Replies

1. 
   RTorgeson | Mar 26, 2004 07:16pm | #1

   Dave ... I have several cedar and redwood birdhouses that I made and they are holding up pretty well.

   Rod in Appleton, WA

1. 
   MichaelPB | Mar 27, 2004 03:24am | #2

   Anyone ever build a bird house that birds actually use?  I have been thinking about building a couple but all the books have sizes for east coast birds and I am in California.

   Perhaps I will just build a few feeders instead.

1. 
   slem2 | Mar 27, 2004 05:38am | #3

   Saw a pair of chicadees build a nest in an abandoned bird feeder last year {4 feet off the ground]. They went in through the slot where the feed spilled out. Just a slot about 3/4 inch high. So you may end up with a bird house anyway if you build a feeder. LOL   BT

2. 
   slem2 | Mar 27, 2004 05:43am | #4

   Build a birdhouse and cut a round hole about the size of a tennis ball and the starlings will fight over which ones get to move in!!!!!       BT

3. 
   RTorgeson | Mar 27, 2004 05:54am | #5

   Michael...I had about 12 or 13 birdhouses up when I lived in Marysville, Washington and about half of them were used by tree swallows. Tree swallows are great bug zappers. I now live in the southern part of Washington and at a higher elevation and I have about half dozen birdhouses up and only one has been used by tree swallows for two years in a row now. So, yes they are being used. The birdhouse I have up are the same size used for bluebirds. Rod in Appleton, WA

4. 
   forestgirl | Mar 27, 2004 05:50pm | #7

   There's plenty of internet information on  house requirements for different species of birds.  Figure out which species and varieties are in your local area, and Google for them.  Here's a great page from the Cornell Ornithology Lab web site:http://birds.cornell.edu/birdhouse/bhbasics/bhbasics_index.html

   If you search on Google, try a search string that has the species name plus "nesting box" e.g., "chickadee nesting box"

   We have so many trees and snags around here, I haven't built any nesting boxes, but if they keep building houses, it'll be necessary soon!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

2. 
   Fingrs | Mar 27, 2004 06:29am | #6

   I suggest cedar or redwood as well.  But if your client only wants the houses for their visual appeal (like those you buy for $400+ that have many exterior holes but one big cavity on the inside), then use pressure treated or recycled utility poles.  Those will last forever.  But just in case some birds do show up who want to move in, block the holes so they can't get in cause the treated stuff is really toxic.

   This is my cynical side coming out.  I used to have neighbors who had a wonderful collection of bird feeders in their yard, but never put bird food in them.  I asked why this was and was told they did not like birds, but thought the feeders were pretty.

   If you want to find out what kind of nesting box to build for your local population of birds (can't remember how to spell "indigenous"), find out what they use naturally (before the avian equivalent of condominiums and town houses came to be viewed as the only acceptable place to hatch chicks), and attempt to replicate that using your woodworking skills. 

   For example, Eastern bluebirds naturally nest in tree trunks hollowed out by woodpeckers.  The best bluebird house you can build is a hollowed out log with about a 6" cavity and a hole (it does not have to be precisely 1 1/4" diameter) located about 8-10 inches from the bottom of the cavity.  Obviously it needs a roof (woodpeckers have yet to master basic chainsaw skills and still dig out their nesting cavities the old fashioned way),  and would be positioned about 6-10 feet off the ground. 

   Bluebird houses do not need to resemble something designed by I.M. Pei to do the job.  A tall square box works fine.  The fancy designs may deter use by imported birds (in the case of blue birds, their competition is the English sparrow), but at the end of the day simple and natural works best. 

1. 
   Michael6255 | Mar 28, 2004 05:43am | #8

   I'd advise against the use of pressure treated wood in a bird house.  Maybe not a problem but why chance it.  Using cypress or redwood in such small amounts won't break the bank.

   Mike

1. 
   wrudiger | Mar 28, 2004 07:52am | #9

   If you live near a Wild Birds Unlimited store they are a wealth of info.  One book I got there, Birdhouse Book by Donald & Lillian Stokes, covers general info plus specifics (hole size, interior dimensions, etc.) for 16 species. They suggest redwood, cedar, pine or ext. 3/4" plywood - not that I'd go there but... 

   All depends of course on what the customer is looking for - hopefully real bird houses and not yard decoration!