Wolf Mountain Birdhouses

Here at Wolf Mountain Birdhouses we just relocated our tech center from Florida to Tennessee to be closer to our manufacturing facility and the experience prompted me to write this article. While all circumstances of a move are different your move may be similar in many ways to ours and you can use the information here to start getting songbirds into your yard.

In our case we probably had it easiest because we were constructing a new site. Surrounded by the Tennessee woods and mountains everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, took longer than expected. Electricity, water, air conditioning, internet connections, everything was accomplished way behind schedule. During the relocation we adopted the motto, “Pray for the best but expect the worst.” We weren’t often disappointed.

Since this was new construction we had it easy as far as our feathered friends were concerned. One of the first things we did was locate where we were going to place our feeders and birdbaths. We wanted them up and active even before construction started. Since birds are shy about new items in their environment we wanted feeders up quickly so they would get used to them being there and start using them even as water lines were dug and electric poles set up.

We also put up the birdbaths soon after the feeders were in place so the birds knew there was both a source of food and water in the midst of all the chaos. The planning paid off. While the birds didn’t frequent the feeders while the construction was going on during the workday they started coming a couple at a time after the workmen left for the day and before the workmen arrived in the morning. Now that construction has stopped we’re being visited by Hummingbirds, Juncos and American Goldfinches. The Goldfinches are descending on us in droves. The Hummingbirds, well you just won’t believe them. You can check out our website for videos of the kind of response we’re getting from the Hummingbirds.

If you’re planning a move, especially new construction, try to locate where your feeders and birdbaths will be placed as early as you can and get them up. If you’re a business owner and constructing a new building consider putting up bird feeders and birdbaths near the employee break rooms outside the windows. Yeah, it sounds very unbusiness-like but it’s an intangible benefit that employees will appreciate. If you’re an employee and you have a break room with a window, suggest to the company the idea of putting up bird feeders and even bird houses. Construction of new buildings sometimes removes bird habitat. Putting up houses and feeders can help restore that habitat, it’s not expensive and everyone enjoys watching birds. It may even help to reduce stress by watching the antics of colorful songbirds during a break in a hectic workday.

If you’re moving to an existing home or business site you will probably spend considerable time moving in, getting organized, etc. Consider your first task the location of bird feeders, birdbaths and bird houses. It won’t take long and the earlier you get it done the sooner you will have birds coming to your location. Remember to place one or more of the feeders and houses in view of a window in your home or business so you’ll be able to get some great pictures when the birds start arriving.

Once you are moved in you can plan the location of flower beds and determine what flowers will work best in the locations available to plant them. This will take some time and can be done once you’ve settled in. The feeders, birdbaths and houses however should be your first priority.

Hopefully your move will be less stressful than ours was. It does help to see the birds outside the window every morning and evening. Our early work paid off and yours will too!

I usually write about birds and this article will be no exception, except, well, it won’t be just about birds. We’re well into summer now and if you’ve done everything I’ve written about over the last 7 months you should be enjoying beautiful songbirds in your yard. There have probably been one or two hatchings in your birdhouses and you’re now enjoying the antics of our feathered friends along with your own friends and BBQ’s.

Now is the time to sit back and enjoy all the hard work you did last fall, last winter and early this spring. Watching your hard work pay off is always satisfying but I’m going to give you some other ideas today that will pay dividends this fall and winter when you’re back to doing the things you have to do to keep your songbirds coming back.

Most of you probably have digital cameras. If not you should consider looking at them because the prices for high quality digitals have come way down over the last few years. Also consider getting a telephoto lens for your camera and a good, easy to use, tripod that will hold your camera.

Find a window facing one of your occupied birdhouses and practice with your camera, telephoto lens and tripod. Since digitals camera don’t use film results are instantaneous and you can always delete the photos you don’t like. You can quickly build up a library of hundreds of wonderful photos of the birds you have attracted to your yard. Here’s where it really gets fun!

I’m sure all of you have printers. Go to one of the large office supply stores in your area and get some high quality printer paper. It doesn’t have to be photo type paper but it can be. The paper you purchase should be a high quality white paper. Get a few of your favorite photos and print them on this nice paper. Whatever software you use to print them can probably be used to resize your pictures. Just make sure when you resize the images you maintain the aspect ratio or your Indigo Buntings may end up looking like they’ve been run over by a steamroller.

