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How to Build Your Birdhouse
Endless Ideas and Easy to Follow Birdhouse Construction Plans
By Peter Wodehouse
Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved
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How to Build Your Birdhouse by Peter Wodehouse
Page 2 of 91
Please Read This First
Terms of Use
This Electronic book is Copyright © 2006. All rights reserved. No part of this
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Disclaimer
The advice contained in this material might not be suitable for everyone.
The author only provides the material as a broad overview by a layperson.
The author obtained the information from sources believed to be reliable and
from his own personal experience, but he neither implies nor intends any
guarantee of accuracy.
All claims made for any product, treatment or other procedure in this book is
only the author’s personal opinion. You must do you own careful checking on
any significant matter.
The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional veterinarian or
other qualified, professional advice.
The author, publisher and distributors never give legal, accounting, medical
or any other type of professional advice. The reader must always seek those
services from competent professionals in specialist areas.
The author, publisher and distributors particularly disclaim any liability, loss,
or risk taken by individuals who directly or indirectly act on the information
contained herein. All readers must accept full responsibility for their use of
this material.
Copyright © 2006 Peter Wodehouse
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How to Build Your Birdhouse by Peter Wodehouse
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About the Author
Peter Wodehouse is passionate about birds because of the pleasure they
freely give us, and other contributions they make to our well-being and the
world around us.
He feels that, if he can do it, then building a few bird-houses and setting
them up is not beyond the most ham-fisted tool user. We can all help redress
in a small way the damage to birds’ habitat that humans are causing at a
rapidly increasing rate.
This hobby is one that all members of our family can share, just as they will
share the rewards as the variety and number of birds around us increase
when they take advantage of the newly available accommodation.
Gardeners will notice another benefit because more birds will mean fewer
insects and other problems too. That means a better environment for us all.
Copyright © 2006 Peter Wodehouse
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How to Build Your Birdhouse by Peter Wodehouse
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Table of Contents
Please Read This First ...................................................................................................2
Terms of Use .................................................................................................................................. 2
Disclaimer ....................................................................................................................................... 2
About the Author..............................................................................................................3
Table of Contents .............................................................................................................4
1. Building a Birdhouse – An Overview ..............................................................9
History of Birdhouses ............................................................................................................. 9
Building Your Ideal Birdhouse.............................................................................................. 10
2. Why Build a Birdhouse ..........................................................................................12
3. Types of Birdhouses ...............................................................................................14
Common Birdhouses ................................................................................................................. 14
4. Birdhouses for Different Species ....................................................................16
Robins ......................................................................................................................................... 17
Chickadees, Nuthatches, and Titmice............................................................................ 17
Bluebirds.................................................................................................................................... 17
Wrens.......................................................................................................................................... 17
Barn Swallows and Phoebes.............................................................................................. 17
Tree and Violet-green Swallows ...................................................................................... 18
Purple Martins ......................................................................................................................... 18
Woodpeckers ........................................................................................................................... 18
Flycatchers................................................................................................................................ 18
5. Materials Used for Building a Birdhouse ....................................................19
6. Tools Used to Build Your Birdhouse..............................................................21
The Tools You Need............................................................................................................... 21
7. General Specifications for Your Birdhouses.............................................22
Specifications for Birdhouses in Inches...........................................................23
Copyright © 2006 Peter Wodehouse
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How to Build Your Birdhouse by Peter Wodehouse
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8. How to Build a Birdhouse ....................................................................................25
Preferences of Your Winged Friends.............................................................................. 25
Necessary Precautions When Building Birdhouses...................................................... 26
9. Tips for Building a Birdhouse............................................................................28
10. Build a Birdhouse from Scraps in Less Than an Hour......................30
How to Build................................................................................................................................. 30
11. Painting or Staining Your New Birdhouses............................................32
How to Paint Birdhouses......................................................................................................... 32
Materials You Need................................................................................................................ 32
Cautions When Painting Your Birdhouse...................................................................... 33
How to Attract Birds to Birdhouses .................................................................................... 34
12. Birdhouse Basics - What to Look for in a Birdhouse........................35
13. Choosing the Right Birdhouse .......................................................................36
14. Useful Tips for Placing Your Birdhouse....................................................38
Tips for Placing your Birdhouse ........................................................................................... 38
15. How Many Birdhouses Should You Have? ..............................................40
16. How to Help Birds Make Their Own Nests..............................................41
Useful Nesting Materials ..................................................................................................... 41
17. Nesting Behavior of Different Birds ...........................................................43
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius).............................................................................. 43
Ash-throated Flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens)................................................... 43
Barn Owl (Tyto alba) ............................................................................................................ 43
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor).......................................................................... 43
Violet-green Swallow (Tachycineta thalassina)........................................................ 44
Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana)............................................................................... 44
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) ........................................................... 44
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)..................................................................................................... 44
Purple Martin (Progne subis)............................................................................................ 44
Copyright © 2006 Peter Wodehouse
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How to Build Your Birdhouse by Peter Wodehouse
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Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) .......................................................... 45
Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens)...................................................... 45
Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) ......................................................................................... 45
Brown-headed Nuthatch (Sitta pusilla)........................................................................ 45
Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)................................................................... 46
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) ................................................................. 46
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula).................................................................. 46
East and West Screech-Owls; Eastern - (Otus asio); Western - (Otus
kennicottii) ............................................................................................................................... 46
Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea)............................................................... 47
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) ................................................................. 47
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)............................................................................... 47
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)............................................................................ 47
Mountain Chickadee (Poecile gambeli)......................................................................... 47
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) ................................................................................... 48
Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides) ........................................................................ 48
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) .............................................................................. 48
Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) .......................................................... 48
Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) .............................................................. 48
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)............................................................................. 49
18. Habitat Requirements for Cavity-Nesting Birds..................................50
American kestrel .................................................................................................................... 50
Ash-throated Flycatcher and Great Crested Flycatcher ......................................... 50
Barn Owl .................................................................................................................................... 50
Black-capped chickadee and Carolina chickadees.................................................... 50
Chestnut-backed chickadees and Mountain chickadees ........................................ 51
Eastern Screech Owl and Western Screech owls ...................................................... 51
House Wrens ............................................................................................................................ 51
Brown-headed Nuthatch ..................................................................................................... 51
Eastern Bluebird ..................................................................................................................... 51
Mountain Bluebird and Western Bluebird .................................................................... 51
Tree Swallow............................................................................................................................ 52
Violet-green Swallows ......................................................................................................... 52
19. How to Hang a Birdhouse.................................................................................53
Copyright © 2006 Peter Wodehouse
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How to Build Your Birdhouse by Peter Wodehouse
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20. Tips for Monitoring and Cleaning Nest Boxes ......................................55
Monitoring and Cleaning Birdhouses .................................................................56
Monitoring before the start of the season ................................................................... 56
Seasonal Monitoring ............................................................................................................. 56
Monitoring after the Fledglings fly-off .......................................................................... 56
Cleaning the Birdhouses.......................................................................................................... 57
21. Different Birdhouse Designs...........................................................................58
Common Birdhouse Designs .................................................................................................. 58
Purple Martin House ............................................................................................................. 58
Passerine Nest Box................................................................................................................ 58
Wood Duck Nest box............................................................................................................. 58
Wren Houses ............................................................................................................................ 59
Essential Features of Your Birdhouses.............................................................................. 59
22. Birdhouse
