How to Hang a Chickadee Nesting House

For many wildlife enthusiasts, songbirds, such as chickadees, are welcome guests on their properties.

With its unmistakable chickadee-dee-dee call and small, stubby stature, chickadees frequently visit backyards, especially in the winter, to forage for food at bird feeders. While the Black-capped chickadee is the most well known member of the chickadee family, there are other members, including the Carolina chickadee and the Boreal chickadee. Regardless of the songbird species that calls your backyard home, you can provide shelter for your feathered guests to enjoy by hanging a nesting house on your property.

Things You'll Need

• Nails
• Screws
• Hammer
• Drill
• Measuring tape
• Grease pencil
• Marker

Instructions

Instructions

1. Select a nesting house with the proper measurements for a chickadee. The width of floor board should measure 4-inches and the height of wall boards should be 5-inches. The entrance hole should have a diameter of 1-1/8 inches. If the nesting home has perch at the entrance, remove it. Perches can aid predators when raiding the chickadee's home. Nesting homes can be purchased or made by hand.

2. Scout out a proper location for your nesting house. To encourage a chickadee to inhabit your nesting house, find a location near foliage it likes to visit, such as bushes. Attaching the house to trees and wooden fence posts are all possible locations for your nesting home. Chickadee nesting homes should be placed at least 60 feet into forested or wooded area. Look for an area that is relatively clear of branches, as chickadees don't like obstacles in their paths.

3. Position the nesting house away from sun, wind and rain.

4. Measure the height of the spot for your nesting house with a measuring tape. Chickadee nesting houses should be situated at least 5-1/2 feet from the ground.

5. Mark with a grease pencil or marker the spot where you want to install the nesting house.

6. Secure your nesting house by screwing or nailing it to a tree with a drill or a hammer. There should be a hole or hooks on the backboard of the house to allow attach the house to a tree or fence pole. If installing a house you've made yourself, drill a hole through the backboard during construction.

7. Test to see if the house is secure by moving it. If the house wiggles, tighten the nail or screw. If you believe the house needs more support, hammer or drill in a second nail or screw near the initial support.

8. Place wood shavings, measuring about 1-inch deep, on the bottom of the nesting home by opening the house's access door. Depending on the house, access can be gained through the roof or through one of the walls.

9. Maintain your box by checking on a regular basis. Use caution when checking on your box as not to disturb the chickadee or any fledglings it may have.

Tips & Warnings

• Read the manufacturer's instruction before installing your nesting house.

• Wear safety goggles when using a hammer or drill.

References

• NebGuide: Backyard Wildlife: Birdhouses and Shelves
• NFacts: University Of Nebraska Cooperative Extension In Lancaster County: Build A Nest Box To Attract Birds
• The Cornell Lab Of Ornithology: All About Birds: Black-capped Chickadee
• All-Birds: Bird Houses And Nest Boxes

Resources

• Hinterland Who's Who: Bird Fact Sheet: Black-Capped Chickadee