them. We would rather see you make your birdhouses from wood.
Wooden houses are normally heavy and may weigh more than thirty pounds.
Copyright © 2006 Peter Wodehouse
- 20 -
How to Build Your Birdhouse by Peter Wodehouse
Page 21 of 91
6. Tools Used to Build Your Birdhouse
The tools that you may need to make a birdhouse depend on the type of
birdhouse you want to make. But, all the tools and accessories that are
necessary for the birdhouse plans in the later chapters of this book are
readily available at your local hardware store.
The Tools You Need
Screwdriver: The choice of screwdriver depends on the type of screws you
are using to build your birdhouse. The screw bit of a power drill or an
automatic screwdriver can help you to use less force when inserting the
screws.
Hammer: A strong hammer, ideally with a claw on the back, is useful for
making a birdhouse. The claw can be handy if any old or bent nails need to
be removed.
Saw: Powered circular saws are useful for cutting the wood pieces to the
necessary lengths. Handsaws require more energy and time. Otherwise, your
local lumber store could pre-cut the wood pieces to the sizes you require for
a small fee.
Drill with bits: A drill helps you to make the necessary entrance holes of
your birdhouses for the particular breeds of birds that you want to attract.
Additionally, you may have to drill many holes of different sizes for
ventilation and drainage.
Screws, Nails, Hinges and Fasteners: Use galvanized screws and nails
with small heads to make a strong and long-lasting birdhouse.
T-square: These large rulers help you to measure the wood accurately and
in minimum time.
Copyright © 2006 Peter Wodehouse
- 21 -
How to Build Your Birdhouse by Peter Wodehouse
Page 22 of 91
7. General Specifications for Your Birdhouses
Each species of birds have their own preferences for the
birdhouses they choose. Here is a helpful table to use when
building your birdhouses.
You need to double check the birdhouse plans you are using
to ensure that all the measurements are close to the
recommended specifications.
Copyright © 2006 Peter Wodehouse
- 22 -
How to Build Your Birdhouse by Peter Wodehouse
Page 23 of 91
Specifications for Birdhouses in Inches
Species
Floor of Depth
Entrance
Diameter of Height above
Cavity
of
above Floor Entrance
ground
Cavity
above
Floor
Bluebird
5 x 5
8
6
1½
60-120
Chickadee
4 x 4
8-10
6-8
11/8
72-180
Titmouse
4 x 4
8-10
6-8
1¼
72-180
Nuthatch
4 x 4
8-10
6-8
1¼ 144-240
Bewick's Wren
4 x 4
6-8
4-6
1 - 1¼ 72-120
Carolina Wren 4 x 4
6-8
4-6
1 - 1½
72-120
Purple Martin
6 x 6
6
2
2½
120-180
Crested
6 x 6
8-10
6-8
2
96-240
Flycatcher
Flicker
7 x 7
16-18
14-16
2½
72-240
Red-Headed
6 x 6
12-15
9-12
2
144-240
Woodpecker
Downy
4 x 4
9-12
6-8
1¼
72-240
Woodpecker
Robin
6 x 8
8
(one or more sides open)
72-180
Barn Swallow
6 x 6
6
(one or more sides open)
96-180
Phoebe
6 x 6
6
(one or more sides open)
96-180
Screech Owl
8 x 8
12-15
9-12
3
120-360
Copyright © 2006 Peter Wodehouse
- 23 -
How to Build Your Birdhouse by Peter Wodehouse
Page 24 of 91
Wood Duck
10 x 18 10-24 12-16
4
120-240
House Wren
4 x 4
6-8
1-1¼
4-6
120-240
Tree Swallow
5 x 5
6
1½
1-5
96-180
Copyright © 2006 Peter Wodehouse
- 24 -
How to Build Your Birdhouse by Peter Wodehouse
Page 25 of 91
8. How to Build a Birdhouse
Building a birdhouse can be an excellent way
of spending family time together. You and
your family can make a birdhouse to put in
your backyard. Soon, you will all hear happy
and excited chirpings throughout the day. It
can be also be a good way to spend a quiet
Sunday at home. Although you may love to
paint birdhouses in bright colors, birds prefer
unpainted, roughly finished birdhouses that
are more like their natural nests.