Wal-Mart sells inexpensive picture frames that hold one or more pictures. Place the pictures you’ve printed into the frames and decorate your home with them. Most of us have a hallway that is devoid of pictures. What a great place to display your own pictures! What I like about this is you can change your pictures every few weeks if you want! Once you have the frames, printing different pictures is quick and easy. You don’t have to be a photographer for National Geographic to get great photos of the birds in your yard.

Feeling a little adventurous? Check out your local diner or coffee shop and ask if they would like to display your photos. Most privately owned businesses love to have pictures from local people displayed. You can take pride in your work and also see it displayed for others to enjoy. You’ve worked hard so why not let others see what hard work can result in. I’m sure you can think of other possibilities to show off your work. Remember, this kind of item make perfect gifts for birthdays, Christmas, and other special occasions. Go wild!

You can even get one of those electronic picture frames that show your pictures as a slideshow. They make great gifts as well and you can enjoy your pictures at work during the bleak winter months when many of the songbirds have taken off for warmer climes.

If you do take my advice we’d love to see the pictures you’ve taken. Here at Wolf Mountain Birdhouses we love our birds and we enjoy the millions of people who also enjoy birds. We’ll put the pictures we like on our website and attribute them to you by posting your name and state. We’ll change out pictures frequently so you can see what others are doing and maybe get some ideas from what they have done.

Enjoy your summer!

You’ve done a great job this year! You decided on the types of birds you wanted to attract and set out birdhouses designed just for them early. You’ve begun planting the flowers that will attract and feed them as well as setting up the birdbaths they can use all summer long. You’ve set up bird feeders and stocked it with their favorite foods. You can sit back and relax now, right? Sorry, no. While it’s not as hard as it was in the early spring in setting up the houses and getting everything ready for your feathered friends you still have work to do to ensure the well being of your birds.

Your responsibility to the birds you invited to join your family didn’t end when you put up a few birdhouses and set up feeders. For example, even though you have put out a birdbath you should check it every few days to make sure it is still clean. Over the spring and summer leaves may get into it from nearby trees. The combination of heat, sunlight and water can also turn a clean birdbath into an unwelcoming slimy eyesore. Checking your birdbaths every few days will ensure this doesn’t happen. If you see algae trying to get a foothold pour a cup of bleach into your birdbath and stand guard over it while it does its work. After 5 minutes pour out the water, scrub it gently and refill your birdbath with fresh clean water. It’ll be a welcome sight to your birds once more.

Food, while easier to come by in the spring and summer, is still important. While your birds and certainly find their own food this time of year helping them out is very satisfying and it’ll make the work of the birds you’ve invited to share your yard that much easier. For the seed eaters, placing out a couple of feeders stocked with their favorite food is pretty much all you have to do. You can even feed your insect eaters. You can purchase live meal worms online for birds like Bluebirds. You need to put them in something slippery like a glass bowl or one of those inexpensive plastic bowls you can buy in the grocery store. I find the cheap Glad snap lid bowls that come 6 in a package to work just fine. They are light, can be mounted on almost anything and you can place them close to your insect eaters houses.

You’ve probably fed your birds in the winter. You have to understand that summer feeding is much different than winter feeding. If you put out seed please check it regularly to make sure it has not spoiled. The frequent thunderstorms of summer, sunlight and humidity can all cause seed to go bad very quickly. Check your feeders every few days. If you notice you have a feeder that the birds are not using and the seed level is not dropping it’s probably time to clean it out and refill it. I’m embarrassed to say that I learned years ago that heat and humidity can turn your seed into a cement like mass in your feeder. Your birds don’t appreciate it and it’s a major pain to get cleaned out.

As mentioned earlier it’s important to make sure your birds have an adequate supply of fresh clean water. However one thing many people don’t realize is that the placement of your birdbath is critical and that does not necessarily mean right near your birdhouses. If you place your birdbath near a hedgerow or even in your flower garden you may be putting it in a perfect spot for stalking cats to lie in wait for your birds. Once in a birdbath a bird can see for a distance but they cannot see nearby and under the birdbath because their view is obstructed by the edge of the birdbath. If a cat was hiding in your flowers or in the taller grass near a hedgerow you have set the perfect trap. Try to place your birdbath in an area as open as possible so your birds can see the area clearly before going to the birdbath. This will make it much more difficult for any stray cats to take advantage of your birds.

In the spring and summer you can take it a bit easier but you still have a responsibility to provide for the birds you invited into your yard. Enjoy the birdsong and the brilliant flashes of movement and color but go the little extra distance to make it easier for your little friends. It’s very satisfying and isn’t it worth it for what they give back to us?

