Now Is The Perfect Time To Add A Birdhouse To Your Yard

Adding a birdhouse to your yard is a great way to provide a safe, sheltered location for your feathered friends to nest. Many resident birds begin searching for adequate nest sites two months before nesting while migrants will start their search upon returning to the area. If you haven’t already, now is the perfect time to introduce a birdhouse to your yard as this will give the birds sufficient time to find it before the fast approaching nesting season. 

Several common backyard birds will readily accept a properly constructed, properly placed birdhouse including wrens, chickadees, woodpeckers, and nuthatches.  Depending on where you live and the size of your property, other birds such as Eastern Screech-Owls, American Kestrels, Tree Swallows, Great Crested Flycatchers, and Eastern Bluebirds will eagerly nest in a birdhouse. 

Watching birds nest in a birdhouse I built myself is incredibly rewarding; for this reason, I always build my own. Building a birdhouse is an easy project requiring tools most of us have around the house and minimal woodworking skills. A pencil, tape measure, screwdriver, handsaw, cordless drill, drill bits, and either a hole saw or spade bit are all that is required.

As far as materials go, all you need is a piece of untreated pine or cedar and a package of wood screws and you are ready to build a birdhouse. I recommend using screws to fasten the pieces together as small nails will pull out over time. Total cost to build the average birdhouse is about $15 to $20 taxes in. Building a birdhouse with a child is a fun project and provides hours of entertainment throughout the season as you watch adult birds bring nesting material to the house, food for their young, and finally the fledging.  

Robins, cardinals, and doves prefer a covered platform style of shelter for nesting; these too can be easily constructed with the same tools for roughly the same cost. I have had great success with the birdhouses I made from the free plans found at 70birds. If you do not have access to tools, or would prefer the convenience of a box that is already made and ready to hang, visit your local independent birding store for a great selection of birdhouses. The knowledgeable staff can help you choose the right birdhouse for your yard based on the birds that frequent it. 

There are several important factors to consider which will increase your chances of success with a birdhouse. First is construction. The house must be well-built to withstand weather and potential predators. Again, this is why I prefer construction with screws over nails. A birdhouse should have ventilation holes or a small gap on each side near the roof. This provides better airflow within the house while allowing rising warm air to escape preventing the birdhouse from getting too hot inside. Drainage holes on the floor are equally important allowing water to run out after a heavy rain.

Having the appropriate size hole for the species you wish to attract is crucial. It goes without saying if the hole is too small for a bird to enter, it can’t use the birdhouse. If trying to attract larger birds to a birdhouse keep in mind that a house with a large hole may attract less desirable birds like House Sparrows and European Starlings. A birdhouse designed for smaller birds such as wrens, chickadees, nuthatches, and Downy Woodpeckers has a small enough hole to keep the sparrows and starlings out. 

Choosing the right location for a birdhouse is imperative to its success. The height at which the house is mounted is very important and varies by species. Birdhouses should not be mounted in direct sunlight as they will become too warm inside or where they are exposed to prevailing winds. Birdhouses do not have to be mounted to a tree as some birds will accept houses installed on a fence, the side of a shed or garage, and even pole mounted similar to a bird feeder. Follow the installation instructions provided with the plans or the advice of the employee at your local store. Some birds prefer a birdhouse lined with wood shavings (not sawdust) or in the case of chickadees and woodpeckers shavings can be packed tightly into the house to closely mimic a tree limb or trunk. These birds will remove unwanted shavings as they would when excavating their own cavity in a tree.    

Here in London, many of the large, mature trees in the older neighbourhoods are being cut down for safety reasons. These trees appear sturdy while standing, but once cut the rot and decay inside becomes evident. In most cases, there is not much solid wood holding these massive trees up and many have come down on their own during heavy winds, hence their removal.

Mature trees with an abundance of cavities provide great nesting habitat for many of the previously mentioned birds. Unfortunately, their removal means nesting habitat is being lost and it’s up to us to replace it in the form of a birdhouse as simply planting a tree doesn’t always provide adequate nesting habitat especially when it comes to cavity nesters.

If your yard is lacking a birdhouse, now is the perfect time to add one. Many birds will soon be searching for that ideal location to raise a brood. Providing adequate nesting habitat by installing a birdhouse on your property will benefit the birds in your area and provide hours of enjoyment for you and your family. If you are looking for a fun and easy project this weekend, why not build a birdhouse? Your backyard birds will be glad that you did. 

Good birding,
Paul

*My presentation next week How To Photograph Birds is now sold out. Thank you to everyone who registered. If you would like to see this presentation offered again in April be sure to contact me as I am considering adding another date if there is enough interest.*