Tips For Attracting Birds to Bird Houses

Cavity Nesting Birds are simply birds that build nests, lay eggs and raise young inside sheltered chambers, natural or abandoned cavities or man made birdhouses.

Kyle's First Bird House He Built.  Family Nest Every Year

Over the years of making and selling birdhouses the most common questions I get are:  When do birds use bird houses?  What is the best time to put up bird houses?  How can I attract birds to my bird house?

When Birds Use Bird Houses

Different birds nest at different times, the earliest nesting birds may begin investigating potential nest sites and bird houses as part of their courtship as early as January or February. Other birds may not nest until later in the season, but they may still use the available houses as shelters from predators, cold temperatures and poor weather both before and after the nesting season. 

Best Time to Put Up Bird Houses

There is no bad time to put up bird houses!  Put them up is as soon as you have them available.  The tips below will help you attract birds to your bird houses.

Tips for Attracting Birds to Bird Houses

No matter when you put up bird houses, there are ways to make them more attractive to birds looking for a home for their new family.

• Choose a safe bird house design (three elements are critical for safety: drainage, ventilation and floor size) that will protect the nesting birds from poor weather and predators.
   
• Check that the entrance hole size is appropriate for the birds you want to use the house so larger, more aggressive birds cannot take over.  Make sure its perch free!! 
   
• Position the bird house carefully so it is sheltered from inclement weather but not too far from food to help overworked parents.
   
• Clean out the bird house after the nest is empty or at the end of the nesting season to keep it from harboring mice or parasites that can harm birds.  In order to clean it out, make sure it has a removable bottom, top or side panel.
   
• Take steps to attract birds to your yard by providing a water source, natural plants that supply food and include offering nesting material to make the overall habitat ideal for nesting birds.

http://charswildart.blogspot.com/search/label/birds for more details on purchasing a safe bird house design, or to identify the birds visiting your yard

http://www.50birds.com/birdhouses/bird-species-that-nest-in-birdhouses.htm  for a list of 70 birds that nest in bird houses or on platforms

http://www.shermanstreetdesign.com/bird-houses.html safe bird houses made by Sherman Street Design