Bird house suggestions

House birds differ decidedly in their requirements. For those which usually excavate homes for themselves, the diameter of the entrance and the depth and diameter of the cavity must be in accord with their specific standards. Some birds are satisfied with almost any sort of lodging.

Bluebirds and wrens, for example, are content to build in tomato cans, although chickadees and nuthatches disdain them. Wood is a better building material than metal or earthenware. Entrance holes should be countersunk from the outside to exclude rain. Heads of nails and screws should be set rather deeply and covered with putty.

All houses should be easy to open for cleaning. A perch at the entrance is unnecessary and may even be an objection, as it is frequently used by English sparrows while they twitter exasperatingly to more desirable occupants.

To provide for proper ventilation a row of small holes is sometimes bared just beneath the eaves, but there should never be a ventilating hole lower than the entrance, and joints should be made tight, as drafts of air are dangerous. In case there is danger that rain may be driven in through the door; a small drainage hole, which will be covered by the nest, may be made in the middle of the floor.

The appearance and durability of houses are improved by a coat of paint. A neutral shade of green or gray is suitable for houses mounted in trees, while those on pales, being conspicuously placed, lend themselves harmoniously to the landscape when painted white.  Check out the great bird houses 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 House Birds

The habit of nesting in bird houses has been adopted by individuals of many species which would not ordinarily be expected to make use of such homes, and this may be taken as indicating that it will become more general from year to year as facilities are afforded and as the number of birds hatched in houses increases.

That western wrens and bluebirds should take as naturally to artificial shelters as did their eastern relatives was to be expected. On the other hand, the use of houses by birds which until recently had persistently ignored them is surprising and must be considered a victory for those who have studiously attempted to enlarge their circle of feathered neighbors.

Woodpeckers, nuthatches, and titmice excavate their own houses, usually new ones each year, leaving the old homes to less capable architects. Builders of artificial houses generally go to the woodpecker for designs, and by varying styles to suit the tastes of different kinds of birds, have been rewarded by such tenants as chickadees, tufted titmice, white-breasted nuthatches, Bewick wrens and Carolina wrens, violet-green swallows, crested flycatchers, screech owls, sparrow hawks, and even some of the woodpeckers, the master builders themselves.

Flickers readily accept houses built according to their standards. Red-headed woodpeckers are willing occupants of artificial houses, and even the downy woodpecker, that sturdy little-carpenter, has, in one instance at least, deemed such a home a satisfactory abode in which to raise a family.

Shelters having one or more sides open are used by birds which would never venture into dark houses suited to woodpeckers. They have been occupied by robins and brown thrashers, and, in one instance, by a song sparrow.

The number of house birds may be still further augmented as time goes on. All of the commoner woodpeckers are likely to be included, as are several of the small owls and wrens, and a few of the wild ducks, as the golden-eye. The wood duck is already known to use nesting boxes.

Houses set close to streams in the western mountains will probably be occupied by ousels or dippers. Florida grackles sometimes breed in flicker holes and may be expected to occupy houses now and then. In every locality having trees there is a group of birds ready to appropriate houses when they have the opportunity.

The Purple Finch

About The Purple Finch

A member of the finch family, the Purple Finch is closely related to the House Finch and Cassin’s Finch. The Purple Finch is a medium sized finch, measuring in at 12 – 15 cm (5 -6 in), with a wingspan of 22 – 26 cm (9 – 10 in), and a weight of 18 – 31 grams. The male Purple Finch is basically raspberry-colored on the head and chest while the female has the duller color of brown. The male’s lower belly is white and unmarked. It also has a dark face patch. The female, on the other hand, has strong streaking (brown and gray) on its back, sides, and chest. It has a pale eye stripe and dark ear patch. Its underbelly is also white but with some streaks. The juvenile Purple Finch looks just like the adult female.

The Purple Finch has a short tail which is notched. Its bill is straight, although not as straight as that of the Cassin’s Finch.

The Purple Finch Nesting Preferences

The Purple Finch prefers to inhabit coniferous forests and mixed forests in the lowlands. They are in intense competition with the House Finch so they avoid the more heavily populated urban areas. They can be found in rural residential areas. 

The Purple Finch builds its nest on a horizontal branch of a coniferous tree, usually at some distance from the trunk. It also nests in a fork in a tree. The nest is shaped like an open cup and is made up of rootlets, twigs, and weeds. For the lining, materials such as grass, hair, and moss are used. It is the female bird which builds the nest.

Building a Birdhouse For The Purple Finch

The suggested dimensions for a Purple Finch birdhouse is as follow: floor area of 4” x 4” or 5” x 5”; a height of 9 – 12 inches; a hole with 1 ½” diameter. The hole should be 5 – 7 inches above the floor.

The Purple Finch Mating Habits

The male Purple Finch exerts a lot of effort to attract the female during mating season. It executes a series of hops and does a lot of singing. It may hop as high as 12 inches into the air and puffs out its chest and cocks its tail while doing so.

The Purple Finch Feeding Preferences

 

The Purple Finch’s diet consists mainly of seeds and insects. It also forages along the ground and in foliage to find buds of trees and weeds. It also eats berries and small fruits. When building a feeder, make sure you have an ample supply of sunflower seeds and millet. The Purple Finch loves these seeds and can consume a surprisingly large amount!

Interesting Purple Finch Facts

•The Purple Finch population has declined sharply in the East due to the House Finch. Most of the time, when these two species collide, the House Finch wins over the Purple Finch.

•There are two subspecies of the Purple Finch. One is found in the Pacific Coast while the other is found in the East. The Pacific Coast Purple Finch is more common and has duller colors.