Guide to Birdhouses
So you've decided that perhaps
you want a birdhouse. How
many birdhouses should
you put up in your backyard? Where in your backyard should you put these birdhouses? Will
all birds nest in a birdhouse? When
is the best time to put up a birdhouse? How to make a
birdhouse? Are there any easy birdhouses that
kids can make? Want some free birdhouse plans?
Birds That Nest in Bird Houses
The following North American
birds prefer to nest in cavities. In nature, these cavities normally occur in
trees. But the good news is these birds also will love and nest in bird houses or
nest boxes that you put out.
Wood Ducks, Common Goldeneyes, Barrow's Goldeneyes, Buffleheads, Hooded
Mergansers, Common Mergansers, American Kestrels, Common Barn Owls, Barred
Owls, Eastern and Western, Screech Owls, Northern Saw-whet Owls, Golden-fronted
Woodpeckers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Northern Flickers, Red-headed
Woodpeckers, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, Great Crested Flycatchers,
Ash-throated Flycatchers, Tree Swallows, Purple Martins, Tufted Titmice, Oat
Titmice, Juniper Titmice, Black-capped Chickadees, Carolina Chickadees,
Mountain Chickadees, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, White-breasted Nuthatches,
Red-breasted Nuthatches, House Wrens, Carolina Wrens, Bewick's Wrens, Eastern
Bluebirds, Western Bluebirds, Mountain Bluebirds, European Starlings, House
Sparrows, House Finches
In addition to the birds listed below, you may find a few other birds will nest
in a bird house once
in awhile.
How Many Bird Houses To Put Up
A friend of mine recently
spread out the fourteen birdhouses
she had been making and asked for help in deciding where to put these birdhouses in her
backyard. Unfortunately, her yard was on the small side so I had to let her
know that perhaps she should pick only a few to put up. Of course, she could
have put all these birdhouses up but
only a few would have been used by the birds during nesting season.
The types of birds that will nest in your yard or property are determined
partly by the habitat that you have. Many trees and dense shrubs in your
neighborhood and yard will attract the forest-loving birds while open expansive
fields will attract different ones. Obviously, no matter how wonderful a house
you built for flickers, they will not set up their home in your yard if you
live on a treeless prairie. If you have a mixture of habitats, you may be able
to attract a great number of birds to houses as well as to your feeders.
Also many birds establish territories of land and trees where they will not
tolerate other birds. Some types of birds allow other species of birds to share
their territory. Still other birds, such as Tree Swallows or Purple Martins,
love to have lots of other birds of the same type around. Remember, you can put
up a number of houses for different types of birds.
Birds can be a bit choosy in their future home. Some will inspect several
houses before deciding on a particular one. You may wish to give the birds a
few to look over in your yard, knowing that only one will be occupied. By
giving them a choice, you might keep them from choosing that other one in your
neighbor's yard!
When and Where to Put Bird Houses
Anytime is the right time to put up your birdhouse that
you made or bought!
As birds begin to search for a place to make their nest, make sure your birdhouse is up
and ready for their inspection. This timing means that birdhouses may
need to put up in the last days of winter or very early spring. But what if it
is past that optimal time? Is all lost for an entire season? No, certainly not!
Birds may find the nesting place they originally chose in early spring to be
unsuitable for actual nesting. Or they may have found that predators located
the nest too easily. Or a young male may have found his new mate a bit late in
the season. These birds will be needing a nest box, so why not your new
birdhouse? Remember, many types of birds raise more than one nest of baby birds
each year.
Also as the weather changes in the late fall and into the winter, non-migratory
birds can use birdhouses to
escape for the chilling rain, wind, snow or ice.
Face your birdhouse away
from the prevailing winds of spring and summer, if possible. Some people swear
that the compass direction makes a difference. Perhaps it is so because of the
winds. Also place the birdhouse where
there is a nearby tree or bush. Parent birds may land for a few minutes on this
handy perch to survey the area, making sure it is safe to proceed into the
house. They also may sit outside the house at times, watching the area for
danger from which to defend the birdhouse.
Birds can be a bit choosy in their future home. Some will inspect several
houses before deciding on a particular one. You may wish to give the birds a
few to look over in your yard, knowing that only one will be occupied. By
giving them a choice, you might keep them from choosing that other one in your
neighbor's yard!
Sometimes you will get lucky and have a pair of birds occupy a birdhouse within
hours of the time you put it up. Sometimes it takes weeks, months, or even
years. If a birdhouse has not
been used after a year, try moving it to a different location.
How to Build a Bird
House - Easy Birdhouse for Children to Make
Get an empty paper half gallon milk carton. Open up the top of the carton and
wash and rinse it thoroughly. Let it dry.
Re-close the milk carton and staple it shut.
Get a roll of masking tape. Tear off 1-2" pieces of the tape and cover the
entire milk carton. Overlap the pieces so that none of the carton shows.
Get brown shoe polish and a paper towel or rag. Rub the polish over all of the
tape to make it look like brown bark. Let dry thoroughly.
Decide what type of bird you want to use the birdhouse. Determine how large a
hole to cut as well as how far from the floor the hole should be. Cut the
entrance hole in the birdhouse.
Using a pencil, make several holes in the bottom of the carton for any rain to
drain out. Also make several hole in the top of the carton to let heat and
condensation escape.
Make a hole through the top of the house near the staples. Put a short piece of
wire (perhaps from a clothes hanger?) through the hole to make a loop. Hang the
birdhouse on a shepherd's hook (like what you use for birdfeeders) or on a tree
branch.
Source: Christine Tarski, About.com
