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Birdhouse Plans and Nesting Boxes

by AnthonyAltorenna

Last updated: 05/22/2012
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Birdhouse Plans: Ideas For Making Several Different Types Of Wooden Birdhouses

Every woodworker likes free project plans, and every woodworker that enjoys building wooden birdhouses likes free birdhouse plans.

Over time, I created several different lenses based on the assortment of wooden birdhouses that I've built and scattered around my yard. Bluebirds, chickadees, titmice, downy woodpeckers, wrens and other small birds raise families in my birdhouses every spring, and often use the birdhouses in the winter for protection against the wind and snow. One birdhouse is the year-round residence for a family of flying squirrels. At last count, I have over 30 birdhouses of different styles and made for different species of birds hanging in the gardens and woodlands around my property. And I plan to keep adding more.

Each birdhouse project lens includes a cutting list and diagram with step-by-step instructions on how to build the birdhouse. Kind of like a catalog, I thought that it would be interesting to create a lens containing some of my favorite birdhouse plans that I created so far, and here is the result. Browse through the photos and diagrams for each of the birdhouses, then follow the Big Arrow link to the page containing the complete step-by-step instructions for how to make a birdhouse.

Birdhouse Photos and Diagrams by the Author

Bluebird Birdhouse: Basic Nesting Box
Bluebird House Plans: Basic Nest Box Plans
Slant Front Bluebird Birdhouse
Screech Owl Nest Box Plans
A Trio of Little Birdhouses
Barn Style Nesting Shelf
Robin Nesting Shelf
Wood Duck Nest Box Plans
A Birdhouse with a View
A Small Hanging Birdhouse
American Kestrel Nest Box
American Kestrel House
Bat House Plans
Using Salvaged Wood for Building Birdhouses
DIY Birdhouse Project Plans
Birdhouses, Birdhouse Plans & More DIY Projects
Birdhouse Photos
More DIY Backyard Projects

Bluebird houses are easy to build from cedar, redwood or pine. The dimensions are important, especially the size of the entrance hole (1 1/2" for eastern bluebirds, 1 9/16" for the western bluebird). In northern areas of their range, bluebirds begin to nest in early spring so it is important to place your bluebird houses by late winter.

Bluebirds prefer open fields but as farmland gives way to urban sprawl, and with competition from starlings and sparrows, bluebirds have an increasingly difficult time finding suitable natural tree cavities or abandoned woodpecker holes for raising their young.

Fortunately, bluebirds can be attracted to backyards where they will nest in birdhouses built to proper specifications.

These bluebird birdhouses are simple and inexpensive projects to build, and can be made from pine, cedar or redwood boards which are commonly available at home centers and lumber yards. Make several and create a Bluebird Trail of birdhouses, or give a birdhouse to a friend.

Bluebird House Plans

Bluebird Birdhouse: Basic Nesting Box

Bluebird House Plans: Basic Nest Box Plans

This bluebird house is a simple and inexpensive project to build, and can be made from pine, cedar or redwood boards which are commonly available at home centers and lumber yards. The entrance hole is 1�" in diameter, letting the bluebirds in but keeping out the larger starlings.

Audubon Coppertop Cedar Bluebird House

Woodlink NACOPBB Audubon Coppertop Cedar Bluebird House

Amazon Price: $31.17 (as of 05/22/2012)

Slant Front Bluebird Birdhouse

Bluebird Birdhouse - Slant Front Nesting Box

Bluebird House: Slant Front Style Plans

Slant-Front Style Bluebird Birdhouse

Coveside Peterson Styled Slant-Front Bluebird House

Amazon Price: $36.99 (as of 05/22/2012)

Screech Owl Nest Box Plans

Screech Owl Nest Box

The screech owl is a year round resident in nearly every state across the county. They primarily inhabit woodlands, but are also commonly found in suburban and urban areas.

Like many birds which rely on tree cavities for nesting sites, loss of habitat makes it harder for screech owls to find suitable nesting sites.

Fortunately, screech owls will readily move into a nest box to raise their young, and this screech owl nesting box is an easy project to make from a single 1" x 10" x 8' pine or cedar board.

Mount the nesting box between 10' to 30' above the ground. Screech owls are tolerant of human activity, but are known to defend their nests so it's best to place the nesting box in a tree or pole where it can be seen yet is set back from paths and walkways.

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Screech Owl Nesting Box Plans

Screech Owl Nest Box Plans

Screech Owl Nest Box

Stovall 6H Screech Owl Box

Amazon Price: $42.99 (as of 05/22/2012)

A Trio of Little Birdhouses

A Birdhouse Condo: An interesting Trio of Birdhouses

These little wooded birdhouses are simple six sided boxes made from pine or cedar, and then arranges together to form an interesting condo unit.

