Blue Bird House Plans

November 15, 2024 Post a Comment

Blue bird house plans

They found that, when given a choice, eastern bluebirds consistently chose to nest in boxes with oval holes measuring 2 inches tall and 1 3/8 inches wide. (Oval holes can easily be fashioned by drilling two overlapping holes using a 1 3/8-inch drill bit.)

Which way do you face a bluebird house?

Helpful Tips

Position the nest box so that the entrance hole is facing east and towards open habitat.
To decrease competition from Tree Swallows, you can pair nest boxes about 15–20' apart, with pairs of houses about 300' from each other.

What size hole is needed for a bluebird house?

Cut the front of the box, 5" wide and 10 3/4" long, with an entrance hole (a 1 1/2" hole for eastern bluebirds or western bluebirds, and 1 9/16" hole where ranges for the two overlap with mountain bluebirds) whose center is 2" from the top and 2 1/2" from each side.

How do you make a simple bluebird house?

And a drill. Here are your plans. And print this off if you like or just look at the sizes those are

Should bluebird houses face south?

Which Direction should my Bluebird Box Face? Place your bluebird nesting box so that the entrance faces away from the hot sun and away from the prevailing wind. I usually place them facing East, since our strongest winds come from the West and South.

Should bluebird houses have a perch?

No Perches - bluebird boxes do NOT need perches on the exterior of the box. Since bluebirds are cavity nesting birds, their feet are adapted to clinging to wood. Also, the presence of a perch may attract house sparrows which seem to prefer them.

What month do bluebirds build nests?

Bluebirds begin scouting out nest boxes as early as late February, or even earlier in the south. If conditions are favorable, they sometimes continue nesting into August or even September.

What month do bluebirds lay their eggs?

The female Bluebird begins laying eggs between 6 and 7 days after the nest is completed. The overall timing of egg-laying throughout the Bluebird's range reflects the timing of nest building. Egg-laying begins during February and March in the warmer southern states and March and April in the northern and colder states.

What is the best color to paint a bluebird house?

Gray, dull green, tan, or brown, are colors that make bird houses or bird feeders less visible to predators because they blend in best with natural surroundings. Avoid metallic or fluorescent colors as they tend to be so bright, they offer no cover from predators.

How high should a bluebird house be hung?

Height: Bluebirds nest within a wide range of heights, from two to 50 feet. Mounting at eye level provides easy checking; however, if cats or other predators are problems, hang nest boxes at least six to eight feet from the ground.

Do bluebird houses need to be on a pole?

House Placement A bluebird house should be mounted on a pole or post roughly 4 to 6 feet above the ground in a relatively open area, with the entrance facing a large tree or shrub 25 to 100 feet away.

How often do you clean out bluebird houses?

Nest boxes should be cleaned out each year. You will greatly increase the chance of bluebirds (and other desirable species) nesting in your box if it is cleaned annually; this is why our box design comes with a pivoting door.

Should you paint a bluebird house blue?

You may leave the wood its natural color or paint the bluebird house any dull color; do not use white. Do not use chemical- treated wood and don't add a perch.

Do bluebird houses need vent holes?

Birdhouses should have ventilation and drainage holes to prevent overheating or drowning of baby birds. A sloped roof with a bit of an overhang can also help keep the nest dry.

Do bluebirds need special houses?

Bluebirds' requirements for nesting include: Safe, Private Shelter – A clean, Sparrow-resistant nest box placed away from feeding stations. Boxes should face open spaces, the edge of woods is ok. Abundant Food – Please do not use pesticides and deprive Bluebirds of their natural food source-insects.

What do you put inside a birdhouse?

Many cavity-nesting birds will add their own nest material, but the woodpeckers, waterfowl and owls prefer nest boxes with 2-3 inches of dry sawdust or woodchips in the bottom. Place the box carefully. Put your birdhouse up on a sturdy pole, post, tree, or under a house eave.

Why are bluebird houses in pairs?

Indeed, fans of Eastern Bluebirds in the upper Midwest long ago began to provide paired nest boxes to ensure that bluebirds were able to coexist with the more aggressive Tree Swallows.

How do I attract bluebirds to my birdhouse?

How to Attract Bluebirds

Install a Bluebird Nesting Box in your back yard.
Place the box in an open area five to six feet off the ground. ...
Provide food such as meal worms, suet balls or seed consisting all or in part of sunflower chips.
Water in the form of a small pond or bird bath.

Where do you drill a hole in a bluebird house?

Drainage holes can be created by cutting ¼ inch off each of the four corners of the bottom of the box, or by drilling four to five ¼-inch holes in the bottom panel. Drill holes at the top of the side panels or leave spaces between the top of the box and the sides to provide ventilation.

What do you put in a bluebird house in the winter?

To winterize, you can use foam insulation (like that used around window air-conditioning units) broken into small pieces to stuff into large vent holes between the roof and side wall of the box. You can also use flexible weather stripping, sold in cords, to seal the cracks along the sides of the box.