Wolf Mountain Birdhouses is looking for resellers. No start up costs, no sign up fees and we pay shipping. If you’re interested go to Wolf Mountain Birdhouses and look for the announcement concerning resellers.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote an article telling people how to attract birds to their yard using plants. I had one lady write and tell me that she didn’t want to plant sunflowers in her yard, she thought they were ugly, and trees and shrubs were also out of the question. She wanted to know if there were any other flowers that would attract both seed eating birds and insect eaters alike. Sure there are and in this article I’ll be glad to cover them.

First, let’s set the ground rules. We’re going to talk flowers and not sunflowers. We’re going to talk high growing and lower growing flowers that will work in any yard. Seed eaters are easy. There’s a ton of flowers they will eat the seeds from. One of my favorites are the Shasta Daisies. These take a while to establish but one they do they spread and the seeds from the tall white and yellow center flowers are loved by almost every seed eating bird. A flower similar to the daisy is the Purple Coneflower. This flower grows 2-3 feet in height and is absolutely beautiful. Like the daisy it has a center seed head and birds also love these seeds in the fall. Another of my favorites is the Black Eyed Susan. It’s a gorgeous orange flower with a black conical center filled with seeds. Birds also love these.

Now, if you’re into hummingbirds you’re also in luck. Besides the usual sugar water feeders you can find anywhere you can also plant a flower called Bubble Gum Mint. These flowers have long delicate flowers and are loved by hummingbirds. Another favorite is Foxglove. The plant itself is absolutely stunning. Think of a tower, like a castle tower but instead of bricks this tower is built of beautiful bell shaped flowers. You will be amazed at the number of hummingbirds you will be attracting once these beautiful flowers come into bloom.

Insect eaters are a slightly harder nut to crack. I can’t see any homeowner wanting flowers that will attract all sorts of insects into their yard! However, we’re talking nature here and you can attract insect eating birds if you’re willing to attract butterflies. Now, the flowers already mentioned will definitely attract butterflies. The more you plant the more butterflies will come to your flower garden. If you have a shady section where you would like to have flowers grow you couldn’t do better than the Impatiens. These are bushy plants that love shade and produce abundant flowers. Butterflies love them. You can also give your flower garden a dual purpose by planting Dill, Fennel and Parsley. Not only will you be attracting butterflies with these plants but you can harvest them yourself and use them in cooking. Just imagine yourself sitting in your backyard, watching the birds and butterflies dancing around while you enjoy a meal seasoned with spices from your own yard. Delightful!

If you have other suggestions, and I’m sure you do, please feel free to write and send in pictures. It’s the time of season when flower gardens are blooming and birds are raising their families. I’d love to receive e-mail and pictures and your permission to use your pictures on our website. I’ll try to use as many of your suggestions as I can in a future article. Let me know the name of the flower, what they attract and if you can provide a picture I’ll try to use it. Send your e-mails and pictures to Wolf Mountain Birdhouses. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this article.

Many people who love birds simply love animals. Almost all animals. This includes cats. My daughter loves all animals. She had to have inherited her love of animals and nature from her mother and me. She’s an adult and has joined a Sea Turtle rescue organization. She also rescues feral cats and 5 of them have ended up in my backyard (I live in the country) . Of course they have been spayed and neutered and they get regular vet care and Pet Smart loves my weekly visits to purchase food for them. The issue here is how can I have birds in my backyard and also have outdoor cats?

There are some organizations that promote keeping cats indoors. This really is a good idea for domestic cats but for cats that have grown up feral, and there are admittedly too many, that’s not an option. If you live in a neighborhood with neighbors close by you’ll always have a few that let their cats roam and there’s little you can do about that either. So what does someone who likes birds do when there are feral cats around or when the neighbor’s cat comes into your yard looking for a snack?

Ideally you should place your birdhouse as high into the bird’s habitable zone as you can. What I mean by a habitable zone is that height off the ground that a bird prefers. For example a Violet-Green Swallow prefers to be 5-15 feet above the ground while the Indigo Bunting prefers 2-10 feet. If you’re trying to attract the Swallow place the house 15 feet above the ground and for the Bunting 10 feet. This puts as much distance between your birds and any marauding cats as possible.

If you’re mounting your birdhouse on a post you have other options. Imagine if you have a 4″ x 4″ post in the ground and 8 feet tall. Go to your local hardware store and purchase a can of foam filler and a PVC pipe 5″ in diameter and 8 foot long. Before mounting the birdhouse put the PVC pipe over the post and sink it 6″ into the ground. Then use the foam to seal the exposed end of the pipe so water cannot get into it and it’s not a trap for small birds that might fall from the nest. The foam will expand and seal the pipe. It can also be trimmed and painted to suit your landscape. This will prevent cats, and even squirrels, from climbing to your birdhouse and attacking your birds.

