purchase from many online retailers.
- Wine bottle, cleaned, in any size or color
- Copper wire (six or eight gauge)
- Feeding tube bottle stopper
- Needle-nose pliers (to help twist the wire)
- Beads or other decorations (optional)
Bottle Size
You can use any size of bottle for this project. There are a few things to keep in mind for the different sizes:
- Mini bottles (50 ml) or split-size half-bottles (375 ml) produce a small feeder, which are excellent for small porches or when hung in groups to satisfy a group of hummingbirds. The only downside to a smaller bottle is that it will require frequent refilling of "nectar," especially if you are lucky enough to have a large quantity of hummingbird visitors.
- Full-size wine bottles (750 ml) recycle into attractive feeders and can easily provide sufficient "nectar" for several days without the need to refill, unless the weather is very warm, which could cause the nectar to go bad.
Bottle Color
The color of the bottle does not matter. If you are lucky enough to find a red-colored wine bottle, that would certainly add to the attraction, but it is not necessary to have a red bottle to have a successful feeder.
Construction
- Wrap six or eight gauge copper wire around the neck of the bottle several times -- Continue wrapping the wire around the bottle until you reach the base. This creates a spiral wire cage around the bottle.
- Wind the last 3 feet of wire into a hanger -- For a larger, heavier bottle, you may find that you want to use heavier gauge copper wire.
After you create the basic bottle feeder, add feeder functionality by inserting a bottle stopper that is attached to a feeding tube with a red rubber tip on the end. The red rubber tip is important because this is what attracts the hummingbird to the feeder.
Labels
There is no need to remove the label from the bottle before it is recycled into a feeder. In fact, if the label has any red printing, the label could act as an attractant to the hummingbirds, because they are drawn to the color red.
Nectar for Hummingbird Feeders
Once you construct the feeder, fill it with "nectar" purchased in a concentrated form anywhere bird feeding supplies are sold. You can also make your own hummingbird nectar with sugar water.
Some people add red food coloring to the sugar water to further attract the hummingbird to the clear feeding tube, though it is not necessary. Sugar water will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Different Types of Wine Bottle Hummingbird Feeders
In addition to the cork and feeding tube, you can also find attachments for wine bottles that have multiple areas for the hummingbirds to feed from, more like a standard hummingbird feeder.
Consider making a variety of feeders in different colors and sizes. They'll decorate your yard, almost like ornaments, while providing plenty of space for sometimes-territorial hummingbirds to eat as much as they like.
Wine Bottles, Repurposed!
A bottle, a little copper wire, a feeder tube, and a little time is all you need to upcycle a wine bottle into a stylish hummingbird feeder. Making a hummingbird feeder is a particularly wonderful way to save a special bottle that has significant meaning to you or the person to whom you want to give a special gift.