You can add any number of innovations and
styles into your birdhouse. However, birds do
not care for any particular style. Each species of birds have specific
requirements for their houses. Therefore, you should make birdhouses for
the particular species of birds that you want to attract to your birdhouse.
Preferences of Your Winged Friends
The best choice for building a birdhouse is wood, especially cypress and
cedar. You can also use pine, although it is more expensive. Birds prefer
wooden houses to aluminum or plastic as it resembles their natural homes.
Do not paint or treat the insides of the birdhouses with any chemicals. They
may let out harmful fumes, which may be especially dangerous to your
feathered friends and their young. Similarly, unfinished interiors help the
young birds to clamber out more easily.
Provide sufficient protection from predators like squirrels and cats. Mount the
birdhouse at the top of a pole about six feet off the ground so that cats
cannot leap on to it. Also, apply slippery substances like petroleum jelly or
hot pepper spray to prevent cats from scampering up the pole.
Copyright © 2006 Peter Wodehouse
- 25 -
How to Build Your Birdhouse by Peter Wodehouse
Page 26 of 91
If you keep many birdhouses, keep them at safe distances from each other.
Birds have specific territorial rights and do not like to have others of their
kind too close by.
Keep the entrance hole away from the direction of the prevailing wind, to
provide protection for the birds from strong winds.
Make a few holes small in the back wall and the top to allow good ventilation.
Similarly, make sloped roofs to allow rainwater to drain off. Make some small
holes in the floor to let waste water to flow out.
Consider using a baffle to protect your birds. A baffle is a guard to keep
predators away. Some are cone-shaped so that a raccoon cannot get their
little paws into the nest and snatch a baby bird or an egg.
Necessary Precautions When Building Birdhouses
Building birdhouses can be a fun and an enjoyable way to spend time with all
your family members who can take part in building a birdhouse. However,
these few precautions will help to ensure a safe and happy time together.
Wear safety glasses while working on your birdhouse. Sawdust that might
be spat from wood or nails that fly while you are fixing parts of the birdhouse
can cause serious damage to your eyes.
Wear earplugs while using power tools for cutting the wood for the
birdhouse.
Use a respirator, or at least a mask over your nose and mouth, to prevent
any inhalation of poisonous fumes or vapors - or even small wood particles -
while building your birdhouse.
Be very careful while handling tools that have sharp edges and points.
Any slight lack of concentration can cause serious injury to your hands.
Check all tools are in proper, safe condition before using them.
Copyright © 2006 Peter Wodehouse
- 26 -
How to Build Your Birdhouse by Peter Wodehouse
Page 27 of 91
Check for any nails that may protrude from the joints. These could scratch
you or your birds. The holes for nails should be a little wider than the nails.
This helps in easy removal of nails during cleaning.
Do not wear loose clothing while working on your birdhouse. Loose
clothing can easily get caught in tools, rotating blades and bits. The outcome
could be dangerous.
Adults must do all the cutting work when making birdhouses.
Copyright © 2006 Peter Wodehouse
- 27 -
How to Build Your Birdhouse by Peter Wodehouse
Page 28 of 91
9. Tips for Building a Birdhouse
Cypress and redwood are the best
for long-lasting birdhouses. Use ¾”
thick wood to provide sufficient
insulation against heat and cold. You
may also use white cedar, fir, and
pine.
Do not bother to give a thorough
finished look to your birdhouse. Birds
often prefer weathered, rough look
that resembles their natural nests.
Rust-resistant, round and oval screws and water-resistant glues can improve
the life and durability of your birdhouse. Galvanized screws are best.
The roof and floor of birdhouses should be easily removable to help thorough
cleaning every winter. Clean with a solution of a ½-cup of chlorine bleach
and two cups of water. Remove old nests at the end of the season, as they
could contain parasites and bacteria.
Drill 3/8 inch holes along the back of your birdhouses to allow sufficient
ventilation. Similarly, a few holes on the rooftop also help heat to escape in
summer and keep the inside cool for the birds. At least one hole at every
corner of the floor of the birdhouse can allow easy flow away of any
rainwater that gets inside.