Even with the best precautions you’re going to have fatalities. Be prepared for them. While we don’t like it it’s a fact of life and there’s only so much that can be done to prevent it. We all love nature and most of us don’t flinch when an Eagle or Osprey snatches a fish from the water. Yes, they are hunting and no one is feeding them like they do domestic cats. However cats cannot ignore their nature. It’s what they do. Take all the precautions you can and be satisfied that you are doing your best to help our feathered friends survive and thrive. When you do have the unfortunate loss see if there’s more you can do to prevent it, maybe put up another birdhouse. Do not dwell on it because you are doing all you can.

A lady purchased a birdhouse for an American Goldfinch from us and e-mailed me yesterday asking a rather simple question, “Where should I put this birdhouse?” While it seems like a simple question it shows she’s doing her homework and is taking the right steps to do all she can to attract the American Goldfinch. If she didn’t care what kind of bird came into her yard, even the noxious House Sparrow, then placement is unimportant. The House Sparrow is so aggressive it will nest virtually anywhere and even invade existing nests, break any eggs there or kill chicks, throw them from the nest and build its own nest on top of the existing one! If this lady wanted this little thug in her backyard she could put the birdhouse anywhere. It’ll probably get used.

If you want to attract specific birds to your yard get a birdhouse designed specifically for them and one designed to discourage other species. For example, birdhouses designed specifically for Chickadees, some Wrens and some Warblers use entry holes of 1 1/8″ or smaller. This is too small for a House Sparrow to use so attracting them should not be an issue. However if you want to attract Bluebirds or Tree Swallows the entry hole has to be large enough for them and that entry hole is also large enough for the House Sparrow. Fortunately birds also prefer placement of their homes at a certain height above the ground and this brings us back to the question of where you should place your house. For example, the Eastern Bluebird likes to be 4-6 feet above the ground while the Purple Martin prefers 6-20 feet. You wouldn’t expect a Purple Martin to use a house only 4 feet above the ground so placement does matter!

Even if you get the height exactly right it also depends on where you place the birdhouse. Many birds are particular about their environment. Purple Martins prefer an open area near water. Think of something like a golf course. The Brown-headed Nuthatch however prefers open woods or the edges of a similar area and would most likely not use a box perfectly suited to it in the same place preferred by the Purple Martin. If you’ve ever set up a birdhouse for a particular type of bird and found it was not being used it’s probably due to the fact you’ve placed it somewhere the bird simply does not want to be.

Most people think that you buy a birdhouse, stick it somewhere high and birds will use it. Well, some bird probably will use it. If all you want are some birds then this is just fine. If you want to attract the House Sparrow and have it drive other birds away from your property this is all you have to do. Many of the generic birdhouses on the market are perfect for the House Sparrow.

If you want to attract a specific bird to your yard you have do be just a little more discriminating. You want a birdhouse designed for the bird you want, taking in to consideration depth, area of the floor and entry hole size. You also want to take in to consideration the surroundings the bird likes and how high off the ground to place the birdhouse. I answered this lady, who ordered an American Goldfinch birdhouse, about 12 feet above the ground in a tree at the edge of her wooded property where it was a bit weedy. The house is perfectly designed for the bird she wants to attract, and it’s located exactly where the bird wants it. While there are still no guarantees a bird will use it, she’s stacking the deck in her favor and chances are good that an American Goldfinch will be nesting on her property this year.

OK, let’s face it, most of us have yards that are quite spartan. Maybe we have a fence around the yard. If we do it’s either wire of some type of wood privacy fence or split rail. The lawn is kept mowed relatively short and if you’re lucky some kind of flowers are planted that actually grow. From a birds point of view, ho-hum. Today I’m going to give you some tips that will help you attract birds to your yard and add a little beauty at the same time. You don’t have to spend a lot to get birds to come to your yard no matter how small it is.

