How to Build a Wood Duck Nesting Box Using Scrap Lumber
Wood ducks nest in hollow tree cavities or just about any other cavity they can find. They prefer to nest over water, which helps protect the nest from predators. A wood duck entering a nesting box makes an impressive sight. They fly straight in so fast it seems they will break their neck or come rocketing out the back of the box. Building wood duck nesting boxes from scrap lumber provides a nesting place for many generations of ducks and makes good use of leftover lumber. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Scrap 1-by-10 lumber
- Tape measure
- Table saw
- Drill
- Drill bits
- Screwdriver
- Galvanized wood screws
- 1-inch galvanized hinge with screws
- Jigsaw
- Two hook and eye screws
Instructions
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1
Measure each piece for cutting. Raise the blade on the table saw 1 inch above the table surface. Set the miter gauge to 0 degrees. Place the piece against the miter gauge with the mark aligned with the blade. Start the saw and feed the piece through the blade. Cut so the back is 35 inches long, the front is 24 inches long, the two sides are 24 inches long, the roof is 12 inches long and the floor is 7 3/4-by-7 3/4 inches.
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Remove the miter gauge from the table saw and position the table saw fence 7 3/4 inches from the blade. Cut the floor width to 7 3/4 inches.
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3
Place the edge of one side against the face of the back piece flush with the edge and centered from top to bottom. Drill four equally spaced pilot holes through the back and into the side piece. Screw the back to the side with wood screws. Repeat for the other side.
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4
Drill three to five drainage holes in the bottom piece 3/8 to 5/8 inch in diameter. Fit the bottom piece against the back between the two side pieces flush with the bottom of the sides. Drill two pilot holes through the back into the bottom and screw the bottom to the back with wood screws. Drill two more pilot holes through each side into the bottom and add two more wood screws.
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5
Place the roof on top of the two side pieces and against the back piece. Set the hinge in the middle of the roof with one leaf against the back and the other against the roof. Drill a pilot hole for each screw and fasten the hinge to the roof and back with the supplied hinge screws.
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6
Mark a 4 1/2 inch wide by 3 1/2 inch high oval on the front piece with the top edge of the oval 3 1/2 inches from one end of the board. Drill a starting hole with a 1/2-inch drill bit and use the jigsaw to cut out the oval.
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7
Set the table saw blade to 1/4 inch above the table. Beginning 1 inch above the end without the hole, cut across the width of the board about every 1/2 inch until you reach the hole. These grooves provide the baby ducks a sort of ladder to climb out of the box.
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8
Place the front on the box against the two sides and flush with the top. Drill four pilot holes through the front into each side for a total of eight holes. Screw the front to the sides with wood screws.
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9
Drill two mounting holes, one in the top of the back and one in the bottom, for mounting to a pole or tree. Screw the hook side of a screw and eye to each side of the roof near the front of the box. Add the eye to the side and place the hook into the eye to hold the roof down. After the ducklings have left the nest, open the box and clean it out for next year's brood.
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Tips & Warnings
Glue narrow boards together to make wider boards rather than waiting to accumulate pieces of 1-by-10 lumber.
Don't paint the house bright colors. Let it age naturally to a gray that looks like dead wood. Wood ducks prefer drab gray houses and probably won't use a brightly colored box.
Follow all safety precautions when using power tools. Wear eye protection and keep your fingers away from spinning blades.
Avoid using pressure treated lumber as it may be toxic to ducklings.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