Entrance holes should be according to the size of the bird. Rough or grooved
interiors can help the young ones to climb in and out through the opening.
Do not place many houses in a cluster. Some birds are fierce about their
territorial rights. Resultant conflicts could lead to you having many empty
birdhouses.
Copyright © 2006 Peter Wodehouse
- 28 -
How to Build Your Birdhouse by Peter Wodehouse
Page 29 of 91
Birdhouses should be safe from natural predators like cats, snakes etc. Also,
shield the houses from direct sunlight and strong winds. The roofs should
have sufficient pitch and around three inches of overhang to drain away
rainwater. A little seepage into the house can be drawn away through a few
holes in the corners of the floor.
Do not put a perch near the entrance hole of the birdhouse. Nesting birds do
not require perches and such perches could prove helpful for predators to
attack the young ones and their parents too.
A thin layer of petroleum jelly on the insides of the roof prevents bees and
wasps from nesting in the birdhouse.
Do not use any toxic materials to treat the wood for your birdhouses. These
chemicals let out poisonous fumes that endangering the lives of your birds.
You can, however, paint the outside the birdhouse. Use subtle colors of
certified non-toxic paint so that it blends into the surroundings and gives
added protection from predators to your birds.
Copyright © 2006 Peter Wodehouse
- 29 -
How to Build Your Birdhouse by Peter Wodehouse
Page 30 of 91
10. Build a Birdhouse from
Scraps in Less Than an Hour
It is a simple job to make a
birdhouse from scraps within an
hour. Birdhouses can be of
different sizes and shapes to
suit the type of birds that you
want to attract to them.
Making a birdhouse for a house
wren is very easy. These birds
prefer urban locations and do
not mind nesting in a hanging
birdhouse.
How to Build
Collect 1” standard lumber scraps from the lumber shops. A basic birdhouse
is a standard box with a roof. Front and back walls should be of the same
shape, around eight inches wide and ten inches in height. Each wall should
have 45-degree angle cuts meeting at a point at the top.
Drill the entrance hole with a diameter of 1½”. The entrance hole should be
around four to six inches above the floor of the birdhouse on the front wall
only.
The height of the side walls is the distance between the start of the sloping
45-degree angles of the roof pieces and the bottom of birdhouse.
Use waterproof wood glue to glue the sides together. Then, nail the front wall
of the birdhouse to the sides. Ideally, the floor of the birdhouse should be
bigger in each dimension than the birdhouse. Add an extra inch to the width
and depth beyond the joint walls and cut out the floor to that size. Again, use
Copyright © 2006 Peter Wodehouse
- 30 -
How to Build Your Birdhouse by Peter Wodehouse
Page 31 of 91
waterproof glue to glue the birdhouse to the floor and then nail it where
needed.
Make two roof pieces. The first one should be at a 45-degree angle. The
second roof should be an inch bigger in each direction than the first roof. Fix
the bigger roof on the smaller one and then fix it to the birdhouse using glue
and nails.
If you really want to, make a perch but I advise against using them. Use a
good outdoor varnish for the outside of your birdhouse.
Now, your birdhouse is ready within an hour, depending on the drying time
of the varnish. Make sure that the varnish is totally dry.
You can hang it with a rope from any tree branch, or place it at the top of a
tree. Your feathered friends could soon take up residence in your birdhouse.
Copyright © 2006 Peter Wodehouse
- 31 -
How to Build Your Birdhouse by Peter Wodehouse
Page 32 of 91
Part-IV: Birdhouse Decoration
11. Painting or Staining Your New Birdhouses
You build birdhouses for housing
specific species of birds. The painting of
your birdhouses needs to be in accord
with the preferences of those birds.
Different birds prefer different colors.
Purple martins prefer white while some
others prefer beige colors. Research the
color choices of the species you want to
attract to your birdhouses.
Overall, birds find birdhouses with subtle colors more attractive. This is
because, in nature, female birds are of a lighter and duller shade than the
males. The dull colors protect the birds from predators. They can easily
mingle into the foliage. So, bright colored birdhouses do not attract as many
inhabitants.