If you have a small yard you need to use bird attracting plants that grow high simply to allow the greatest use of the available space. You probably also need plants that are easy to grow. Sunflowers fill the bill beautifully. There are sunflowers that are relatively low growers to towering giants with very large seed heads. These will supplement the bird feeders, bird baths and birdhouses you already have set up. They are also a natural attraction to seed eating birds. With sunflowers you can modify the feed in a bird feeder to attract other species that prefer a smaller seed. This way you’re putting out a virtual smorgasbord of food for your feathered friends

Larger yards have more options. Of course you can still do everything that someone with a small yard does but you can also plant Hawthorne or Japanese Flowering Dogwood trees. Hawthorns are smaller trees and attracts Cedar Waxwings and Cardinals with the small fruit it bears. The tree also carries this fruit well into winter giving the birds a lasting source of food. The Japanese Flowering Dogwood will grow 15 to 30 feet tall and flowers in the early spring. The red berries it produces are also carried well into the winter. What a wonderful way to know winter is over than to see these lovely trees bloom in early spring and know that birds will be attracted to your yard. The limbs of both types of trees will be used by birds for natural nesting places and you can also place a birdhouse or two in them.

If you’re lucky enough to have a large yard you have a ton of options. Needless to say you can use any of the tips for a smaller or medium sized yard and you should. Sunflowers are still an attractive option and Hawthorn and Japanese Dogwood will attract birds just as well. You should also consider Crabapple trees. These trees grow 20 to 25 feet in height but spread their boughs just as much. The small “apples” they produce are a favorite for birds and they last well into February and March. Elderberry produces tons of small berries and is easy to grow. It also provides nesting places for birds preferring to nest closer to the ground.

You may be wondering at this point why I’ve mostly concentrated on plants that carry their fruit well into winter and early spring. Remember birds will be returning back to your yard in the early spring after a long migration trip that drains them. These birds are scouting for nesting sites, that you should already have set up and for a ready food source. That early in the year food can be very hard to come by for them. If they see your yard has a natural food source and nesting sites they are much more likely to stay. It’s easy for them to find food in the late spring and summer. In the early spring and fall it’s tougher. If they see plants they know can provide nesting places and food it’s like you have rolled out the welcome mat!

If you’re reading this you care about birds. You want to attract them to your yard. You want them to raise a family or two there and you want to hear their lively calls and antics at the feeder or the birdbath. You’re probably shopping for a birdhouse and you’re confused at which one to buy because there’s just so many on the web. Fancy ones, plain ones, high priced ones, and cheap ones. They all do the same job right? Just pick one and put it up and enjoy the birds. If you do that and don’t look a bit deeper into just what went into the birdhouse you’ve selected you may just be dooming the very birds you want to enjoy.

Remember the early 1960′s when bird populations, especially those of eagles, ospreys and falcons were plummeting and people were questioning why? In 1962 Rachel Carson wrote a book titled, “Silent Spring” and uncovered the truth that was denied by the chemical industry. The book was vilified by them and many in the scientific community. It seems DDT was the cause of eggshells thinning in these and other birds and the nesting parents actually crushed the eggs because the shells were so thin. It took quite a few years but bird populations started recovering after DDT was banned in the US. This is great history, and good news for the birds, but what does that have to do with your birdhouse? Read on.

What do you know about the birdhouse you found online? Does the wood contain any preservatives? Is the house painted and if so does that paint contain chemicals that could adversely effect your birds? Was the house constructed using any adhesives? Don’t forget that many birdhouses will be used in the heat of the summer. The inside of the birdhouse is a small enclosed space. When the wood warms any chemicals used in its construction, whether it’s paint, preservatives, or adhesives can evaporate out into the air in the birdhouse. The birds will be breathing this constantly. Is this really what you want for them? Is this really a good environment for them? Imagine if it’s bad for humans how much worse it would be for a bird hundreds of times smaller.

Still not convinced? Read this fact sheet titled, “INORGANIC ARSENICAL PRESSURE-TREATED WOOD (including CCA, ACA, and ACZA)“. Read all of it. These are common wood preservatives and there are precautions stating to wash after handling, wash your clothes separately from other clothing, and other rather distressing precautions. Now imagine your birdhouse, home to young developing birds, living and growing in an environment preserved with these chemicals. It’s not the environment I’d want for birds in my backyard.

So you’ve found the house you want and you’re sure it contains no chemicals paints or adhesives. Your birds will love it. Probably. But please consider one more thing before you make your purchase. Was the home built in the US where we have environmental protection laws or was it built in another country where the laws are much more lax or even missing? Was the wood harvested as a renewable resource with replacement plantings or was an area clear cut and the wood in your birdhouse used because there was no other profitable way to use it? You want to provide a safe home for the birds in your yard. Please make a purchase with the environment in mind as well.

