Wooden Bird House Plans

How To Select Wooden Bird House Plans

Steve Jennings — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 22:16:44 +0000

You can find wooden bird house plans in a variety of ways, and some are actually free. A lot of bird watching sites online offer plans free of charge to those who desire to attract a specific classification of bird to their yard. This is an excellent way to build a bird sanctuary and gives people a chance to watch birds while in the comfort of their own homes.

Bird houses are also great for birds on the endangered species list because they are able to live in a environment that is safe for them to nest. Because of suburban areas undergoing construction, birds have been frequently forced to leave their natural nesting places. For some species, specifically the bluebird, this has created a big problem as populations in recent years have decline rapidly.

Taking Care of The House

You can use any classification of wood to build wooden bird houses. However, some types are more preferred than others, specifically those that repel insects. A natural repellent for insects is cedar wood, and therefore is a great option to build bird houses because it will be more attractive to birds. Before deciding on any bird house building plans, it is important to consider what type of bird you want to attract to your yard.

Wooden bird house plans sometimes can be designed specifically for smaller or larger birds. Also, placing the bird house on a post or pole is included in some plans so no other creatures are able to get easy access to it. This way, the mother and her eggs will not be disturbed.

The location of the bird house is more of an issue with some birds than others. For instance, some birds require a nesting area big enough to avoid competing against other birds from the same species. When acquiring bird house plans, a good idea is to plan on building multiple bird houses since there are additional creatures who would like to make a bird house as their home.

One bird house would be used of course for a bird, while the other could become a home for a squirrel or another creature. Placement of the bird house is another factor to consider when building a bird house. You want to place it in a spot where the birds don’t have to go far to get food and other materials for their nest. You want it to be protected from the elements, such as rain and wind, and placed in an area where the birds can enjoy the environment.

Bluebird House Placement: What Environments Are Best?

Steve Jennings — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 00:36:56 +0000

Bluebirds are more selective than other species when it comes to the location where they build their nest. Bluebirds usually use trees with holes in them created by as a woodpecker, or trees that are rotted with holes as a place to live. However, due to the housing developments in suburban communities, many of these natural homes are being eliminated. The bluebird population has declined because of this. The building of bluebird houses is being promoted by bird lovers, and they also have educated people on placement so this wonderful species will be attracted to nest in yards and gardens. Bluebirds require specific features in order to live and nest in an area, so bluebird house placement is critical.

Features

When searching for a location for a bluebird house, you will want to keep a few thoughts in mind. First, bluebirds generally will avoid nesting in urban areas. Also, the grass in the area should be cut low so the bluebirds can perch on top of a bush or tree and scour the lawn for insects.

Even though they need trees, bushes, and cleared areas, the placement of the bird house should about at a minimum 100 feet from the wooded area. Wren reside in these areas and will take over bluebird nests, so it is wise to keep any bird houses away from them. Sparrow nest in farmyards and barns, and like Wren will take over bluebird houses so keep this in mind as well. The bluebird house placement is a critical part of the process.

Open areas such as orchards, cemeteries, fields, fence row, among others are excellent locations for bluebird house placement. Highways and pasture land have open areas near them as well. Bluebirds don’t like residing with other bluebirds as they are territorial, so you will need to place the house at least 100 yards from any other house.

An idea worth considering is building two houses near one another approximately 5-15 feet apart, one for bluebirds and another for sparrows or other species. This way they won’t disturb the bluebirds since they will have their own house. Other creatures, like squirrels for example, will always attempt to use bird houses as their habitat. You will need to have a plan for when this happens by having multiple bird houses available for them to use.

Bird House Building Kits

Steve Jennings — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 22:50:21 +0000

Bird house building kits come in a number of styles and levels of difficulty in terms of putting them together. Some kits are designed for children, while other kits are specific to skilled craftsmen. You can purchase kits in stores and online. Because there is less overhead with online stores, they are able to offer goods and lower costs than retail stores. Online stores don’t have retail stores to manage and employees to pay. When the buyer purchases a product online, it goes straight from the manufacturer to their house.

Checking the Kit

If you are buying a bird house building kit for children, be sure to check the recommended ages to make sure they fall in the range. You would be hard pressed to find a bird house kit recommended to anyone under seven years old. Bird house kits for children from ages 7-10 as you can imagine are typically the easiest to work with. They require only a few tools and provide instructions that children at these ages can comprehend.

