Bird building house

Building the Best Bird House for Your Feathered Friends

Birds are indeed one of the great add-ons to your garden or backyard. Building a bird house is a perfect way to fascinate or attract them. Not all birds however prefer to nest in bird houses. They differ particularly in their dwelling preferences. Like us, these so called "cavity-dwellers" also have specifications in relation to the kind of the type of habitat they want. There are just minor feature issues or measurements for the birds, but they are very essential in their living.

Generally, there are some guidelines ton be followed in building bird houses.

1. It is essential to distinguish the species or family of the birds that usually visit your garden or backyard. In addition, identify also which are the burrow dwellers and the cavity dwellers. Some of the typical cavity dwellers are the chickadees, wrens, flickers and bluebirds. You can select one from them and think of nice bird house you can make for that bird species. Don't think of building too many bird houses in your garden or backyard. Birds are very territorial, and it is not that nice to see so many birds of different species dwelling on one place.

2. Determine all the needed dimensions and other specifications of your selected bird. The dimensions required are the following: entrance hole, floor size, depth and height. Smaller birds such as chickadees and wrens should have 8 inches in dept and 4 x 4 floor dimensions. You can try getting more information about the specific birds and their required measurement and dimensions on the internet.

3. For the materials, it is best to use untreated lumber or wood for your bird house. Apart from the imitating the natural habitat of the birds, natural woods lessens the risks of overheating and poisoning. Processed and treated woods such as plywood contain formaldehyde, a very harmful preservative. These can lead to serious health dangers to your birds. Those lumbers that are categorized as "pressure-treated" has toxic chemicals can also poison the old and nesting birds. Using paint is definitely a no-no. Flaking paints might be mistaken as food and can be eaten by your birds. Furthermore, plastics and metals are not also appropriate in building avian houses since both are prone to heat.

4. Designing and drafting a plan for your avian friends is also very important Keep in mind that the bird's safety is your utmost concern so make sure that they will be protected from the predators. It is also best to use slanted roofs so that the dirt, moisture and rain would not gather on top that may eventually cause rotting of wood. It is also ideal to have extended roofs over the front and sides. Perches are good but not really necessary especially for cavity dwellers. Plus, consider also ventilation and drainage needs. You can make smaller holes on the floor to help drain some water. Baby birds can be easily drowned and a little water collected can lead them to death. Enough holes should also be placed on the walls to let the air enter the house and keep the place comfortably cool. Putting up the shelter at the top of a pole to secure your birds from uninvited guests such as raccoons and cats.

5. Cleanliness and maintenance of the birdhouse is also important. Untidy and messy nest can cause lots of diseases to your birds. Adding a backdoor will surely help in maintaining the cleanliness of the bird house. Without much effort, you can remove all those dirt like droppings and unused nests inside the birdhouse. Thus, contamination of disease can also be prevented.

With all these tips, you are a way to go to building your bird house. Aid your avian friends by treating their houses as your own. Keeping in mind the safety of your feathered animals in their shelter can ensure you more years with them.

 

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