In Praise of the Basic Birdhouse
(Page 2 of 3)
October/November 2007
By Terry Krautwurst
2. Attach the components with 11/4-inch galvanized nails or wood screws.
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3. Affix the sides to the back first, then slip the bottom between the sides (it’ll be a tight fit) and screw or nail it in place.
4. Use a hole saw or spade bit to drill the holes in the front and the predator guard. The front hole’s center should be precisely 7 inches from the front’s bottom. Make sure the holes are perfectly aligned when you attach the guard to the front, then affix the front to the sides. The predator guard keeps squirrels and larger birds, such as starlings, from entering the nest.
5. The brace and cleat (which attaches to the roof’s underside) help to hold the removable roof. You want the cleat to fit snugly just behind the house’s front panel when the roof is in place. Position the cleat on the underside of the roof, about 31/8 to 31/4 inches from the roof’s front — you’ll have to experiment a bit to get the right fit — and screw it down. I used screen molding for the brace, but any scrap piece that’s 51/2 inches by a half-inch or so will do. Use one 11/2-inch wood screw to attach the roof to the front piece; this way you can easily remove it later. The gap between the roof and sides provides ventilation.
6. Drill a quarter-inch mounting hole in the back, three-quarters of an inch from the top and another three-quarters of an inch from the bottom. Use these holes when mounting the nest box to a tree or post.
7. I prefer to stain rather than paint the exterior, to give the box a more natural look. If you use paint, choose an exterior-grade latex. Leave the interior unfinished.
To make a bluebird house, just lengthen the box’s front and sides by an inch, and drill a 11/2-inch diameter opening positioned 8 inches from the floor to the hole’s center. Then mount the box on a post or pole 3 to 6 feet above the ground in an open, sunny area.
Landlord Chores
A nest box’s main purpose, of course, is to provide a safe place for cavity-nesting birds and their offspring during the main breeding season, which can be from late winter through late summer, depending on the species and the region’s climate.
But birdhouses also have their place in the “off season.” Most of the species that nest in homemade boxes will use them as harsh-weather shelters and overnight roosts in winter. Here’s how to help keep resident birds comfortable during the cold season.