Your selected the type of bird you want to attract and have done your homework. You’ve selected a home with the right size floor space, the right size entry hole and the right height above the floor for the location of the hole. You’ve done as much as you can to protect the home from predators. This column now tells the beginning birder what to do to help attract birds to the backyard.

The first question is how many birdhouses should you set up and for what type of bird? Let’s take the Eastern Bluebird as an example. If you have a small yard or a backyard in an apartment you should only put up a single birdhouse. Bluebirds are notoriously defensive of their territory when mating and will try to drive off rivals. If you have several bluebird houses in a small area you’ll probably end up with only one of them occupied with a Bluebird. Bluebirds typically defend an area of two to five acres. An acre is a square of roughly 200 x 200 feet on a side so Bluebird houses any closer than 100 yards apart are probably too close to each other.

Let’s assume, like most people, you have a limited sized backyard. Depending on the species you want to attract a few houses are probably plenty. To be safer have a house designed for an insect eating species and a couple for seed eating species. Typically insect eaters will tolerate seed eaters in their area because they are not competing for either mates or food supply. This way you get a couple of songbirds in your backyard to enjoy.

Once you have decided on a home, and the type of bird you want to attract is there anything else you can do? You bet! Once your birdhouses are in place provide the birds with nesting material. Building a nest is hard work and if you can give the birds a helping hand they will be more likely to nest in the area. I have large dogs. One is an Alaskan Malamute and I used to raise them. One spring I thoroughly brushed them when they were shedding their winter coats and ended up with a very large pile of dog hair. I placed it in the yard and within a few days the pile was completely gone. No, it had not blown away. I was amazed at the number of trips nesting birds made to the pile absconding with small tufts of fur only to return and take another beak full! Animal fur works well but horsehair, finely shredded newspaper or other similar materials can make fine nesting. If you have a paper shredder and shred newspaper or plain brown paper bags from the grocery store this will work well too. Avoid shredding envelopes with transparent cellophane windows because the edges of the cellophane can be quite sharp and will not dull over time.

The houses are in place and you have material set out that the birds can use for nesting material. Is there anything else you can do? If you are trying to attract seed eating birds a nearby feeder with the food they prefer will help a great deal. It will also help cut down on any territorial protection if they determine the food supply is plentiful. Put the food and the birdhouses out early. Birds returning from their wintering grounds often find it difficult to locate a good food source immediately. With a nearby nesting spot designed just for them and a plentiful food supply you are definitely putting out the welcome home sign for your backyard friends!

This is the time of year when many people look to place a birdhouse in their backyard. People want to attract specific birds and enjoy the lively birdcalls and flash of color that makes these feathered friends so desirable. The problem is you can search the web for a birdhouse, find several thousand offerings, but do you know what to look for? There are some things that birds look for in a home and I’m going to cover the most important ones in this article. Now, some birds simply will not nest in a birdhouse. Many bird species build on the ground, or in swampy areas or some other particular setting. You will never attract those birds to a birdhouse no matter what you do. Luckily, many attractive north American songbirds do like to use a birdhouse and this article is about those. So, just what kind of qualities does a bird look for in a birdhouse?

Just like any growing family the size of the home is important. In this case floor space. Too little and the birds you’re trying to attract won’t use it because they instinctively realize the developing birds would be too crowded. Too much floor space and the building of the nest will be too time consuming and they’re probably bypass the house to nest somewhere else. A good birdhouse will be designed for a specific species of bird and that includes the floor space available for their particular nest.

The second quality of a birdhouse is the height of the entrance hole above the floor. Too high and it would be difficult for the baby birds to get to the hole to leave the nest. Too close to the floor and this invites predators to attack the eggs and the young chicks. Birds can be very picky about the distance the entry hole is above the floor.

This leads us to the third point which is very important to birds. Nesting birds are looking for protection from predators. They need a house high enough above the ground to give them protection, and the height above the ground varies with the species. They also like a house that itself is sturdy enough to protect the incubating eggs or young birds from predators.

The last point I’m going to cover today is very important to many species. The size of the entry hole to the nest is extremely important to many birds and many birdhouse purchasers, and builders, completely ignore this point! A bird will use a house with an entry hole that is larger than they prefer. However this opens them up to predation from other birds and squirrels. A purchaser of a birdhouse should ask the seller if the entrance hole of the birdhouse is designed for the bird they want to attract. If the answer is, “It really doesn’t matter. Any bird will use this house.” look elsewhere. You see that’s the problem, any birds might use that house and might take over a nest started by the birds you want in your backyard. While no one can guarantee that the house you purchase will attract the birds you want, stacking the deck in their favor certainly helps!