What It Takes for a Bird House
to be Safe and Secure
You've decided to put up one or more bird houses ... GREAT! So what's next? We suggest the first step is select bird houses where wild birds will feel safe and secure. If they don't recognize the house as being safe to raise their family they will look elsewhere.
Here are a few considerations to keep in mind so you have success attracting birds and offering a safe nest box to raise their young. Following the guide below will provide the best chance for baby birds to hatch and fledge, plus you'll reap the reward of watching them thrive. What could be better?
If you plan to build your own bird houses this list of 10 "must-haves" is a great place to start your building plan. If building a bird house is just a bit too much of a project, then don't miss these excellent choices in species-specific bird houses ready to be put up.
Please be aware there are many bird house "decorator" designs sold that are unsuitable for birds. If you find one just too cute to pass up display it inside your home. If you want a bird house that will appeal and be suitable for wild birds don't waste your money on the "cute ones" ... they may even be harmful to birds.
No matter whether you buy or build your bird house here is a list of the 10 most important features that all "nest boxes" must have. (If you find a decorative bird house that has all these features, then by all means put it up).
10 Important Bird House/Nest Box Features:
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No Perch. Wild birds do not require perches to enter their nestbox. More importantly, a perch can provide access for invasive species that often taken over the nest cavity of other birds.
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Entrance Hole Size. 1-1/2" (inch) hole size is used by most of our common cavity-nesting birds. Invasive species of birds cannot gain entrance from this size hole thus preventing them from taking over the nest of our native species.
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Nest Box Floor Dimensions. Nest box dimensions are important. See this table for the appropriate size for common species. Keep in mind that floor size must be at least 4" x 4" (inches) to allow room for young to develop.
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Entrance Hole Height. The entrance hole should be at least 5" (inches" above the bottom of the nest box. Ths allow the developing baby birds to stay well below the entrance to protect them from predators which may approach the nest box.
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Be Able to Open Nest Box. The nest box must be able to be opened from the top, front or side. This allows monitoring the developing young to make sure they are progressing normally and are healthy. Opening nest boxes for cleaning in the off-season is also essential.
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Ventilation. There must be holes along the top or sides of the nest box to allow hot air to escape in summer.
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Drainage Holes. There must be holes in the floor or bottom corners should be cut-off just enough to allow drainage of water out of the box.
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Wood Construction. Be sure that the nest box is constructed of 3/4" (inch) thick wood or similar material that provides insulation from the heat and cold. The only exception is Purple Martin housing which is sometimes offered in metal.
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Roof Overhang. The roof should overhang the front entrance hole by 1" to 2" (inches) to provide shade and protection from rain.
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Way to Attach Nest Box. Be sure the nest box has a way to attach to a pole or tree ... by a bracket or holes.