How to Paint Birdhouses
Materials You Need
¾ Painting palette
¾ Sandpaper
¾ White Gesso or Primer
¾ Water-based varnish
¾ Tack cloth (cloth that contains a sticky substance, used for removing
dust from a surface before painting
¾ Paintbrushes
¾ Sponge
Copyright © 2006 Peter Wodehouse
- 32 -
How to Build Your Birdhouse by Peter Wodehouse
Page 33 of 91
¾ Weathered Wood® Crackling Medium Acrylic paint
Sand your birdhouse and remove all sand particles with your tack cloth.
Apply primer and, then, allow it to dry. Apply a coating of slate blue paint.
Next, use square brushes and apply a thick coat of paint. Work in rows. Do
not apply paint, but use short, dabbing strokes to push the paint to the front.
Allow all the paint to dry.
Apply an even coating of Weathered Wood Crackling Medium over the base
paint and let it dry for half an hour. This medium separates applied paint and
gives a roughened and crackled look to your birdhouse.
You can use a sponge to bring out finer cracks in the applied paint. You can
use foliage colors on your sponge. Use light or dark green paint and apply
with light, jumping strokes. This is similar to the natural foliage and may help
the birds feel more at home.
Sponge brushes are the best for painting birdhouses as they do not hold
much paint and make its application easier.
Use two or three coats of external latex paint on the outside for finishing it.
Three coats of water-based polyurethane provide the finish to your painting.
Such finishes are environment friendly, and it is easy to clean them too. They
protect your birdhouse.
Cautions When Painting Your Birdhouse
Do not paint the inside the birdhouse. Birds do not nest in painted
houses or houses that smell of paint or of humans.
Do not use any strong chemicals in your painting like lead or creosote.
Birds often peck at their houses and could ingest some paint in the process.
This could be fatal or, at least, cause serious injury to them. Creosote is a
recognized wood preservative, but is toxic for birds.
Copyright © 2006 Peter Wodehouse
- 33 -
How to Build Your Birdhouse by Peter Wodehouse
Page 34 of 91
Similarly, wood in feeders should also not contain any such preservative. Do
not paint feeders in any bright colors nor use high-gloss finishes.
Each species of birds are very choosy about their houses. They will not go
anywhere near a highly decorated birdhouse. Therefore, do not decorate
your birdhouse extensively. Give it a basic, natural look and watch the birds
nesting and living in your birdhouse.
Do not paint near the entrance holes, as birds use this hole often for coming
in and out of the birdhouse.
Do not use dark shades for birdhouses as dark colors absorb and retain heat.
You can paint roosting houses for roosters in dark colors only for winter
months.
How to Attract Birds to Birdhouses
Often, you have to wait for some time before birds choose to nest in your
birdhouses. Birds are wary of new objects in their familiar surroundings and
do not immediately accept your birdhouses.
You can try to entice them by adding a few birdbaths, feeders with grains
and nuts, and some swings too. Hanging the birdhouse in your backyard
garden helps to provide a definite supply of insects for your birds.
Birdhouses should be durable, waterproof and built for easy accessibility to
birds. Wooden birdhouses have natural insulation properties; cool in summer
and warm in winter.
Although you might prefer dark or bright colors for your birdhouses, it is best
to stay away from bright colors. These colors bring the birdhouses to the
notice of the many natural predators of birds. Neutral colors like soft green,
brown or tan offer the natural ambience to your birdhouses and birds feel
more at home.
Copyright © 2006 Peter Wodehouse
- 34 -
How to Build Your Birdhouse by Peter Wodehouse
Page 35 of 91
Part-V: Birdhouses Selection and Placement
12. Birdhouse Basics - What to Look for in a
Birdhouse
Birds look for specific size of the entrance
hole and the height from the ground before
choosing your birdhouse as their home. The
preferences of a few bird species are:
Nuthatches prefer an entrance hole of
1¼” to 1 3/8” and like their house at a
height of five to twenty feet from the
ground.
Chickadees prefer an entrance hole of 1
1/8” and at five to fifteen feet from the
ground.
Bluebirds prefer an entrance hole of 1 1/2” and at distance of three to six
feet