Checking Your Birdhouses and Nest Boxes

Watch the birdhouse for a couple of days.  If you don't see or hear any birds, go over and tap on the box. If you hear bird sounds, open the top and take a quick peek inside. If everything's okay, close the box. If you see problems (parasites or predators), remove them and close the box.


Installing birdhouses that can be opened from the top will make the process of maintaining your birdhouses a simpler job.  Most bird houses can be opened from the top, the side, the front, or the bottom.

Birdhouses that open from the top and the front provide the easiest access.  Opening the box from the top is less likely to disturb nesting birds.  It's impossible to open a box from the bottom without the nest falling out.  While side- and front-opening boxes are convenient for cleaning and monitoring, they have one drawback: the nestlings may jump out.

If this happens, don't panic.  Just pick them up and put them back in the nest.  Don't worry that the adults will reject the nestlings if you handle them.  That's a myth.  Most birds have a terrible sense of smell.

If you clean out your birdhouses after each brood has fledged, several pairs may use the nest throughout the summer.  Many cavity nesting birds will not nest again in a box full of old nesting

In the fall, after you've cleaned out your bird houses for the last time, you can put them in storage or leave them out.  Gourds and pottery last longer if you take them in for the winter.  You can leave your purple martin houses up, but be sure to plug the entrance holes to discourage starlings and house sparrows.   Leaving your wood and concrete houses out provides shelter for birds, flying squirrels, and other animals during winter.   Each spring be sure to clean out all the birdhouses you've left out for the winter.

Part 4: Birds You Can Attract to Your Bird Houses and Nest Boxes

This is a continuing series on attracting birds to your yard.

Purple Martins

Many people want martins because, it's been said, these birds "can eat 2,000 mosquitoes a day." While it's true that they eat flying insects, don't expect purple martins to wipe out your mosquitoes. Martins actually prefer dragonflies, these insects prey on mosquito larvae. 

Mosquitoes are most active after sunset. If you want to rid your yard of mosquitoes, put up a bat roosting box.  One bat can eat thousands of mosquitoes a night.  But don't cross martins off your prospective tenant list because they don't live up to their "bug zapping" reputation. If you need a reason for attracting them, these gregarious swallows put on a show that's better than any television soap opera. 

You have the best chance of attracting martins if you put a birdhouse on the edge of a pond or river, surrounded by a field or lawn. Martins need a radius of about 40 feet of unobstructed flying space around their houses. A convenient fence or telephone wire nearby gives them a place to perch in sociable groups. 

Martins nest in groups, so you'll need a bird condo with a minimum of four large rooms -- 6 or more inches on all sides, with a 2-1/4 inch entrance hole about an inch and a half above the floor. Ventilation and drainage are critical factors in martin house design. Porches, railings, porch dividers and supplemental roof perches, like a TV antenna, will make any bird house more appealing. 

Gourds may also be made into houses by making an entrance hole and providing drainage. If you use gourds, it's not necessary to add railings and perches. Adult martins will perch on the wire used to hang the houses. 

Before you decide on a house, take the time to think about what kind of pole you're going to put it on. Martins will occupy a house that's between ten and twenty feet off the ground. Some poles are less cumbersome than others. 

Gourd houses are the easiest to set up. You can string them:

• from a wire between two poles
• from a sectional aluminum pole
• on pulleys mounted to cross-bar high up on a pole.  

Light-weight aluminum birdhouses can be mounted on telescoping poles, providing easy access for maintenance and inspection. Because of their weight (well over 30 pounds), wooden birdhouses cannot be mounted on easy-access telescoping poles. You'll have to use a sturdy metal or wood pole attached to a pivot post. The problem with this "lowering" technique is that you can't tilt the house without damaging the nests inside. If you put your house on a shorter, fixed pole, ten to twelve feet high, you can use a ladder to inspect and maintain it. 

Please check out the vast array of bird houses at www.aboutbirdhouses.com.

What You Should Know About Brids and Their Birdhouses

It doesn't matter where you live -- in an apartment, townhouse, or single family dwelling, in the city, suburbs or country. Just stand still and you'll hear them: wild birds. It's hard to imagine life without them.Bird watching is one of the fastest growing hobbies in the country. 

