How do I choose a bird house that will really attract birds?

Whether your yard is urban, suburban, or rural, you can encourage nesting birds to take up residence.

Food, water and a sheltered nesting site are the essentials.  Chickadees, swallows, nuthatches, woodpeckers, wrens, and other birds will accept bird houses, or nest b oxes.  To increase the likelihood of your houses being used, keep these pointers in mind:

* Select houses built to Audubon specifications.  Ornithologists have researched the best cavity depth and hole size to attract certain birds, so selecting a house that was built according to scientific data will increase the chance that it is really used.
* Make sure the birdhouse has ventilation holes for fresh air, and drainage holes as well.
* Put wood chips or shavings inside the birdhouse.  Chickadees, small woodpeckers, and other birds like them.
* Predators like raccoons, larger birds, and even cats can wreak havoc.  Never select a birdhouse with a perch—it is more likely to be used by a predator.  Elongated tunnels like the Bird Guardian Tunnel can further protect baby birds by making it difficult for a predator to reach inside the nest box.
* Position the bird house where parent birds will have a clear flight path to the entrance.
* Consider offering nesting material to further encourage birds to nest.  Even hummingbirds and goldfinches (birds that do not nest in a bird house) will like Pygora Goat Fleece and Best Nest Builder!
* Remove the old nest at the end of nesting season (September is a good time) to reduce the likelihood that parasites like mites or lice will live in the house until the next nesting season.