How to Build Canary Birdhouses
Though a popular house pet, the canary---native to the Canary Islands---still exists in the wild. In its natural environment, this bird, a member of the finch family, is brownish-green to yellow in color and resembles a sparrow. Canaries will nest in man-made birdhouses, so bird-watchers who live near canaries can build houses to attract the birds to their backyards.
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Things You'll Need
- Reciprocal or hand saw
- Hammer
- Sandpaper
- Power drill
- Measuring tape
- Pencil
- One-half inch, exterior grade plywood
- One-quarter inch down rod
- Three-quarter inch wood screws
- Threepenny nails
Instructions
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Drawing Out The Pieces
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1
Create the front of the birdhouse by drawing a rectangle 6.5 inches wide and 5.25 inches tall on the plywood. Place a mark 3.5 inches above the rectangle, in the exact center of the rectangle's width. This represents the peak of the roof. Draw diagonal lines from this peak to the top corners of the rectangle. This creates a triangle on top of the rectangle; the two shapes together create the front of the birdhouse.
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2
Repeat step one to create an identical piece to serve as the back of the birdhouse.
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3
Draw two 6.5 inch by 5 inch rectangles. These will be the sides of the birdhouse.
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4
Draw one 6.5 inch by 6.25 inch rectangle for the floor.
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5
Draw two 6.5 inch long by one-half inch wide rectangles to function as floor attachment rails.
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6
Draw one 6.5 inch by 9 inch rectangle. This will serve as one of the slopes of the roof.
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7
Draw one 6.5 inch by 9.25 inch rectangle. This will serve as the other slope of the roof.
Assembling The Birdhouse
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8
Cut out the pieces with the saw.
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9
Cut or drill a 1.5 inch hole in the front panel for a door. The door should be located 4.5 inches above the floor of the birdhouse.
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10
Using the nails, attach the floor rails to front and back walls. Place the rails flush along the bottom edges of the walls.
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11
Attach the sides between the front and back walls using the nails. Be sure that the bottoms of the walls are all flush and even. The sides should meet evenly. It is important that there are no cracks at your seams.
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12
Nail the smaller half of the roof to the top of the walls. The top edge should be aligned with the peak of the roof line on the front and back walls.
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13
Attach the larger piece of the roof. It should overlap the edge of the first roof piece at the peak. Make sure the joint at the peak of the roof is smooth and flush. Sand any rough edges.
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14
Use wood screws to attach the floor of the birdhouse. The screws should go up through the floor and into the rails.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Unscrew the floor to clean out the birdhouse during the off season.
Place the house on a post at least eight feet high to protect the birds from predators
Drill a small hole in each corner of the floor to allow for drainage.
Provide ventilation by drilling a line of one-half inch holes at the top of the side walls.
Predators are less likely to reach your canaries and their nests if you add a double thickness of plywood around the door. Cut a 2.5 inch square, drill a 1.5 inch hole and affix the square to the front of the birdhouse at the door to create this added layer of protection.
If the door is over two inches in diameter, competitor birds will take over the house and run off the canaries.
Use galvanized, rust resistant nails and screws.
Use a carpenter's square to draw perfect corners. Otherwise, your birdhouse will have undesirable cracks at the seams.
References
- Photo Credit Canary in a cage image by Tsahi Moscovich from Fotolia.com
