birdhouses

I'm going to try and make new posts here to share some things. We'll see how well that works. Something I am interested in is providing nestboxes for birds. There are different places that give instructions for building them and the dimensions needed by different birds.

When I started learning about birdhouses the suggestion was to build them from cedar bought at the store. This probably makes the best boxes, but so far I've been able to make them out of found materials, and they have served their purpose well.

When a tree dies its importance continues. Standing dead trees are called snags and allow space for woodpeckers to create holes for nesting. Many other birds rely on these lasting woodpecker holes for their own nests. They are also used by overwintering birds during cold nights. Nowadays snags may not be seen as valuable or attractive to landowners and 'forest management' types. This is why human made nestboxes can be important.

Can you see the nesting hole used by a flicker in this aspen?

Here are the nestboxes I have made:

This was my first. It is made out of plywood found in a dumpster. the area around the hole is doubled to protect the entry way. After a year or two I also needed to do something with the plywood roof that was falling apart. I found a roof shingle and screwed it on. This box has been used by wrens two of the past three years. The other year it was filled with sticks by the male wren but left without a nest by the female.



This is the Peterson design specifically for bluebirds. It has been used by mountain bluebirds every year for the past few since I put it up. Instructions for this type of house can be found here: bluebird box.

This is another scrap wood nestbox that has been hanging for a couple years. This is the only one that has not been used. Not sure why.

Lately I've been thinking about building birdhouses to give away. Let me know if you want one or have any comments or suggestions. Thanks