To me, birds are the soul of the garden, and that may be why
I have so many birdhouses strategically placed throughout my property. I’d hate to admit how many, you may have me
committed. Whether working in my garden,
or sipping wine on the patio, these little creatures are certainly entertaining.
“My” birds only like the black oil sunflower seeds. They’ll scatter and ignore the other seeds in any mixed-seed mixtures. However, during the summer, I’ll supply cracked corn in the feeders, eliminating the mess of the sunflower hulls.
The only effective way to clean a bird bath is with a splash of bleach and a little water. Give it a good scrubbing with a stiff brush then let it sit for a few minutes, and rinse - but NEVER in your good clothes!
Children find birds and other backyard wildlife fascinating, giving them an appreciation and respect for nature. They enjoy making bird houses, fruit wreaths, and peanut butter and seeded pinecones for the birds. You’ll also see the neighborhood children checking the birdhouses on their way to and from school.
The recommended spacing between the birdhouses doesn’t hold true in my garden. I placed six birdhouses on my deck for decoration, only a foot apart from each other, and had three families move in. While this was nice to have them so close by to observe, the downside is we felt guilty if we used the deck. Interestingly, when the deck was used, and it was rare, the birds got used to us and if we sat quietly, they went about their normal routine.
I have a couple of wonderful folk art birdhouses inside my home along with hand-carved birds. This is not a good thing according to my superstitious Italian mother-in-law. Not to worry, her son hasn’t met an untimely end.
On a few occasions, I have gathered friends together on a Saturday morning to construct birdhouses. Needless to say, this get-together is hilarious and loud. I used recycled wood and would recommend cutting the wood beforehand – so much safer. Coffee and crafts with good friends - how can you beat it?
 |
| Three little faces peeking out |
The following information was taken from a US Fish & Wildlife Service pamphlet, "Homes for Birds." This is the most helpful of all the bird house information I have found, which includes dimensions. I have enclosed what I consider the most pertinent information here for our convenience, but please note that it links back to their website which offers additional information.
Selecting
a House
In the
bird house business, there's no such thing as "one size fits all."
You need to decide which bird you want to attract, then get a house for that
particular bird. Look through any book or catalog and you'll see bird houses of all sizes and shapes, with perches and without, made of materials you might not have thought of: recycled paper, gourds, plastic, rubber, pottery, metal, and concrete. So what makes a "good" bird house? It's a combination of quality materials and design.
Materials
Of all
the available building materials, wood is about as good as you can get. It's
durable, has good insulating qualities, and it breathes.
Three-quarter-inch-thick bald-cypress and red cedar are recommended. Pine and
exterior grade plywood will do, but they're not as durable. It makes no difference whether the wood is slab, rough-cut or finished, as long as the inside has not been treated with stains or preservatives. Fumes from the chemicals could harm the birds. There's no need to paint cypress and cedar, but pine and plywood houses will last longer with a coat of water based exterior latex paint. White is the color for purple martin houses. Tan, gray, or dull green works best for the other cavity nesting species. The dull, light colors reflect heat and are less conspicuous to predators. Don't paint the inside of the box or the entrance hole. Regardless of which wood you select, gluing all the joints before you nail them will extend the life of your bird house. Galvanized or brass shank nails, hinges, and screws resist rusting and hold boxes together more tightly as they age. Resist the temptation to put a metal roof on your bird house. Reflective metal makes sense for martin houses up on a sixteen-foot pole, but when it's tacked onto a roof of a wood chickadee house, the metal is more likely to attract predators. Natural gourds make very attractive bird houses. They "breathe," and because they sway in the wind are less likely to be taken over by house sparrows and starlings. Grow your own gourds and you'll have dozens to choose from in the years ahead. If you don't have the space to grow them, a coat of polyurethane or exterior latex (on the outside only) will add years to the one you have. Properly designed pottery, aluminum (for purple martins only), concrete, and plastic houses will breathe and are durable, but don't drop them. Be sure to provide ventilation, drainage, and easy access for maintenance and monitoring. Concrete (actually a mix of concrete and sawdust) offers protection other houses cannot: squirrels cannot chew their way in.
Design
How
elaborate you make your bird house depends on your personal sense of
aesthetics. For the most part, all the birds care about is their safety and the
right dimensions: box height, depth and floor, diameter of entrance hole, and
height of hole above the box floor. Refer to the following chart, keeping in
mind that birds make their own choices, without regard for charts. So don't be
surprised when you find tenants you never expected in a house you intended for
someone else.
