Build Your Own Bird Feeder

Tupuārangi is the star in the Matariki cluster that is connected to food that comes from above—like birds, fruits, and berries found high in the trees. By making a bird feeder, we honour Tupuārangi and give back to the manu (birds) that live in our environment.

Creating a bird feeder is a fun and simple way to care for nature and connect with the world around us. You might be surprised at how many feathered visitors stop by for a snack!

Before we get started, let's make some guesses about what might happen. Scientists like to make predictions, or hypotheses, before they do experiments. It helps them figure out what to expect and why things happen the way they do.

Have a go at making your best guess using the pātai (questions) below:

1. How long do you think it will take for the birds to find your feeder?
2. What types of birds do you think will visit your feeder?

Tīmata! Let’s get started! 

• Ngongo pepamārō - Toilet paper roll
• Kākano manu - Bird seed
• Pereti - Plate
• Pata pīnati - Peanut butter
• Pune/naihi - Spoon or butter knife
• Aho - String (optional)
• Karu whakatata - Binoculars (optional)

Let's begin!

1. Pour a layer of bird seed onto a plate.
2. Using a spoon or butter knife, carefully spread peanut butter all over the outside of the toilet roll.
3. Roll the peanut butter-covered toilet roll in the bird seed until it’s completely coated.
4. Head outside and find a good spot to place your bird feeder—somewhere you can see it from a window, so you can watch the birds come and visit!
5. After you've set up your feeder, take some time to watch, wonder, and reflect. Use the questions below to help you think about what you saw and learned.

1. What time of the day did most of the birds visit?
2. What food do you think the birds liked best—the peanut butter or the seeds? Why?
3. Why do you think it’s helpful to feed birds, especially in certain seasons like Winter?

This activity is a chance to explore the world of science and engineering in a hands-on, creative way. By creating a bird feeder, tamariki are learning about materials, how things stick, and the behaviour of birds—what they might like, the food they prefer, and how we can attract bird species in an environmentally friendly way. Most importantly, this project encourages care for the environment and links beautifully to Tupuārangi, the star connected to food from above and the wellbeing of our manu (birds).