Unwanted Bird House Visitors

Are There Unwanted Bird House Visitors?

Watch the nest for 20-30 minutes. If you don't see or hear any birds near the box, go over and tap on the box. If you hear bird sounds, open the top and take a quick peek inside. If everything is all right, close the box. If you see problems (parasites or predators), remove them and close the box.

A bird house with easy access makes the job simple. Most bird houses can be opened from the top, the side, the front or the bottom. Boxes that open from the top and the front provide the easiest access. Opening the box from the top is less likely to disturb nesting birds. It's impossible to open a box from the bottom without the nest falling out. While side- and front-opening boxes are convenient for cleaning and monitoring, they have one drawback: the nestlings may jump out. If this happens, don't panic. Pick them up and put them back in the nest. Don't worry that the adults will reject the nestlings if you handle them. That's a myth; most birds have a terrible sense of smell.

If you clean out your nest boxes after each brood has fledged, several pairs may use the nest throughout the summer. Some cavity-nesting birds will not nest again in a box full of old nesting material.

In the fall, after you've cleaned out your nest box for the last time, you can put it in storage or leave it out. Gourds and pottery last longer if you take them in for the winter. You can leave your purple martin houses up, but plug the entrance holes to discourage starlings and house sparrows.

Leaving your wood and concrete houses out provides shelter for birds, flying squirrels and other animals during winter. Each spring, thoroughly clean all houses left out for the winter.

Limiting Predator Access

Proper box depth, and roof and entrance hole design will help reduce access by predators, such as raccoons, cats, opossums, and squirrels. Sometimes all it takes is an angled roof with a three-inch overhang to discourage small mammals.

The entrance hole is the only thing between a predator and a bird house full of nestlings. By itself, the 3/4-inch wall is not wide enough to keep out the arm of a raccoon or house cat. Add a predator guard (a 3/4-inch thick rectangular wood block with an entrance hole cut in it) to thicken the wall and you'll discourage sparrows, starlings, and cats.

Bird House Placement

Where you put your bird house is as important as its design and construction. Cavity-nesting birds are very particular about where they live. If you don't have the right habitat, the birds are not likely to find the house. You can modify your land to attract the birds you want to see by putting out a bird bath, planting fruit-bearing shrubs, including more trees or installing a pond with a waterfall.

Once you've matched up the light bird house with the appropriate habitat, you have to know where to put the nest box. Should you hang it from a tree limb, nail it to a fence or mount it on a pole or a tree trunk?

Most species require a fairly narrow range of heights for nest boxes. After checking the table in this brochure, pick a height that's convenient for you. After all, you will want to watch what goes on and keep the box clean. If you want to watch chickadees from your second floor window or deck, fifteen feet is reasonable but it's a lot easier to clean out a box at eye level.

Here are some tips on where to put bird houses:

• Don't put bird houses near bird feeders.
• Houses mounted on metal poles are less vulnerable to predators than houses nailed to tree trunks or hung from tree limbs.
• Use no more than four small nest boxes or one large box per acre for any one species.
• Put about 100 yards between bluebird boxes and 75 yards between swallow boxes. (If you have both species, pair the houses with one bluebird box 25 feet from a swallow box.)
• Don't put more than one box in a tree unless the tree is extremely large or the boxes are for different species.
• If you have very hot summers, face the entrance holes of your boxes north or east to avoid overheating the box.

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