Article brought to you by Best Garden Bird Houses
Before you buy a bird house for your garden you want to be sure it not only looks good but provides a safe home for wild birds to rest and to nest. Check out our ten tips below and be sure that the bird house you buy is appropriate for the wild birds you would like to attract to your garden.
Birds nest boxes do not need perches. In the wild birds that nest in holes in trees do not use perches so your bird house does not need them.
An entrance holes should be between 1″ and 1 1/2″ in diameter. A larger hole will allow invasive species such as starlings into the bird house.
The inside of the bird box should be at least 4″ by 4″ to allow room for young birds to develop.
There should be at least 5″ between the floor and the entrance hole to keep predators from the box and to prevent the young from falling out of the hole.
Bird boxes can get very hot in the summer months especially if they have metal roofs so there must be ventilation holes or slits to allow air circulation
There should be a flap to open the box enough to be able to clean it out at the end of the season.
Holes in the bottom of the box are essential to allow any rain water to run out.
Either a hook on the top for hanging or a way to attach the bird box to a post or tree must be provided
Wood is the best choice of material for a bird box as it provides insulation in winter and keeps cool in the summer. Purple martin bird houses are the exception to this as they are usually made from metal.
A overhanging roof is a good idea as it provides shade for the entrance hole and helps tp keep the rain out.
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