Birds & Birdhouse Types
About 50 species of North American birds are known to nest in backyard birdhouses, according to the Wild Bird Watching website. Since many wild birds will not build a nest near others of their own kind and each species prefers a different type of birdhouse, you may attract more birds by offering a variety of shapes and sizes. The main factors to consider when building or buying birdhouses include the materials used, placement of the nesting boxes and size of the entrance. Does this Spark an idea?
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Structure
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Single-unit nesting boxes, the most common type of birdhouse, attract wrens, tree swallows, bluebirds, woodpeckers and crested flycatchers. Texas Parks and Wildlife has charted the optimal birdhouse specifications for different birds. For example, a wren would require an entrance diameter of less than an inch, while woodpeckers and flycatchers would need a two-inch diameter opening. Purple martins, unlike most birds, live in colonies and often inhabit apartment-type houses with multiple entrances. Robins, barn swallows, phoebes and mourning doves prefer nesting shelves, with at least one side open. Wood, particularly in varieties that weather well like cedar and redwood, is the preferred building material, although carved gourds and even man-made substances are acceptable to some birds.
Location
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South-facing entrances are birds' favorites, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife. With the exception of martins, birds tend to be territorial and demand a certain amount of space around their nesting area. Bluebirds and tree swallows like their homes to be mounted on poles in the open. On the other hand, birdhouses placed along the edges of wooded areas attract small birds, such as the tufted titmouse and the black-capped chickadee, reports Peter Wodehouse in How to Build Your Birdhouse. Wrens enjoy nesting under the roof eaves, particularly on a deck.
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Precautions
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As the birdhouses will be sheltering eggs and fledgling birds, you must ensure that they are safe from predators, like cats, squirrels and starlings, and the elements. Keeping the entrance small prohibits starlings from harming the young, and adding a shield, or baffle, below the nests can prevent predators from gaining access. Metal birdhouses should be avoided, since overheating is so dangerous to baby birds. Other birdhouses should have ventilation holes so excess heat can escape, as well as sufficient roof overhang to keep rain out. In addition, any water that enters in a hard rain should be able to drain out through small holes drilled in the floor.
Furnishing
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Most birds do not want you to put nesting materials inside their homes. Like typical new residents, they prefer to select each piece and arrange it according to their taste. Owls and woodpeckers are exceptions. As they do not bring in nesting materials, lay about a one-inch depth of wood shavings or sawdust in the bottom to cushion the eggs. According to Wild Bird Watching, a male wren may build as many as a dozen nests in the early spring. After finding a mate, the birds visit each potential nest and the female chooses the one she prefers.
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References
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