Each of the birdhouses is an independent unit, and each unit is a different length. When stacked together, the different sized birdhouses create a staggered look to the trio of wooden birdhouses.

The bird house trio is designed for smaller cavity nesting birds such as chickadees or wrens. The birdhouse condo can be mounted to a tree, pole or small building (mine is mounted to the side of our backyard shed), or add an eye hook to suspend the birdhouse from a tree branch or mounting bracket.

Plans for a Trio of Birdhouses

A Condo of Three Little Birdhouses Plans

12 Room Martin House

Heath M12SR Starling Resistant 12 Room Martin House

Amazon Price: $139.79 (as of 05/22/2012)

12 Room Martin House

Nesting Shelf

A Nesting Shelf: Made from Salvaged Wood

This attractive birdhouse - or more accurately, this nesting shelf - was made from pieces of salvaged wood. The ends and bottom pieces of the birdhouse were cut from a cedar corner board removed during a remodeling job, and I salvaged the milled side pieces from the railings of cedar play set. A few slats from an old pallet provide the roof pieces and door trim, and the metal stars tacked to each of the ends are re-purposed Christmas ornaments.

Resembling an old barn or rustic farm stable, the aged wood has a nice weathered patina from years spent outdoors. The shelf nesting box designed to attract robins. In the winter, small birds will take refuge in the birdhouse from snow and chilling winds.

Building a birdhouse requires only basic woodworking skills and hand tools, and using salvaged wood keeps useable lumber out of the landfill. And because I salvaged all of the wood for this project, the cost of the lumber is $0.

Barn Style Nesting Shelf

Barn Style Nesting Shelf Plans

Robin Nesting Shelf

Some types of birds including robins, swifts and flycatchers will not nest in a birdhouse, but you can entice them to set up residence on a nesting shelf. Position the nesting shelf up under the eves of a building.

Robin Nesting Shelf Diagram

Nesting Shelf Plans

Coveside Nesting Shelf

Coveside Nesting Perch

Amazon Price: $24.23 (as of 05/22/2012)

Wood Duck Nest Box Plans

Wood Duck Nesting Box

As their name implies, wood ducks inhabit ponds and streams in woodland areas. Like other cavity nesting birds, wood ducks rely on finding natural tree cavities or abandoned woodpecker holes to raise their young.

If natural cavities are scarce, wood ducks will readily move into a nesting box to lay their eggs. In many areas, wood duck populations have increased thanks in part to the placement of nesting boxes.

Building a wood duck nesting box is an easy woodworking project. Cedar, redwood, pine and even plywood are suitable materials, and here's how to make this version of a wood duck nesting box.

Wood Duck Nesting Box Plans

Wood Duck Nest Box

Stovall 5H Duck Box

Amazon Price: $45.04 (as of 05/22/2012)

A Birdhouse with a View

This hanging wooden birdhouse is attractive, easy to make, and features a clear plastic back for peeking inside at the nest and baby birds. Hang the birdhouse in a protected area within view from a window and watch as the parent birds build their nest, incubate the eggs and feed the babies.

This simple wooden birdhouse requires only basic woodworking skills and tools, and takes only about an hour to build from readily available pine, cedar, redwood or just about any pieces from the scrap bin. A good project for using reclaimed wood to reduce cost and to keep useable wood out of the landfill, here is how to build this birdhouse with a view.

Hanging Birdhouse with A View

Plans for a Birdhouse with a View

A Small Hanging Birdhouse

An exterior cedar trim board was rescued from a remodeling job and provided enough wood for the birdhouse, and the roof slats were cut from a lightweight shipping pallet.

Finding reclaimed wood is relatively easy but it can take some time and effort to convert an old board into useable lumber. The old wood must be cleaned, metal screws and nails removed, and any split or damaged sections cut away.

Building this hanging wooden birdhouse requires only basic woodworking skills and hand tools, and re-using old wood helps to reduce the expense and keeps useable lumber out of the landfill.

Small Hanging Birdhouse Plans

American Kestrel Nest Box

American Kestrel Nesting Box

The American Kestrel is the smallest falcon found in the North America. Once declining and at risk of extinction, the kestrel population has rebounded thanks in large part to conservation efforts including the placement of specially designed kestrel nesting boxes.

Kestrels are cavity nesting birds, but they cannot excavate their own nest site and rely on finding natural cavities in old trees and the abandoned holes of woodpeckers. When natural nesting sites are in short supply, the kestrels will adopt a man-made nesting box to raise their young.

