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After the nesting season is over, knock off the swallow nests, so that eachpair will build a new one. I always think simpler is better, but some woodworkers like to make reallyelaborate and fancy birdhouses. Within hours of mounting the box on the pole, the Tree Swallows werechecking it out and at least two pair of birds fought over the box for severaldays. Because the birds have more space than recommended, it probably doesn'tmatter if the depth were 6 1/2inches instead of 7 inches, but I chose to simplyattach the floor on the outside. Since the log to be covered was 10 inches wide, I cut 14 inch lengths ofthe cedar fence picket so the roof would lap 2 inches over on each side.
Entrance
Building appropriately sized birdhouses is a great way to help conserve native bluebirds. There are a few reasons why bluebirds may not use a nesting box. If they do live locally, is your nesting box specifically designed for bluebirds? The surrounding gardens should be pesticide-free and provide plenty of food (insects, fruits, berries) to sustain the bluebirds and their young.
How to Build a Bluebird House
Most bird houses will have the basic elements of a sloped roof, floor andfour walls - one with an entrance hole. It is also always nice to have one ofthe side walls lift up on a pivot for cleaning and monitoring. For example, a hole size 1 1/8 inchin diameter will exclude starlings and house sparrows, which oftenmonopolize nest boxes and even evict more desirable species.
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Make sure to keep accurate records of when the bluebirds hatched so you know this critical time frame. When you walk up to a nest box, you want to do it quickly and quietly. Talk softly as you approach and then tap the side of the house lightly to give adult birds a chance to fly out. It’s not uncommon for a female laying on her eggs to stay inside even once you open the box.
But it also helps cats, raccoons, snakes and other nestpredators to hang on to the perch while they fish around inside forsomething to eat. Many WoodDuck plans recommend that a "ladder" be made from welded wire or scored into thewood. Roughup or score the wood inside the hole so the chicks can scramble out.
Robin / Cardinal Nesting Shelf:
This DIY Bluebird house has complete plans you can download for free as a PDF. It’s well-designed and functional and only demands moderate skills and tools. The resulting Bluebird house, however, is stellar, with an opening side door you can use to clean the birdhouse out if necessary. While it’s possible to recognize a House Sparrow nest vs. a bluebird nest, the best way to confirm is to observe the next box to see which species are inside.
Size of Nest Box Matters
Usually, the back is a little higher, so the water won’t destroy the roof. Bluebirds were once much more common than they are today. Their numbers declined due to competition for nesting sites from other birds, including the crow, the sparrow, and the starling.
Replace 8x8 Nest Box with 11-15 inch Log
It’s not uncommon to find a bluebird that has been savagely killed by a House Sparrow or European Starling. Bluebird house plans, plans include a free PDF download (link at bottom of blog post), material list, drawings, and instructions. Tree swallows, chickadees, wrens and other birds may use your nestbox before,instead of or in addition to bluebirds.
Keeping Predators Out of Your Bird Houses
The Noel guard is made of wire mesh that is folded and stapled to the front of your bluebird house. It’s suitable for stopping raccoons, cats, and hawks from reaching inside of the nest box to eat the nestlings. That’s because House Sparrows use the same nesting cavities as bluebirds. They may not look the part, but House Sparrows are EXTREMELY aggressive, and they almost ALWAYS outcompete bluebirds for available nesting sites and birdhouses. 1 1/2" hole for eastern bluebirds and western bluebirds, and 1 9/16" hole for mouuntain bluebirds and where eastern and western bluebird ranges overlap.
Unfortunately, there is still a lot more you can learn about maintaining bluebirds, specifically if you want to set up your own bluebird trail. I like the one pictured above because it includes copper around the entrance hole, which makes it impossible for any mammal to chew to enlarge the hole. Obviously, if you are monitoring the nest box, then eye level is preferable. Much of the land that used to be natural habitat or agricultural land isnow covered with houses, shops and parking lots. We saw a few bluebirds in our neighborhood when we first moved here.
SCDNR, SCBS partner for bluebird conservation - South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
SCDNR, SCBS partner for bluebird conservation.
Posted: Fri, 10 Feb 2017 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Do not use nails through the “hinged” left side or you won’t be able to open it. If the latter ismore of what you are thinking of, then the bird house design you choose is veryimportant in determining which birds do or do not use your next box. Wooden strips nailed under the eave on the outside of a barn or other largebuilding in the open will make it easier for cliff swallows to attach theirnests. Hope you find a wooden bird house that will attract your favorite backyardbirds and be successful in producing a new crop of bird youngsters.
This was named the Xbox simply because it came from the design marked X. It has proven to be beneficial, providing safe, dry housing for countless, happy bluebirds. The recommended mounting height for a bluebird birdhouse is 5' to 6' off of the ground. The pictures show this birdhouse attached to a T-Post using 1" Pipe U-Bolts, but you can mount it many different ways.
With a little black paint on the outside, you can quickly make this DIY project look like a birch tree, ready to be a home for your next family of Bluebirds. An easy way to ease some of the tension is to put up TWO nest boxes about 5-15 feet apart. So by putting up two boxes, bluebirds and swallows can nest next to each other peacefully. Two types of swallows (Tree & Violet-Green) will also use your bluebird houses and actively compete with bluebirds for the right to nest inside. Bluebirds and swallows are equal competitors, and it’s a toss-up who will win the prized real estate. You could also try placing a second box nearby as manyspecies such as tree swallows and bluebirds can occupy nest boxes very closetogether without problems.
The new aspen nest log was going to be mounted in the back yard, wherethere was more open space. I like the way they look and the extra thick walls insulate the birds fromheat and cold. Nest boxes can also be built by using exterior slabs (slab lumber) that stillhave the outside tree bark when the tree is sawn up to make lumber. Another website says that only untreated wood should be used in case thebirds "gnaw" on the wood. Nest boxes can also be made from PVC pipe or plastic buckets, but those aredifferent plans to be covered later. The building materials don't necessarily have to be wood.
At the end of the season, the floor is removed and the old nest is cleanedout. The cuts I had to make to fit the roof, especially with the slope, made thebox shorter than I originally planned. I like the final look and function of the roof on the log box, but I didnot think it out very well before hand.
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