Buying Songbird Nesting Box Birdhouse

I first made this birdhouse for myself, wanting something cute and colorful near my garden that might also benefit a pair of nesting birds. I based it on a nesting box meant for House Finches, but altered the dimensions so a wider variety of birds might use it. I hung it in a tree one spring day and hoped for the best. The results were better than I had hoped! In the few years I've used this style box in my yard, the house has been host to Bluebirds, Downy Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, and various Sparrows. I absolutely love watching moms and dads flying back and forth, making the nest, then feeding the little ones. So much fun!

If you're looking for a sturdy, handmade birdhouse that will add beauty to your yard or garden, benefit a variety of feathered friends, and entertain you, this is the one! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Materials – White Pine, stainless steel hardware, stain & spar urethane (on exterior only)

Dimensions & Features –
-Interior dimensions – 4-1/2” side-to-side, 5” front to back, 7” floor to peak
-Entrance – 1-9/16” in diameter; Predator Guard over entrance
-Drainage slot in each corner of floor
-Ventilation slots at the top of the house
-Unfinished interior, safe for baby birds
-“Ladder” etched into interior of door, to help fledglings climb to the entrance on their first day of flight school

Finishes – The interior of the box is unfinished and safe for birds – no glue, no stain or paint, no sealer inside the house. The exterior of the house is finished in two shades of stain and sealed with four coats of spar urethane. (i.e., the stuff a wooden boat is finished with) The result is long-lasting color and protection from the elements.

Ease of Use – This house comes with everything needed to mount to a post, tree (without harm to the tree), or flat surface such as a shed wall, or hang from a hook or tree branch. (A screwdriver is the only tool needed and only if you choose to mount to a flat wall.) The house comes equipped with a stainless steel chain, as well as a French cleat system and heavy-duty exterior Velcro to make mounting the box quick and easy wherever you choose to place it.

The front door is attached with a stainless steel hinge and spring latch. The door opens at the top of the house, rather than the bottom, so it's safe check for eggs without losing any, and without having to dig though the bottom of the nest. The hinged door also makes cleaning the house simple.

Visitors you can expect – This house can be buying home to Bluebirds (Eastern, Western, and Mountain), Swallows, Chickadees, Nuthatches, Wrens, Sparrows, and, Titmouses. (The visitors you host depends on where you live and the placement of the box. I suggest you refer to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website for more information: www.allaboutbirds.org.)

Inspiration – I love animals and have been feeding the birds for years. When I read about the decrease in natural nesting sites available, I thought I'd plant a few pines and put up a birdhouse or two to give a few pairs of feathered newlyweds a place to raise their families.
I love wood and feel strongly about replenishing what I use. I had a tough time finding bird houses made from a tree I personally could plant. My other frustration was that most of the houses I looked at (and a few I bought) were a big pain to put up. Very few came “ready to use” with everything needed to mount it. Finally, there seemed to be a lot of unfinished brown birdhouses, which quickly becomes unfinished gray. I've got nothing against brown – heck, chocolate is brown – but since birds see color like we do, certainly they might enjoy a little variety. (Having said that, I did include a stain combination of two rich warm brown colors.)

So, I set to making colorfully finished nesting homes that came with everything needed to mount right out of the box, and from a tree I could plant, one that would grow to maturity in my lifetime, and provide many birds some shelter just by growing. My birdhouses are made from beautiful White Pine and as a part of my business process, I plant at least one (usually more, just in case) every year. I followed the guidelines for size and features given on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Audubon Society websites. This house comes with everything needed to mount to a post or tree, without damaging the tree, or to a flat surface such as a shed wall. (Ok, you'll need a screwdriver if you mount on a flat wall.) They're easy to put up, easy to use, are safe, secure homes for birds, and they're really pretty in your yard.

I've been using these houses (along with a few other types I make) in my Ohio yard for several years and they definitely last. I usually end up with 2 families each year, one in the spring, one in the early summer (cleaning out the house between each group). In the fall I empty the box again, which is super easy because the hinged front door swings open by just releasing the latch. I leave it out all winter in case there are some birds that need a roosting site during the cold months, then start all over in the spring.

I hope you enjoy your new Nesting Box as much as the birds do. It's a ton of fun to watch a feathered family flourish. If you have any questions, just let me know. Thanks for visiting my shop! Happy Birding!