How to build a bird table

Inspired by a helpful YouTube guide. This walk-through draws on the popular UK video "How to Build a Bird Table", which covers the main design decisions and construction steps for a practical, long-lasting post-mounted table.

1. Decide on the design

The simplest bird table is a flat platform on a post - straightforward to build and easy to clean. A roof adds shelter and keeps food drier in wet weather, which matters in Kent where rain can come in sideways. A covered table also tends to attract a wider range of birds, as some species prefer to feed under cover.

The basic dimensions: a platform of about 300 mm x 400 mm is a good size - large enough for a few birds at once without wasting timber. The post wants to be around 1.5 to 1.8 metres to the top of the platform, which keeps it out of easy reach from the ground. Taller means harder for cats but also harder for smaller people to clean and refill.

2. Choose the right timber

Use pressure-treated softwood or naturally durable timber (larch, western red cedar, or oak) throughout. Untreated pine will rot at the base within a couple of years, especially with the post in soil or concrete.

For the main post, 75 mm x 75 mm treated timber is sturdy enough. For the platform frame and roof, 25 mm x 50 mm is fine. The platform surface itself is best made from 12 mm exterior-grade ply or rough-sawn t&g boards. Avoid smooth or varnished surfaces - birds need a grip, and smooth wood becomes slippery when wet. Rough-sawn timber is better.

3. Build the platform with drainage gaps

The platform is the heart of the table. Build a simple rectangular frame and screw your boarding to it, leaving a small gap at each corner - about 10 mm square - so rainwater can drain off. Food that sits in standing water goes mouldy quickly, which is bad for birds. A platform that drains freely keeps conditions much healthier.

Add a low lip (a strip of 12 mm x 12 mm timber) around three or four edges to stop food blowing off. Keep the lip low - 15 to 20 mm is enough - so droppings and old food can be swept off easily with a stiff brush. Make sure the post fixing is in the centre of the underside, not at the edge, so the table sits level and does not rock.

4. Fix the platform to the post

There are a couple of good ways to fix the platform to the post. The simplest is to cut the post square at the top, drill two pilot holes through the platform deck into the top of the post, and screw down with long exterior screws. Add a triangular bracket on each side of the post for extra rigidity if needed.

A slightly neater method is to notch the top of the post so it sits flush into a recess cut into the underside of the platform. This looks tidy and gives a large gluing and screwing surface. Either way, use exterior PVA or waterproof wood glue on the joint as well as screws - the joint takes a lot of side loading from birds landing and from wind.

5. Build a simple roof (optional but recommended)

A simple apex or lean-to roof keeps food dry in rain. Make two identical triangular roof panels from 12 mm exterior ply, cut them slightly longer than the platform so they overhang on all sides by 50 to 75 mm, and fix them to a central ridge batten.

Leave the two open ends of the roof unclad - this is where birds fly in to land on the platform. Treat the roof with exterior wood preservative or paint. Fix the roof to the platform table by screwing down through the ridge into the platform uprights, or add four short upright posts at each corner of the platform to carry the roof frame.

6. Set the post in the ground

Dig or drive a hole at least 500 mm deep - 600 mm if the ground is soft. Stand the post in the hole and check it is plumb in both directions with a spirit level. Concrete around the base with post-mix concrete (follow the bag directions - just add water), or pack the hole tightly with sharp hardcore and gravel, which allows water to drain away from the post and actually extends its life compared to concrete.

Keep the post in contact with the earth as short as possible: any part buried in damp soil will eventually rot, treated or not. Some people fit a metal post spike instead of burying the timber at all - this works well in firm ground and keeps the base of the post dry indefinitely.

7. Position and maintain the table

Place the table where you can see it from a window - that is half the point. Keep it at least 2 metres from any fence, wall, or shed that a cat could jump from. Within 2 metres of shrubs or a hedge is fine, as birds like to perch nearby before coming in to feed, but leave a clear gap between the shrubs and the table itself.

Clean the platform every week or two with a stiff brush, and use a mild disinfectant (diluted Jeyes Fluid or similar) monthly to stop bacteria building up. In summer, feed in smaller quantities more often - warm weather speeds up spoilage. Put out fresh food little and often rather than large amounts that sit and go off.

When to call a handyman

Building a bird table is one of the easier garden projects to tackle yourself. If you would rather have it built and installed properly - level post, concrete base, the lot - call Richard. It is also worth getting help if you want something more substantial, such as a table built to match existing garden furniture or as part of a wider wildlife garden setup.