It's easy to understand why. Birds are fun to watch.  And you can watch them just about everywhere. The most convenient place to start is right in your own backyard. All it takes to get their attention is water, food, and a place to build a nest. 

This information is designed to help you build or buy suitable birdhouse or nesting boxes--for birds. Your success in attracting birds will depend on what you know about birds and the birdhouse design.  Here’s what you need to know to get started:

• which birds nest in houses
• basics of bird-house construction
• proper placement
• good maintenance
• how to deal with predators
• monitoring. 

In future posts we will talk about each of these items.  In the meantime checkout this website www.aboutbirdhouses.com.

Birdhouse Placement Tips

Birdhouse Placement Tips

When to place birdhouses Make sure your birdhouses are in place well before the breeding season begins. Don’t be discouraged if the birds do not begin nesting in your box immediately; sometimes it takes time for the birds to find it. * In the south, place your birdhouses by February. * In northern regions, place your birdhouses by mid to late March. If you are looking to attract a variety of species to your nest boxes and have ample room, you might consider pairing your boxes. This involves placing boxes in pairs on poles 15 to 25 feet apart; or you can put two boxes, back to back, on a single pole. Birds such as Tree Swallows and bluebirds will nest closely to one another, although conspecifics will be driven away. Pairing boxes has the advantage of allowing more birds of both species to coexist peacefully within the same habitat. Golf courses, cultivated fields, gardens, and yards are great habitats for nest boxes, but avoid areas where pesticides and herbicides are used. These agents are not only harmful to birds, they decrease and sometimes eliminate insect populations—the primary food source for many cavity-nesting species. How to place your birdhouse Whichever method you choose to erect your boxes, be sure your box is secure enough to withstand high winds and severe weather. The best way to erect small nest boxes is on free-standing metal poles or PVC pipes. These pipes or poles offer several advantages: * Nest boxes can be mounted higher than when mounted on a fence post. * Many predators find poles difficult to climb. * Poles can also be easily equipped with a predator guard. Where to place nest boxes Bluebird open field or lawn; orchards; open, rural country with scattered trees and low or sparse ground cover; Mountain and Western bluebirds will also use deciduous and coniferous forest edges; entrance hole should face open field, preferring east, north, south, and then west facing directions. box height: 3-6 feet Purple Martin broad open areas (meadows, fields, farmland, swamps, ponds, lakes, rivers) with unobstructed space for foraging on flying insects; there should be no trees or buildings within 40 feet of the martin pole in any direction box height: 10-15 feet     Wood Duck forested wetlands or near marshes, swamps, and beaver ponds; place boxes in deciduous trees, 30-100 feet from the nearest water, spaced 600 feet apart. add 3" of wood shavings box height: 6-30 feet American Kestrel pastures, fields, meadows, or orchards with mowed or grazed vegetation; place boxes on lone trees in fields, on trees along edges of woodlots, and on farm buildings box height: 10-30 feet Eastern Screech Owl forests, parks, woodland clearings, forest edges, wooded stream edges, under a tree limb. entrance hole should face north. Add 2"-3" of wood shavings box height: 10-30 feet Western Screech Owl lower elevations, forests, parks, woodland clearings, forest edges, deserts, wooded stream edges, under a tree limb. entrance hole should face north. Add 2"-3" of wood shavings box height: 10-30 feet Great Crested Flycatcher deciduous or mixed deciduous-coniferous forests, forest edges, woodlots, orchards, parks, on post or tree at forest edge box height: 3-20 feet Ash-throated Flycatcher chaparral, mesquite thickets, oak scrub, dry plains spotted with trees or cacti, deserts, and open deciduous and riparian woodlands box height: 3-20 feet Northern Flicker pastures, groves, woodlots, orchards, fields, meadows, woodland clearings, forest edges, urban parks, on pole or tree at forest edge or along fence rows bordering crop fields; box should be completely filled with wood chips or shavings. entrance hole should face southeast box height: 6-30 feet Tree Swallow open fields near water, expansive open areas, marshes, meadows, wooded swamps; on a post in open areas near tree or fence, 30-100 feet apart. entrance hole should face east box height: 5-15 feet Violet-green Swallow open or broken deciduous or mixed deciduous-coniferous forests, wooded canyons, edges of dense forest box height: 9-15 feet Tufted Titmouse deciduous forest, thick timber stands, woodland clearings, forest edges, woodlots, riparian and mesquite habitats; spaced one box per 8 acres, hole should face away from prevailing wind box height: 5-15 feet Black-capped Chickadee forests, woodlots, and yards with mature hardwood trees, forest edges, meadows, area should receive 40-60% sunlight, spaced one box per 10 acres, hole should face away from prevailing wind; 1" shaving can be placed in box box height: 5-15 feet Carolina Chickadee forests, woodlots, and yards with mature hardwood trees, forest edges, meadows, area should receive 40-60% sunlight, hole should face away from prevailing wind; 1" shaving can be placed in box box height: 5-15 feet Mountain Chickadee coniferous forests, forest edges, woodland clearings; hole should face away from prevailing wind; 1" shaving can be placed in box box height: 5-15 feet Chestnut-backed Chickadee coniferous forests, mixed deciduous-coniferous forests, forest edges, woodlands, thickets, burned areas, often near streams; hole should face away from prevailing wind; 1" shaving can be placed in box box height: 5-15 feet White-breasted Nuthatch deciduous woodlands, mature forests, woodlots, near open areas, forest edges, orchards, often near water; hole should face away from prevailing wind; 1" shaving can be placed in box box height: 5-20 feet Red-breasted Nuthatch mixed coniferous-deciduous forests, shrub lands, swamps, farmlands, suburban parks; hole should face away from prevailing wind; 1" shaving can be placed in box box height: 5-15 feet Brown-headed Nuthatch open stands of pine-hardwood forests, clearings scattered with dead trees, forest edges, burned areas, cypress swamps box height: 5-20 feet House Wren variety of habitats, farmland, openings, open forests, forest edges, shrub lands, suburban gardens, parks, backyards; near trees or tall shrubs box height: 5-10 feet Carolina Wren forests with thick underbrush, forest edges, woodland clearings, open forests, shrub lands, suburban gardens, parks, backyards; near trees or tall shrubs box height: 5-10 feet Prothonotary Warbler lowland hardwood forests subject to flooding, stagnant water, swamps, ponds, marshes, streams, flooded river valleys, wet bottomlands; box should be over or near water box height: 2-12 feet Hooded Merganser quiet, shallow, clear water pools surrounded by or near the edge of deciduous woods: small forest pools, ponds, swamps; add 3" of wood shavings box height: 6-25 feet

