I love getting new toy parts! Those toys look fantastic! I'm going to have to try the noodle idea with my 3 year old. He'd love that.
We ended up having the most success using a wire and twisting it to fit through the noodles. I bent the bottom end over so it could hold the string and pull it through.
Otherwise if the string end got frayed or bunched up in the noodle it would not go through! Once I came up my noodle-stringing contraption it went quickly!!
It's so hard for our little kids to be involved with the birds, this is a great way for them to "be involved". Both of my girls love coming home and seeing a totally destroyed toy