Birdhouse Hunting Season

Wild bird couples often get an early start on house-hunting, and may have already selected their nesting sites by early March! Get your bird houses prepared now, so they’re out in the environment in time to be checked out by prospective parents.

Bird House Tenants:
Black-capped Chickadees
Chestnut-backed Chickadees
White-breasted Nuthatches
Red-breasted Nuthatches
House Wrens
Bewick’s Wrens
Northern Flickers
Downy Woodpeckers
Hairy Woodpeckers
Tree Swallows
Violet-green Swallows
Western Bluebirds
Wood Ducks

AUDUBON SPECIFICATIONS MATTER

Okay, birds don’t fly around with little rulers, checking to see if a nest box is built exactly right.  But birds nesting in houses of certain dimensions (hole size, cavity width and depth) are much more likely to raise their young successfully.  Here are some of the reasons why:

Entrance holes must be large enough to admit the nesting bird species, but not so large that predator birds, or other animals, can reach the nestlings.
Also to reduce predation, the cavity depth must leave several inches of space between the entrance hole and the top of the nest.
The cavity width can’t be too small for that species’ nest.  But if it’s too large, the parents will have difficulty filling it up with nesting material.

Nesting Material:  We’ve already seen an Anna’s hummingbird couple collecting bits of fluff.  For nest building, try Best Nest Builder, unbleached cotton in an easy-to-access mesh bag or Oregon Pygoria Fleece, fine goat hair.

Best All Around Bird House  All the latest innovations make this house great for birds.  It’s built to Audubon specifications, and constructed of cedar mill ends and trims, using screw, not nail, construction for durability.  A large overhanging roof provides protection from rain, and a practical front panel easily tilts open for end-of-season clean-out.  Well-placed drainage and ventilation holes ensure a healthy environment for the nestlings.