Functional Birdhouses

Functional Birdhouses

Many birdhouses are cute and decorated appealingly, but lack features needed to make them functional for your feathered friends. Birds can be very picky when it comes to choosing where to build their nests.

Birdhouses don't have to be fancy, in fact birds prefer houses that are simply made. Plain wood with a light coat of weatherproof stain or latex paint will do just fine. It's best to buy one that opens up for easy cleaning. Birds like a clean house to start their nests each spring. Some type of extension in front of the entry hole will make the hole to deep and will offer protection from intruders. A perch is also important for sitting on while feeding the youngsters.

Height above the ground also needs to be considered. Different birds require and prefer to be higher up than others. Always hang birdhouses high enough to prevent predators from jumping onto them from below. Sometimes no matter what you do, birds will still fall prey to an over head flying hawk.

Birds not using birdhouses for nesting, will often build in openings or knots in decaying trees or rocky crevices. These places don't offer much in the way of protection for the birds and often become prey for racoons or opossum.

Birdhouses can be multi - tiered, a mansion style for the purple martins or wall or post- mounted. Some are made using gourds, hollowed out from a log or even woven from willow tree branches and made into a basket. Bring birds to your backyard haven and preserve some of nature. Which ever birdhouse theme or style you choose... remember all things in nature need some place to call home!