How to Make the Entrance Hole Smaller for a Bluebird House
A wild bird enthusiast may notice a large entrance hole in their newly purchased birdhouse that attracts undesired species of birds. Every species of bird needs a specific entrance hole size to find the birdhouse desirable. The bluebird needs an entrance hole that measures 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Anything larger will allow birds like house sparrows and starlings to enter the birdhouse, potentially killing the bluebird babies and bluebird parents. Resizing the entrance of the birdhouse to make it smaller for bluebirds to nest safely requires few materials and little time.
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Things You'll Need
- Tape measure or ruler
- Pencil
- Bird-safe wood board
- Handsaw or circular saw
- Keyhole saw or jig saw
- Sandpaper
- 1 1/2-inch hole saw
- Waterproof wood glue
- Razor
Instructions
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1
Measure the diameter of the preexisting entrance hole to your birdhouse with a tape measure or ruler.
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2
Use a pencil to draw a square the same size as the entrance hole measured in step 1 on a small bird-safe wood board, such as pine or Manzanita wood.
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3
Align a handsaw or a circular saw just outside of the pencil marks on the board to avoid cutting too small. Cut the wood.
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4
Draw a circle inside the square board; it should touch all four sides of the square. Round the square with a keyhole saw or jig saw to create a circle.
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5
Lightly sand the outside of the circle if it does not fit perfectly in the preexisting birdhouse entrance.
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6
Locate the center of the circle from step 4. Cut a 1 1/2-inch hole in the middle circle with your hole saw.
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7
Attach the resized hole to the preexisting entrance with waterproof wood glue.
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8
Remove any residual wood glue with a razorblade once it has dried. Paint the resized entrance to match your birdhouse if desired.
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1
Tips & Warnings
To avoid using a hole saw, draw a 1 1/2-inch circle on the circular wood piece from step 4. Drill a hole on the edge of the circle line with a hand drill. Insert a keyhole saw blade or jigsaw blade into the hole, then follow the line with the saw. Sand the circle to repair imperfections in the circle. Hammer finishing nails through the resized entrance hole and into the birdhouse after gluing it, making the wood piece more stable and permanent. Tap a nail set on the head of the nails to push them into the wood so they will appear invisible.
References
- Photo Credit birdhouse image by Igor Zhorov from Fotolia.com