Nest Box Dimensions
Box Box
Entrance Entrance Placement
floor height
height diameter height
Species
inches inches inches
inches feet
===============================================================
American
Robin*
7x8 8 --- --- 6-15
---------------------------------------------------------------
Eastern &
Western
Bluebird
5x5 8-12 6-10
1-1/2 4-6
---------------------------------------------------------------
Mountain
Bluebird
5x5 8-12 6-10
1-1/2 4-6
---------------------------------------------------------------
Chickadees
4x4 8-10
6-8 1-1/8 4-15
---------------------------------------------------------------
Titmice
4x4 10-12 6-10
1-1/4 5-15
---------------------------------------------------------------
Ash-throated
Flycatcher
6x6 8-12 6-10
1-1/2 5-15
---------------------------------------------------------------
Great
Crested
Flycatcher
6x6 8-12 6-10
1-3/4 5-15
---------------------------------------------------------------
Phoebes*
6x6 6 --- --- 8-12
---------------------------------------------------------------
Brown-headed
Pygmy and
Red-breasted
Nuthatch
4x4 8-10 6-8
1-1/4 5-15
---------------------------------------------------------------
White-
breasted
Nuthatch
4x4 8-10 6-8
1-3/8 5-15
---------------------------------------------------------------
Prothonotary
Warbler
5x5 6 4-5
1-1/8 4-8
---------------------------------------------------------------
Barn
Swallow*
6x6 6 --- --- 8-12
---------------------------------------------------------------
Purple
Martin
6x6 6 1-2
2-1/4 6-20
---------------------------------------------------------------
Tree and
Violet-Green
Swallows
5x5 6-8 4-6
1-1/2 5-15
---------------------------------------------------------------
Downy
Woodpecker
4x4 8-10 6-8
1-1/4 5-15
---------------------------------------------------------------
Hairy
Woodpecker
6x6 12-15 9-12
1-1/2 8-20
---------------------------------------------------------------
Lewis's
Woodpecker
7x7 16-18 14-16
2-1/2 12-20
---------------------------------------------------------------
Northern
Flicker
7x7 16-18 14-16
2-1/2 6-20
---------------------------------------------------------------
Pileated
Woodpecker
8x8 16-24 12-20
3x4 15-25
---------------------------------------------------------------
Red-Headed
Woodpecker
6x6 12-15
9-12 2 10-20
---------------------------------------------------------------
Yellow-
bellied
Sapsucker
5x5 12-15 9-12
1-1/2 10-20
---------------------------------------------------------------
Bewick's and
House wrens
4x4 6-8 4-6
1-1/4 5-10
---------------------------------------------------------------
Wren
4x4 6-8 4-6
1-1/2 5-10
---------------------------------------------------------------
Barn Owls
10x18 15-18 4 6 12-18
---------------------------------------------------------------
Screech
Owls and
Kestrel
8x8 12-15 9-12 3
10-30
---------------------------------------------------------------
Osprey
48x48 platform
---------------------------------------------------------------
Red-tailed
Hawk and
Great
Horned Owl
24x24 platform
---------------------------------------------------------------
Wood Ducks
10x18 10-24 12-16 4
10-20
---------------------------------------------------------------
*Use nesting shelf, platform with three
sides and an open front
Now
that you have the correct dimensions for your bird house, take a look at how to
make it safe: ventilation, drainage, susceptibly to predators, and ease of
maintenance.
Ventilation
Without
air vents, boxes can turn into bird ovens. There are two ways to provide
ventilation: leave gaps between the roof and sides of the box, or drill
1/4" holes just below the roof.
Drainage
Water becomes a problem when it
sits in the bottom of a bird house. A roof with sufficient slope and overhang
offers some protection. Drilling the entrance hole on an upward slant may also
help keep the water out. Regardless of design, driving rain will get in through the entrance hole. You can assure proper drainage by cutting away the corners of the box floor and by drilling 1/4 inch holes in the box floor. Nest boxes will last longer if the floors are recessed about 1/4 inch.
Entrance
Hole
Look
for the entrance hole (and exit) hole on the front panel near the top. A rough
surface both inside and out makes it easier for the adults to get into the box
and, when it's time, for the nestlings to climb out. If your box is made of
finished wood, add a couple of grooves outside below the hole. Open the front
panel and add grooves, cleats, or wire mesh to the inside. Never put up a bird
house with a perch below the entrance hole. Perches offer starlings, house
sparrows, and other predators a convenient place to wait for lunch. Don't be
tempted by those beautiful duplexes or houses that have more than one entrance
hole. With the exception of purple martins, cavity-nesting birds prefer not to
share a house. While these condos look great in your yard, starlings and house
sparrows are the only birds inclined to use them.  |
| Dining on the deck |
#birds #birdhouses
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