If you are a parent, carefully check the bird house kits to see if everything needed to complete the project is present, or if you need additional materials. Make sure you have the screwdriver and hammer that the kit requires. Always check and make sure the kit provides all the necessary materials to complete the project, regardless if it’s for children or adults.

To create a great environment for the birds, purchasing a kit with cedar wood is encouraged. The reason is cedar is a repellent for insects, which means it would protect the bird house from all types of insects. Also see what species of birds will be able to nest in the type of house you are considering buying.

For instance, several bird house building kits are specific for bids of average size, such as chickadees. Some kits are specifically designed to meet the needs of a species like the bluebird. Before you purchase a kit, know the size of the birds in your area to make sure it is the right fit for them. You don’t want a bird house that the birds have a tough time getting into.

Build a Carolina Wren Bird House for Your Backyard

Steve Jennings — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 21:30:05 +0000

Are you interested in building a wren bird house? Do you want a place in your backyard for wren birds and other species to flock to when hungry? This will not only be wonderful for the birds, but for you as well since you can watch birds come in and eat inside the bird house. If you have children, you can get them to help you build a Carolina wren bird house. If they are old enough, you can have them do some of the cutting or more advanced aspects of the project. Otherwise, you can assign them safer tasks to ensure their safety.

The first step when getting started is to get Carolina wren bird house plans. You can get the plans online or draw them up yourself if you have that capability. Most people will choose to get plans rather than draw them up. This way you aren’t starting at the very beginning from scratch, while still being able to find a bird house plan that you want.

Once you have gathered a Carolina wren bird house plan and all the resources needed, you are now ready to actually start building it.

Decorating Ideas

When you are building a Carolina wren bird house, you have the opportunity to get as creative as you want. One idea that is used by some is to build the build house as a miniature version of your actual house. This is a fun idea, and you are free to add as much detail as you want to make it resemble your home as much as possible. Kids will love doing a project like this with you.

When painting the wren bird house, you will have your choice of colors and types of paint to select from. This gives you great freedom when decorating. Be sure to have everything you need before getting started with painting. Also, don’t forget to select paint that is weather resistant since it will be exposed to all types of winter of the course of time.

Tips For Growing Bird House Gourds

Steve Jennings — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 16:58:07 +0000

Much needs to be thought out when growing bird house gourds. However, growing bottle gourds or other bird house gourds aren’t very difficult if that is what you are considering doing. The reason being is because you can easily grow these on fences and trellises. Once you harvest and dry them, then you can build the ideal bird house for a variety of species, including purple martins and swallows.

Grow In The Hills

You can grow bird house gourds in a number of places. However, to avoid the gourds flattening out and possibly rotting, hills are a great location because the gourds will not be left lying on the ground. If you choose a hill as the location for growing bird house gourds, think about using several inches of hay to use as mulch so the gourds are assured not to touch the ground.

The limited amount of frost on hills also makes it a great area for growing bird house gourds, since they are able to manage a small amounts. After they have been harvested, the gourds will need to be placed in a location that is dry and cool so they can properly dry out. Hearing sounds of the seeds within the gourd are a sign that they are completely dry. The process of the gourds drying could take a few months to complete, so some patience will be required.

Before starting the process of decorating, the outermost shell of the gourds will need to be removed after growing, harvesting, and drying them out completely. Using wax, or perhaps varnish, will provide the gourd with the protection necessary in order to decorate them well.

Gourds that are decorated well make building a beautiful bird house much easier. You can complete the remaining part of the job without much hassle if you have fundamental building skills to do so. This will require you to use some creativity when designing the bird house. Once you have finished, the bird house gourd can be hung in your garden or from a tree. By varnishing the gourd, you will enable it to last for a much longer time.

Drying bird house gourds is an area to really focus in on. Drying it will require you to exercise some patience since no shortcuts are available during this process. You will be far more likely to get the results you want when you give the right amount of time for them to dry.

Decorative Bird House Plans: Looks And Functionality

Steve Jennings — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 23:27:38 +0000

A lot of people who build bird houses are primarily focused on functionality. Whether or not this is achieved is based on the carpentry skills and tools one possesses. Others want to build a bird house based on the type of bird they want to attract. For instance, if you want to draw bluebirds, you would build a bird house that is conducive for bluebirds. This requires great attention to detail. However, for the bird house builders that are more creative and perhaps more skilled in carpentry, they build bird houses that are not only functional, but beautiful as well. This requires decorative bird house plans.

