How to Build a Barred Owl House or Feeder
Throughout the eastern side of North America, barred owls are common. They make their homes in crevices and old nests that have been abandoned by other birds. They will also make their homes in owl houses that can be bought or made by you. You can purchase supplies at your local hardware store to create an owl house on your own property. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Use pressure-treated plywood that is 3/4 of an inch thick. Cut the plywood into six pieces. One should be 19 inches by 19 inches (this is the bottom), and five should be 19 inches by 24 inches (these are the sides and top).
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Stain the cut pieces of wood with a deck preservative, and allow them to dry overnight before constructing your owl house.
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3
Make an entrance in one of the side pieces, on the 19-inch edge. Use a saw to cut a square on one of the edges that is 10 inches by 10 inches. Do not discard the cutout pieces, as you will need them later.
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Take two pieces of plywood that are leftover scraps and stack them together. Use two 1/2-inch screws to attach them to one another. They should be about 10 inches long. Use screws to attach them right below the entrance hole you cut. This will act as a step inside the box so the baby owls can peer out.
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Attach the sides to one another using 2-inch screws. The screws should go through the wood and not poke inside the box or they could injure the birds. Use six screws per side. Ensure that the side with entrance has the step you attached on the inside.
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Use screws to attach the bottom to the sides in the same manner. The entrance should be up at the top, near the roof of the house, and not down near the base. Attach the top so it has an overhang over the top of the entrance.
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Drill drainage holes in the bottom. There should be four of them, and each one should be an inch in size.
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Make holes for attaching the box to the tree. Drill a 3/8-inch hole at each top corner of one of the sides of the box. This is the side that will go against the tree.
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Feed enough wire cable through the holes so that it will go around the trunk of the tree you will be using.
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The house should be hung approximately 18 feet high, and working at this height can be dangerous. Hiring a professional tree cutter is the safest way to hang the owl house.
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