How many Bird Houses?? (4 Viewers)

[The Merlin]

The Bluebird pairs are my sentimental favorites cause they've been with me for three years and have had the greatest success rate. They've fledged 14 chicks in a box in a field behind my house. :t:

Hey, Gaye Horne, do have a picture of your Flicker Boxes cause I would love to have a Flicker Boxes!!! Only problem is that the Yellow Shafted Flickers are rarely around.

Red-billed Woodhoepoes, if I'm not mistaken, aren't those Toucan type birds??? I love Birds!!!! Gorgeous birds!!!!!:bounce:

 

[LuBird]

Andrew, my Ortho. book said in addition to the problems you mentioned, birds are at risk from toxic fumes as well as oily residues getting on their feathers.

The only thing I don't understand is "Bird and Blooms' always has articles in their magazine showing folks building and painting birdhouses using regular housepaint.

 

[Andrew]

LuBird,

I reckon these people are building the boxes for themselves not to help birds. If they were genuine they wouldn't even have the small ones on show but tuck them away in a bush lined fence or behind a tree where disturbance is minimal.

 

[Stuart]

A few tips Ive picked up from friends and my own experience!! Dont always worry about building them to set guideline's, build them in various size's big n small, try drilling the entrance hole on the side instead of the front ( a nuthatch took to it very well ).Ply is the best material, but if you have it, any ruff timber is better than nothing!!When positioning your boxes, if possible try and put them in groups of three's, because normally in the Uk you will have blue tit and great tit first holding territory in that order.Which leave's the third as spare for the late arriving migrant's, hopefully something like pied fly !! On the tree it self, try avoiding putting it at a height that is both out of reach of trouble and easy enough for you to reach with a ladder, because it's nice to check your birdbox's during the season to see if you are lucky and also then to clean them out at the end of the year.Try and face them away from rain and too much sun and Ive found that by positioning the entrance near a branch make's it popular for bird's because they can use it as a look out, before they dive in!! Ive mentioned it before, but make sure you clean them out at the end of the season, because they are full of nasties and bug's ......so wear glove's!!

They bring you a lot of joy, but also take up some time, hope these points may spur some people in to putting up lot's of box's.

 

[paula]

I agree with all that Stuart had to say!
Marine ply is ply that is better waterproofed I believe, they use it for building boats! I have protected my birdboxes on the outside with some green bio-does-not-harm-anyone type of protective coat of paint but nothing on the inside.

 

[Chicaddd]

Hi Merlin. I have bird houses that are filled with House sparrows. The thing is that I did not put them up myself, they were here when I moved in to this house. I plan on putting up some by myself when I move to the next house. I had thought of it here but there does not seem to be a good area in this yard. The good areas are already 'moved' in to. 3

 

[colinandalex]

Merlin

Red-Billed Woodhoopoes (Phoeniculus purpureus) have apparently been renamed Green Woodhoopoes.
I found some pictures at http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Farm/2636/ASRedbill.html This is not my site, or my pics so I can't post them directly.

Unfortunately they didn't stick around very long in the nest box. They put a hole through the top and promptly moved out!