When searching for great birdhouses check out our website at Aboutbirdhouses.com. 

Bird House Tips

How to Choose the Right Bird House Decorative Bird House Styles Painted bird houses come in all shapes, sizes, and styles. Some have a whimsical decorative theme, and others are made of plain wood and painted to blend in with their surroundings. The style of blue bird house you choose is entirely up to you. Just make sure it's appropriate for your climate and your birds. Various Species, Various Bird Houses The size and shape of your bird house should be determined by the type of species you wish to attract. The list below shows a sampling of what type of birdhouses are needed by each species.

• Purple martins are the largest members of the swallow family. A purple martin house should measure at least 6 inches across on the inside, and should have an entry hole of about two and a half inches in diameter. Purple martin houses should be painted white on the outside.

Bird Condos

• Wrens aren't picky about their homes and will nest in small, plain houses. A wren house is usually quite simple and fairly small on the inside. Make sure the entry holes measure about 1 inch in diameter to let the wrens in and keep predators out.

Wren Birdhouse

• Chickadees and nuthatches prefer homes that simulate natural environments, so a bird house made from wood or unfinished bark is best. They prefer Chickadee bird houses that are deep and narrow, with entrance holes at the top so that they can nest in the bottom and feel safe.

Chickadee Birdhouse

If you're unsure what type of cardinal bird house you need, try to determine what birds live in your area and what kind you wish to attract. Or choose a general songbird house that is designed for various species.  Check out our other birdhouses at www.aboutbirdhouses.com