HOUSE WREN abode

You can't go wrong with this adorable birdhouse. Nest-building male wrens will fill homes with twigs before settling in so with that in mind, the house features a horizontal slot to allow them easy access to build their nest.

This house is made of red cedar, which weathers wonderfully and doesn't need to be painted. Attach it to a tree approximately 5′ to 10′ off the ground.

HOUSE WREN

The house wren is a tiny bird, at about 4″ to 5″, with a short tail and dusky brown coloring with no distinctive markings. They eat small insects and prefer to live in residential areas. The house wren has one of the largest breeding ranges of any songbird. It breeds from Canada through the West Indies, through Central America to the southernmost point of South America.

The house wren often nests in odd places, such as flowerpots, mailboxes and even the pockets of a coat on a clothesline. This little brown bird will puncture the eggs of other species and take over that species' nest. The house wren has also been known to harass more powerful birds by filling their nests with its own nesting material.

Lay out and drill holes in the front part to create the radius at each corner of the entrance hole.

Connect the holes to create the large hole.

Using a chop saw, cut the angles to create the peaks on the front and back parts. You can also use a table saw, jigsaw, band saw or handsaw.

Using 6d galvanized finishing nails or a nail gun, assemble the box. Attach one of the sides with two nails at the top for a hinge. This is the side you'll open to clean the box.