Birdhouses & Nest Boxes

Build for one species, not for a generic birdhouse

The firmest guidance in this category: entrance hole diameter, floor area and depth are species-specific, and a box built to the wrong dimensions either goes unused or admits the wrong occupant. Reputable plans for your target species are the recommended starting point.

No perch, and a predator baffle underneath

A perch below the hole is described as helping predators and competitors rather than the residents. Mounting on a smooth baffled pole well clear of jumping distance is treated as mandatory, exactly as with feeders.

Decorative birdhouses are ornaments

Painted novelty boxes going unused year after year is a recurring disappointment. Thin material, sealed construction, wrong hole size and no drainage or ventilation are the reasons given.

Put it up early, and expect to wait a season

Boxes are reported to work better once birds have had time to notice them, so late winter is the recommended install window. A box put up in spring may simply not be found in time for that year's nesting.

Putting up a box makes you responsible for monitoring it

House sparrows taking over and killing the occupants is a serious recurring theme, along with mites and end-of-season cleaning. Regulars are clear that a nest box is a small ongoing commitment rather than a decoration.