Part 2: Birds You Can Attract to Your Bird Houses and Nest Boxes

Chickadees, Nuthatches, and Titmice

Chickadees, titmice, and nuthatches share the same food, feeders, and habitats. If you put a properly designed bird house in a wooded yard, at least one pair is sure to check it out.

Place chickadee birdhouse at eye level. Hang them from limbs or secure them to tree trunks. The entrance hole should be 1-1/8" to attract chickadees yet exclude house sparrows.   Anchor bird houses for hatches on tree trunks five to six feet off the ground.  You can encourage these birds to stay in your yard by continuing to fill your suet and peanut feeders through the summer. 

Brown Creepers and Prothonotary Warblers

Look for brown creepers to nest behind the curved bark of tree trunks. In heavily wooded yards, slab bark houses will appeal to creepers. Prothonotary warblers also prefer slab bark houses, but theirs must be placed over water. 

Wrens

Wrens don't seem to be very picky about where they nest. Try bird houses with a 1" x 2" horizontal slot (1-1/2" x 2-1/2" for the larger Carolina wrens) instead of a circle. These are easier for the wrens to use. 

Wrens are notorious for filling up any conceivable nest cavity with twigs, regardless of whether they use the nest. Since male house wrens build several nests for the female to choose from, hang several bird houses at eye level on partly sunlit tree limbs. Wrens are sociable and will accept birdhouses quite close to your house. 

See a great selection of birdhouses 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.

Bluebird Birdhouses

Blue Birds Birdhouses

A Bluebird belongs to a group of brightly colored thrushes related to the Robin and native to North America. Bluebirds live in open country that contains scattered trees, usually in old farmlands or orchards. They nest in tree holes or man birdhouses which they line with fine grass.

The female Bluebird lays three to seven pale blue or white eggs at a time and may have two or three broods a year. Both parents care for their young that remain in the bluebird birdhouse for 15 – 19 days. Bluebirds feed on caterpillars, beetles, grasshoppers and many other insects that may be harmful to crops. When insects are not available in large numbers during winter, Bluebirds eat berries.

Providing water in the form of birdbaths encourages Bluebirds to stick around the backyard. They are quite partial to the sound of dripping water and have no specific preference whether it is a commercial dripper or a self-provided water device. Providing suitable birdhouses will convince them to stay and nest.

                                                                                                                                       

Check out our birdhouses at www.aboutbirdhouses.com.

About The Black-capped Chickadee

About The Black-capped Chickadee

One of the most familiar birds in the US, the Black-capped Chickadee is known to be a saucy, active bird. It measures in at 12-15 cm (5-6 in), with a wingspan of 16-21 cm (6-8 in) and a weight of 9-14 grams. The Black-capped Chickadee is fairly tame and frequents backyards.

As can be gathered from its name, this bird has a black cap and a black bib as well. Its cheeks are white while its back is gray with no streaks. Though its wings are of a dark gray color, they may have some white on the edges. The Black-capped Chickadee has a rather long tail which is the same color as the wings (without the white edging). Male and female birds look alike. The juvenile birds also look like their parents.

The Black-capped Chickadee Nesting Preferences

The Black-capped Chickadee prefers to inhabit areas with woods such as parks, willow thickets, and cottonwood groves. This bird builds nests in holes or stumps of rotting trees. It also makes use of other existing nests. Nest boxes are not an unusual nesting place as well.

The nest of the Black-capped Chickadee is usually made of coarse materials. Moss is commonly used. For the lining, this bird makes use of down and fur. Nests can be found anywhere from 1 meter to 12 meters above the ground.

Building a Birdhouse For The Black-capped Chickadee

When building a birdhouse for the Black-capped Chickadee, it would be good to use Red Cedar. A floor area of about 4” x 4” would provide enough space. The height should be around 9” (inside). The entrance hole should be located 7” from the floor to the top of the hole and should be 1 ¼” in diameter. This birdhouse should then be mounted on a tree, post, or wall which provides part The Black-capped Chickadee Mating Habits

Black-capped Chickadees court in the months of February and March. At this point, the flock is dispersed as the individual birds pair up. Male and female birds chase each other up in the air, suddenly coming to a stop. Once paired, it is the female bird that takes the lead. It is then up to the male bird to defend their territory. It is only by the end of March that the female starts looking for a nesting with partial shade. The placement height can be anywhere from 4 and 12 feet high.