Avian Abodes

Habitat loss has driven some bird species away from their former nesting sites. The right bird house may bring them back.

The Eastern Bluebird is one of my favorite birds, but they are picky when it comes to selecting housing. The house needs to be on a pole four to five feet off the ground and away from buildings and structures. I have a simple bluebird
box and my feathered renters return every year.

There are a host of bluebird boxes that are both functional as well as decorative.

There are over two-dozen songbirds in North America that will make use of a well placed birdhouse. There's a pair of Eastern Bluebirds that occupy the bluebird box next to my house every summer. The Carolina Wrens and Chickadees are easy to attract as well.

A Few of my Favorite Potential Birdhouse Tenants

Chickadees
Nathatches
Titmice
Wrens
Swallows
Flickers
Red-bellied Woodpeckers

Chickadees, nuthatches, and titmice prefer a fairly small house. The entrance hole needs to be fairly small, one to one and an eighth inches at the most. Hang the house at five to six feet up (eye height) and your feathered friends are bound to check it out.

Wrens are adorable little birds and prefer a smaller home than the chickadees, sparrows, and titmice. Most birds are happy with an entrance hole measuring at an inch and a half. Wrens prefer entrance measuring no more than an inch and a quarter. Hang the house on a sunlit tree branch and wait. If you're lucky, a happy little couple will make it home.

Once a year, take the birdhouse down and clean out the old nest. Scrub it thoroughly with a stiff brush and a mild bleach solution. That will take care of any mites and parasites that could harm your feathered friends.