Birdhouse Maintainance

There are several maintenance items you should be aware of to make your birdhouses safe and comfortable for its’ occupants.  Here are a few:

Ventilation

Without air vents, boxes can turn into bird ovens. The two best ways to provide ventilation are to  leave gaps between the roof and sides of the box, or drill 1/4" holes just below the roof.  Remember our homes have ventilation vents to help with air in our homes.

Drainage

Water can become a problem when it sits in the bottom of the bird house.  A roof with sufficient slope and overhang offers some protection.  Drilling the entrance hole on an upward slant may also help keep the water out.

Regardless of design, driving rain will get in through the entrance hole.  You can assure proper drainage by cutting away the corners of the box floor and drilling 1/4 inch holes in the box floor. Nest boxes will last longer if the floors are recessed about 1/4 inch.

Entrance Hole

Most entrance and exit holes on the front panel near the top.  A rough surface both inside and out makes it easier for the adults to get into the box and, when it's time, for the nestlings to climb out.

If your box is made of finished wood, add a couple of grooves outside below the hole.  Open the front panel and add grooves, cleats, or wire mesh to the inside.   Never put up a bird house with a perch below the entrance hole.  Perches offer starlings, house sparrows, and other predators a convenient place to wait for lunch.

Don't be tempted by those beautiful duplexes or houses that have more than one entrance hole. With the exception of purple martins, cavity-nesting birds prefer not to share their birdhouse. While these condos look great in your yard, starlings and house sparrows are the only birds inclined to use them.

Accessibility

Bird houses should be easily accessible so you can see how your birds are doing and, when the time comes to clean out the house.  Part of being a responsible birdhouse landlord is your willingness to watch out for your tenants. Monitor your bird houses every week and evict unwanted creatures: house sparrows, starlings, rodents, snakes, and insects.

Be careful when you inspect your bird boxes. You may find something other than a bird inside. Don't be surprised to see squirrels, a mouse, a snake, or insects. Look for fleas, flies, mites, larvae, and lice in the bottom of the box.

If you find insects and parasites, your first reaction may be grab the nearest can of insect spray. If you do, use only insecticides known to be safe around birds: 1% rotenone powder or pyrethrin spray. If wasps are a problem, coat the inside top of the box with bar soap.

Take care of your birdhouses and enjoy the tenants.  To see many great looking birdhouses go to www.aboutbirdhouse.com.  See you in the next post.

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.

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. 

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.