Building A Birdhouse: Things To Know

So you want to build a birdhouse. A well-built birdhouse should be durable, keep out the rain, not overheat, and be easy to clean. Keep these requirements in mind and let's get started.

1. First, determine the types of birds you see around your backyard. Then figure out which ones will use a birdhouse. Some birds build nests in trees or bushes, such as doves, cardinals, and mockingbirds. Others may make their nests on the ground or even burrows down in the ground. Only cavity nesting birds will use a birdhouse. Examples of common cavity nesting birds are chickadees, flickers, and bluebirds. Determine the type of bird that you wish to use the birdhouse.

2. Determine the dimensions of the birdhouse. Most birds require different sizes of birdhouses as well as entrance holes. Below you will find a chart with some specs to build houses for various common cavity nesting birds:

3. When selecting the wood to use, use plain untreated lumber. Do not use exterior grade plywood (contains formaldehyde) or pressure-treated lumber (contains toxic preservatives.) Plastic and metal often overheat in the hot summer sun.

4. Almost time to pick out a birdhouse plan. First, however, remember these things about good houses: Has some type of ventilation holes or slots near the roof so heat can escape. Normally these holes will be on the sides of the house - NOT the roof - so rain will not drip in.