Ideas

Decorative bird houses sometimes are meant to be grouped together. This is ideal for birds who like to nest in a flock. Any object that appears naturally in a cluster can be used as a model for building bird houses in this style. Some examples of decorative bird house plans include banana bird houses, grape bird houses, acorn bird houses, and more.

Other decorative bird house plans are designed to look like smaller versions of actual homes. They may even be as detailed as having an archway entry and a front porch. A person may actually create a miniature version of the home they live in. Design and carpentry skills are required to utilize these decorative bird house plans, which include complex detail and artwork to add style to the bird house.

Decorative bird house plans may also include using specific materials that add to the style of the bird house. For example, a copper material may be used for the roofing of the bird house. This adds some decor and gives the bird house some uniqueness. Some are created to sit high attached to a pole to make it difficult for predators to get to, yet still remain attractive for birds.

Decorative bird house plans can sometimes include the bird house taking on the appearance of a castle, with it sitting on top of a pole. This symbolizes a real castle located on the edge of a cliff. Others have been made to appear as an old style school house, and some to look like a small, country church. The ideas for these type of bird houses are almost unlimited, but whatever style is used will add some beauty and make them more attractive for birds.

Bird House Building Plans

Steve Jennings — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 22:08:13 +0000

Quite a few bird house building plans can currently be found on the market. Depending on where you get them from, they can be free or come with a price. These plans will often be packaged in a kit, but can also come as a decorative bird house plan. This is so that the bird house can not only be built properly, but also to add some decor to the garden area or yard. Be sure to determine whether the area your live in is suitable for birds before selecting a bird house building plan.

If your area isn’t conducive for birds, consider planing some flowers and bushes in your yard so birds can have greater access to insects. Also, birds will likely in general be more attracted to your yard. Planting trees might also help draw more birds. The area around your house must be favorable to feeding patterns of the various types of birds, otherwise the birds will not likely come to your yard.

Other Planning

When you have turned your yard into a bird friendly area, the next step is to determine the species of bird you want to attract. You will choose the bird house building plans based on this decision. Specific types of birds, such as bluebirds, require plans designed for them. Quite often, many species will use the same kind of bird house, so building more than one bird house is encouraged so there are places for other birds and creatures to live.

The next step is to purchase the materials after selecting the bird house building plans. Cedar is arguably the best wood to use for building bird houses because of its sturdiness and resistance towards insects. In addition to building materials, a pole or post will need to be purchased if you plan on attaching the bird house to it, to keep away the predators and limit any disturbances.

When the bird house has been built and the birds or creatures have used it as a nest for a season, you will need to clean it out to get it ready for the following season. This process involves emptying the house of all materials used for nesting and using a 10% bleach solution to clean it out.

How To Make Bird House Gourds

Steve Jennings — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 01:09:31 +0000

Gourds can be used to make excellent bird houses, which of course are structures used by birds and possibly other creatures a nest or habitat. For home owners, this is a fun way to bird watch. If you have the necessary abilities to build a bird house, then you should consider learning about building bird house gourds properly if you haven’t already done so. With the right skills and resources, building a simple bird house doesn’t require a great deal of effort and is relatively inexpensive.

Gourds can be found easily from sprucing up a garden since they grow in soil. Their brilliant colors and unique markings make them fairly easy to identify. Depending on the situation, a gourd may actually resemble an alien from outer space, especially late in the summer when their appearance is very alluring.

Basics Of Growing Gourds

The first step then is to understand the fundamentals of producing gourds. Once you have learned this process, then you can focus on building bird house gourds. The key is to have the right gourd, and if you do then you can create a bird house gourd without much difficulty. It is simply a matter of completing several basic tasks. As a matter of fact, creating a bird house gourd is a process similar to working with wood.

The first part of the process involving the creation of bird house gourds is to pour warm water into a pale with soap. Then, you want to place the gourds in the water and let them soak for approximately 30 minutes. Next, take the gourds out and scrub them until they are completely clean. Dry the gourds and choose the ones that are the size you want for the bird house you want to build.

