How to Make a Pine Needle Nest Birdhouse

Construct a complete shelter and nest for a bird to take over.

Watching a bird nest and raise its young is a fascinating way to observe nature from inside the comfort of your home. By making an artificial nest of pine needles and providing shelter, you will likely get a front-row seat in watching a bird begin its family. Construct a birdhouse and nest with specifications for a sparrow. According to biologist Gary Ritchison from Eastern Kentucky University, sparrows are common birds that will likely adopt an artificial nest as their own. Build a birdhouse and artificial nest to create your own mini-nature center right in your own backyard.

Things You'll Need

• 1/4-inch untreated wood
• Circular saw
• Pencil
• Drill
• 1/4-inch drill bit
• Hammer
• 1/2-inch finishing nails
• Jig saw
• Pine needles
• Mud
• Bowl
• Spoon

Instructions

1. Cut a piece of wood with a circular saw to 5-by-5 inches. Cut two walls measuring 5-by-7 inches. Cut two more walls measuring 5 1/2-by-7 inches.

2. Draw a 1 1/2-inch wide circle on one 5 1/2-inch wall, with the base of the circle 4 inches above the bottom of the wall. Drill a hole in the center of the circle. Insert the jig saw. Cut to the circle line. Follow the circle line to create the opening for the birds.

3. Fasten the 5-by-7-inch walls to the base using three finishing nails per wall spaced evenly from the center. Fasten the 5 1/2-by-7-inch walls to the base with three finishing nails spaced evenly from the center. Fasten the 5 1/2-by-7-inch walls to the 5-by-7-inch walls using three finishing nails spaced evenly from center.

4. Gather long, soft pine needles and mud in a large bowl. Stir the mixture together. Layer the bottom of the birdhouse with mud and pine needles. Bank the mixture against the walls of the birdhouse to create an artificial nest.

5. Set the wooden box in the sun to bake and harden the mud.

6. Cut a 5 1/2-by-8-inch piece of wood for the roof on the birdhouse. Line the back of the roof flush with the back wall. Fasten the roof with eight nails. Drive two nails into each wall through the roof. Keep the extra 3-inch pitch over the entrance to prevent weather elements from entering the birdhouse.

7. Mount the birdhouse on a tree 5 to 10 feet above the ground to attract sparrows, which are likely to adopt an artificial nest as their own.

References

• Eastern Kentucky University: Avian Reproduction: Nests
• Nature Skills: How to Build a Bird House-Bird House Plans
• Ohio Division of Wildlife: Artificial Nesting Structures for Wildlife