Adapt your birdhouse plans for each species of bird with these specifications. The USGS Department of Wildlife Conservation has a simple chart for a variety of birds. USGS NPWRC
For our project we are considering:
For a bluebird birdhouse:
Floor: 5 X 5 inches
Inside height: 8 inches
Height from hole to floor: 6 inches
Hole size: 1 1/2 inches
Height above ground: 5-10 feet
For a purple martin birdhouse:
Floor: 6 X 6 inches
Inside height: 6 inches
Height from hole to floor: 2 inches
Hole size: 2 1/2 inches
Height above ground: 10-15 feet
Of course my wife thinks we should just buy one so I’ll show you one of her favorites:
I think it’s a bit too quaint looking. I’ll see if she has any other recommendations.
2 years ago
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Here is one of several great birdhouse plans to start with as a beginner. I found it at Black and Decker, and it looks like a useful simple guide.
Birds like gardens with fresh water, food, and comfortable shelter.
Many birds who nest in birdhouses like them about 4 inches by 4 inches and about 8 inches tall. The tip I learned here was to build one side of the birdhouse with a hinge so you can open it up to clean it out. I’ve heard that bluebirds for instance won’t nest if they find “someone else’s stuff” in there. So my friend Tom told me to keep an eye out to see if a bird starts living there. Then if you don’t see them for a while, maybe they’ve left, so clean it out and now a new bluebird could take its place.
They recommend 1 × 6 cedar or redwood lumber so it lasts longer. The thickness provides insulation against changing temperatures and the cedar or redwood, which is weather resistant, helps the house withstand the elements for several years.
Don’t paint the inside of the birdhouse. For the outside, mellow colors such as brown, tan, and gray are good choices because they’re pleasing to many types of birds. I have seen many a fancy birdhouse in local garden stores in bright colors. I wonder if this has an effect?
2 years ago
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Birdhouse plans come in a variety of styles and levels of difficulty for the woodworker. At our house we have bought several for different reasons. Bluebirds live in our area and they require a certain size entrance. We found an artisan-crafted birdhouse at a craft show in Boston about a yeara go that looks more like a mansion. Then there are some bird houses that look like an apartment building.
But recently my father-in-law and I decided to start building birdhouses from scratch. He started by building a bird feeder that used some of the materials from the house he built, with clear sides and you can fill it from the top with seed. Then he thought of moving on and look for birdhouse plans.
Our first project is to start with a basic model and move on from there. I’m a bit of a perfectionist and although he also appreciate quality, he also wants to get one done and start seeing if a bird will take it up as his own. In future entries I’ll talk more about our choices and our progress. By the beginning of next spring we plan to have a variety to see who’ll actually come and nest.
2 years ago
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