The preferred size of gourds is a diameter in the range of 8-14 inches. Be sure that the walls of the bird house have the correct size when creating a bird house gourd. To provide sufficient warmth in the bird house, be sure that the walls are approximately 1/4 inch thick. You will also want to make a hole for the birds to be able to enter and exit. Adding a hole on the bottom is also encouraged to allow drainage.

The gourds should also be cleaned out. Remove any seeds and dust present. Copper sulfate might need to be used in order for the gourds to be usable long term. Finally, the bird house gourd can be painted. If you plan on hanging it, then you can make a hole at the top of it and insert a wire so it can be hanged.

Go through plans extensively before going further if you want to build a wren bird hoυse. By doing so, you will build a great home for wren and maximize your efforts.

An Overview of The Different Types Of Wooden Bird House Kits

Steve Jennings — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:33:15 +0000

The most common classification of bird houses available today are wooden bird house kits. In most cases, they are simple to build and relatively inexpensive. Children’s groups can use wooden bird house kits since only a few tools, such as a screwdriver and hammer, are needed to complete the project. The directions provided are easy enough for children to comprehend.

Each species of birds requires a bird house building plan specifically designed for their needs. For instance, bluebird house kits are available for those wanting to attract bluebirds. Cedar wood, because of its resistance to insects, is generally used for wooden bird house kits. However, you can find bird houses made of all different kinds of wood. You can choose whatever type of wood you want for your bird house.

Options

Currently on the market, you will find multiple kinds of wooden bird house kits: multifamily bird houses, bird feeder kits, and single family bird houses. While all these kits have similar features, they also have differences in style. The simplest to build are the single bird house kits, since all it consists of is a little box with a hole present in the front for the birds to enter and exit, and holes on top and bottom for drainage and ventilation purposes.

The wooden bird house kits generally have a roof slightly slanted to force the water to drain into the bird house. A wood plank is also present at the back of the bird house so it can be attached to a tree or post to hang for the birds to nest in.

The multifamily wooden bird house kits are a bit more complicated to construct. Instead of having only one piece of wood for the roof, it now has at the minimum two pieces in order for the water to slide to either side.

Also, these bird houses have not one, but two or more entrances in front. This is so more than one bird can go in and a time while having separate areas to build a nest. This bird house has a flat back as well to hang it from a post or tree, to enable birds to be nearby while nesting. The birds are also closer to the materials used for nesting so they don’t have to travel as far when nest building.

The Various Types of Bluebird House Design

Steve Jennings — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 22:42:02 +0000

You can design a bluebird house in a variety of ways. Some designs are very simple, so much so that almost anyone can create them. These simple designs are usually in the form of a kit, which provides the builder with the materials and instructions necessary for building a bluebird house. Other kits might have instructions that call the builder to get materials elsewhere and cut them into the proper sizes. More skill and experience is required on the builder’s part for these plans, since one will have to use carpentry skills and use more advanced tools to get the project done right.

Steps tο Take

Before you start the process of building a bluebird house, scour the area to figure out where the best location would be for the house. Be sure the environment is adequate for bluebirds, as they can be very selective when choosing places to nest. They will ignore areas that don’t supply all their needs. There must be a supply of insects readily available for the bluebirds to feed on, meaning the grass and bushes should be cut low.

Moreover, having trees and bushes in the vicinity gives bluebirds a high place to sit at while they look for insects. Bluebirds use soft grass or pine needles as nesting material, so you want these to be nearby so they don’t have to go far when building a nest. Generally, over a hundred trips is needed for birds to get this done.

Bluebird house designs sometimes include details to keep sparrows from being able to nest in them. Sparrows prefer a similar environment for nesting as bluebirds, and will frequently force their way into the house of bluebirds. One way of keeping sparrows out is buy having a slot entrance, as opposed to a round one. Sparrows don’t like slots entrances, while bluebirds prefer them.

Furthermore, designs for bluebird houses call for a more shallow depth than conventional bird houses. Bluebird houses should have a depth of approximately 5 inches, as opposed to 8-10 inches. Sparrows prefer bigger houses, and as a result they will stay away from bluebird houses.

Besides keeping sparrows away, it is also important to deter any predators such as squirrels, snakes, and raccoons away from bluebird houses. A certain lip is located at the bottom of the house in these plans to create difficulty for any predator to climb the pole and get in the nest.