The nesting box for the American Kestrel is an easy woodworking project, and can be made from a 1" x 12" x 10' piece of inexpensive pine found at any home center or lumber yard. Cedar is another good choice, though somewhat harder to find and the cost is a little higher. Left unpainted and untreated, both woods will weather to a silvery-gray and will last for several seasons.

A small Fledgling Shelf mounted to inside of the nesting box allows the baby kestrels to look out of box while waiting for their parents to arrive with their next meal.

Image: Public Domain

American Kestrel Nest Box

Kestrel Nesting Box

American Kestrel House

Coveside American Kestrel House

Amazon Price: $48.99 (as of 05/22/2012)

Bat House Plans

How to Build a Bat House

Bats are one of the best natural defenses against mosquitoes and other flying pests, with each bat devouring over 1000 flying insects every evening. Bats are interesting to watch as they streak through the twilight skies, swooping and diving to grab their prey on the wing.

Though bats are one of the most beneficial predators in suburban areas, they are also one of the most miss-understood and under appreciated backyard inhabitants. Bats are also declining in many areas across the country, primarily due to the loss of habitat for adequate nesting and roosting sites.

You can help preserve a healthy and diverse wildlife ecosystem by inviting more bats into your backyard habitat with this easy to make and decorative bat house.

Bat House Plans

Audubon Bat House and Shelter

Woodlink NABAT Audubon Bat Shelter

Amazon Price: $27.95 (as of 05/22/2012)

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Using Salvaged Wood for Building Birdhouses

As the cost of lumber continues rise, many woodworkers and hobbyists are looking for alternative sources of wood for their projects. Once you start looking, finding reclaimed wood is relatively easy but it can take some time and effort to convert an old board into useable lumber. The old wood must be cleaned, metal screws and nails removed, and any split or damaged sections cut away.

Though salvaged lumber is not suitable for every project, using reclaimed wood is a great way to stretch your woodworking budget, keeps good wood out of the landfill, and the character of aged wood makes for interesting DIY projects.

Pallets are a good source of materials that is often suitable for making into a DIY projects, but be selective and don't waste your time with stained, dirty or broken pieces. Look for pallets from companies with shipments from other countries - pallets are made from local lumber, and wood that might be common in one country can be desirable in another.

Birding in the News

Bird watching next for together team: PHILADELPHIA - There's a chance the American League East could begin to change when the Red Sox begin a three-game series against the Orioles Monday night at Camden Yards. Not that a sweep would allow the Sox to overtake the Orioles, but they could ...
Bird watching for kids: He lives in Ohio and will be at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge on May 26 for ?Watch Out for Vulture Vomit and Other Adventures in Bird Watching.? (2 pm 617- 495-3045. www.hmnh.harvard .edu) Q. Why did you write a bird-watching guide ...
A good time for bird watching: As I sit on the covered deck ? back porch to those of us with country up-bringings ? I am listening to a number of birds. This is a feat of its own, since my hearing requires a couple of hearing aids. Considering the expense, I call them ?a tiny used ...
Bird watching is only game in town: Image Video League Central: State of Origin - Game 1 It's looming as an epic with NSW desperate to stop Qld from winning a seventh straight series. Coach Ricky Stuart has rung in the changes but will it be enough? Matthew Johns and Paul Kent tell you ...

DIY Birdhouse Project Plans

Making Wooden Birdhouses is a PDF file of project plans for making birdhouses, nesting boxes and feeders. Bluebirds, chickadees, titmice, downy woodpeckers, wrens and other small birds raise families in my birdhouses every spring. At last count, there are more than 30 birdhouses of different styles and made for different species of birds hanging in the gardens and woodlands around my property.

Over time, I created several different short, online articles based on the assortment of wooden birdhouses that I've built and scattered around my yard, and this PDF file is a collection of my favorite wooden birdhouse projects.

Each birdhouse project included in this PDF file includes a cutting list and diagram with step-by-step instructions on how to build the birdhouse.

English Dovecote Birdhouse

Birdhouse - Lazy Hill (White) (28" high x 16" dia)

Amazon Price: $379.00 (as of 05/22/2012)

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skiesgreen May 12, 2012 @ 8:20 pm | delete

Gorgeous ideas here. I have a heap of old pailings and want to turn them into birdboxes. You have given me some good ideas. Featured on Blessed bySkiesgreen 2012-2 and also on Earthday and What is Wrong with Planet Earth. Hugs

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Tipi Apr 12, 2012 @ 12:37 pm | delete

Time to get those birdhouses and nesting boxes out for our bird fiends to raise their families!

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Zut_Moon Mar 24, 2012 @ 11:35 am | delete

Holy Smokes Moses ... nice lens with lots of building plans. Good Job. Anything in another lens on how to pound in a nail straight? Blessed !!!