If you’ve been thinking about building your own wild bird nesting boxes for the Spring season, this article may help you determine appropriate sizes for the birds you hope to attract.

Appropriateness of size considerations are vital to bird house success. First to attract the right birds and distract the wrong ones. Next to ensure that the parents and nestlings are safe from predators. And finally correct temperature and ventilation.

How elaborate you make your bird house depends on your personal sense of aesthetics. For the most part, all the birds care about is their safety and the right dimensions: box height, depth and floor, diameter of entrance hole, and height of hole above the box floor. Continue Reading »

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Bird houses should be easily accessible to prying human eyes. Not so that you can spy on and disrupt the nesting behaviour of your wild birds, but so you can see how your birds are doing and, when the time comes, easily clean out the house.

Part of being a responsible bird house landlord is your willingness to look after your wild tenants. If you monitor your bird houses every week and evict unwanted creatures such as house sparrows, starlings, rodents, snakes, and insects, you’ll have much more success in the long run.

For your own safety, please be careful when you inspect those wild bird houses. Continue Reading »

When it comes to bird houses and nesting boxes it’s all about location, location, location!

Well, perhaps not the only factor, but without considering the placement of the nesting box, you have minimal chance for success.

Where you put your bird house is as important as the design, entrance hole size, materials used, and construction of the box. Cavity nesting birds are very particular about where they live and begin their families. No matter how perfect your nest box, if you don’t have the right habitat, the birds aren’t likely to find it and use it.

Not everyone has the perfect habitat and location for a wood duck, purple martin, or screech owl. On the other hand, just about anyone can attract and entice a robin, titmouse, wren, or chickadee to their yard to rear nestlings.

If you’re reading this artilce I’m going to assume that you have either just built or bought the perfect bird house/nesting box.

But what happens when the birds Continue Reading »

Many of the birds that visit backyard feeders and bird baths may stay and nest in nearby trees. And many of them, including cardinals, doves and orioles, won’t ever raise their young in a nesting box. However, you can still help these bird favorites to raise their young in your area by offering their favorite food choices and providing shelter requirements in your garden or yard.

Nesting materials can also be hung in a wire cage. These cages are especially popular in the spring when birds will come and choose those that are suitable for them. Try thin strips of clothing or rags, small twigs, wool, and even feathers.

There are more than two dozen birds in the USA and Canada that are happy to nest Continue Reading »