How to Build a Screech Owl House
Screech owls are the smallest species of owl in the United States. They live in mixed woodlands, parklands and wooded suburban areas. If you live near a lot of trees, you probably live near screech owls. To help screech owls and maybe to watch them in your own backyard, you can build a screech owl house.
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Things You'll Need
- Ruler
- Tape measure
- Power saw/Hand saw
- Power hand drill with attachments: 2-inch bit; 5⁄64-inch bit, to pre-drill the screw holes
- 3-inch hole saw
- Phillips head screw driver
- Knife or chisel
- Hammer
- 1x10 foot piece of wood about an inch thick
- 24 sheetrock screws coated or galvanized to prevent rusting
- 1 #6 brass wood screw
- 2 small brass hinges with screws
- Several small nails
- Carpenter's glue
- Caulking compound
- Pencil
Instructions
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1
Mark all the cuts in the wood you will make. Measure and mark two 32 x 7.75-inch pieces for the back of the box and mark it with the pencil. Measure and mark two 8.5 x 7.75-inch pieces for the bottom; and 16.75 x 7.75-inch for the front, then mark them, too. Measure and mark a piece 12 x 11.25 inch long by the full width of the board for the top of the house. Lastly, measure and mark a 1 x 11.25-inch piece.
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2
Using the saw, cut along your markings.
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3
To make the sides of the house, measure 17 inches on one side of the board, then 18.5 inches on the other side. The width of the sides should be 10 inches.
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4
Draw a diagonal line connecting the two sides.
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5
Cut out the sides.
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6
Drill two 0.5-inch holes at the top of each side. These holes will be ventilation for the owl.
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7
Drill five 0.5-inch holes at the bottom of each side. These holes will allow rain water to spill out of the box so that it does not flood.
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8
Drill a 3-inch entrance 4-inch under the top of the front piece hole using the 3-inch hole saw.
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9
Use the knife of chisel to make horizontal scratches beneath the entrance hole on the inside of the front wall. These scratches will help young owls to climb out.
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10
On the back piece, measure 7 inches from the bottom, marking where the sides will go.
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11
Screw the side pieces to the back piece using 3 screws to hold the sides in place. The top of the sides should slope to the front so the roof can be at an angle.
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12
Screw the bottom piece to the back and sides. Use 3 screws on each side to secure it.
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13
Screw the front piece to the bottom and side pieces. Use 3 screws on each side and along the bottom edge to secure it.
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14
Cut the back end of the top piece at an angle. This will allow it to fit against the back wall.
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15
With the two hinges, attach the top to the back. The roof should protrude about 1 inch over the front and back walls.
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16
Using the brass screw and washer, attach the top of the house to the front. This set up will keep the roof on securely while the box hangs, while the box will be easy to open when you need to clean the inside.
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17
Glue and nail the 1 x 11.25-inch piece to the back of the house above the hinges. This will help keep rain out of the house. Caulk the end of the piece to the back.
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1
Tips & Warnings
You can either hang the owl house by stringing a cable through the holes in the back or you can nail it to a tree. Ideally the box should be around 10 to 30 feet above the ground.
Screech owls can be territorial, especially if there are young owls in the house. If you get to close to the box, they may attack by scratching.
