You can always buy a birdhouse or a feeder, but making one with your own hands is sure to increase the joys of creating a nurturing environment for the birds that you love. Plus, well-built and well-placed birdhouses and bird feeders can bring homeowners hours of pleasure for many years.
There are dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of different birdhouse and feeder designs and many look quite spectacular. But the truth is that birds don’t look for something decorative—they just look for simple structures that work. Never let your decorative touches get in the way of good, sound design.
Good birdhouse and feeder designs must consider the bird first. If you want to attract a specific species to your backyard lawn or garden, your first step is to study and learn the needs of that particular species.
You need to find out when they arrive in the spring, the specific type of habitat they prefer, and what their feeding habits are. Most important, you want to learn all you can about their nesting preferences. This knowledge will aid you in deciding the type of bird-house or feeder that will work best for your chosen feathered friend.
Armed with this information, you can then decide the type of structures to construct, where to locate them, how high off the ground to mount them, the appropriate size for the entrance hole, and, if you make more than one house, how far apart you should set them.
For example, bluebird houses need a 1-1/2-inch-diameter entrance hole, are best located in or near clearings, and should be spaced about 100 yards apart.
You also need to consider how you will place your birdhouses or feeders so that they will be secure and not succumb to the forces of nature, such as heavy rains and strong winds. Always place the entrance to your birdhouses so that they face away from the prevailing weather (wind, rain, and so forth) in your area. If most of your weather comes from the south and the west, for instance, entrances should be mounted toward the north and the east.
While fence posts may be convenient, nest boxes actually work better when they’re mounted on PVC pipes or freestanding metal poles. This allows you to better adjust the height and discourage a host of predators.
Bird species that elect to live in birdhouses are basically searching for a cavity where they can nest, lay their eggs, and raise their young. They are also looking for surrounding areas that offer food, water, and other kinds of shelter.
Among the more familiar species that will nest in manmade birdhouses are bluebirds, chickadees, finches, flycatchers, hummingbirds, kestrels, nuthatches, owls, purple martins, phoebes, robins, swallows, titmice, warblers, wrens, and some species of ducks and woodpeckers.
As more wildlife habitats fall victim to progress and disappear, your birdhouse can serve an important role in conservation since it provides these birds with additional nesting options in an ever-crowded world.
