Wednesday, May 1, 2024

Bluebird Houses: The Definitive Guide 7 FREE Plans!

bluebird bird house plans

The box uses the Gilbertson conduit/rebar mounting system. All the design plans and nest box photos are provided with the kind permission of Fred Stille Sr.  You can visit his website for many more good bluebird house designs. Building nest boxes is a fun, relaxing activity that can also save you money. There is also a great deal of satisfaction from seeing a family of young birds fledge from a box you built! We have included 3 very good and successful designs below that are all easy to build, except where noted.

Bluebird House Plans

Alas, while I can remember how I managed to fit all thistogether so that the inner bird box was �tight� and relatively seamless thedescription of the process is daunting. The online plans were impressive and I became intrigued enough to give it ago since I live on the coast in Low Country South Carolina where�yeah�it getshot. A paper model is a good way to test for best size of circle and slice ofmaterial to cut for the desired cone. The deflector cone is made by cutting a slice out of a flat circle ofaluminum material and the cone is formed when the slice is pinched backtogether. Official temperatures are measured in open shade 1.5 meters above the ground. Mark says he has never painted a box before, but so much time and effort wentinto this project, that he wanted it to last.

Tip #4: Give appropriate spacing between pairs of nest boxes.

bluebird bird house plans

They had successfully nested for several years in a nest box attached tothe down spout on our front porch. Nest boxes can also be made from PVC pipe or plastic buckets, but those aredifferent plans to be covered later. A second hole may prevent the strongest chick from dominating access at theentrance hole.

bluebird bird house plans

Hanging Western Bluebird Nest Box

The roof is positioned with the hanger wire over the center of the cavity and the front large overhang. Fill the joint gaps or surface holes with the use of DAP or wood filler and sand smooth. Hang the birds nest box 8 feet or more above the ground away from trees or structures with the bird hole away from the wind. This birdhouse plan has vents across the front and both sides.

Will Hummingbirds Use A Birdhouse?

Some examples of predator guards are conebaffles or metal/PVC sleeves around the pole, tree, or post the house is mounted on. The wood should be at least 3/4 inches thick to provide insulation from heatand cold. I simply drilled a few drain holes in the bottom and an entry hole on theside. There were at least four young fledged from the nest that year. They onlyhung aroundfor a day or two after they fledged, and it was very confusing when other adultsand possibly other young birds came to the box.

You can paint the exterior of this bird nest box using a sealant or water-based light colored paint for extending the lifespan of the box. I have a bit of a shop most of which I inheritedfrom my dad (who could design and make furniture) and a sufficient amount ofacceptable scrap wood. I studied Mark LaTorre�s plans repeatedly and decided notto try to find and figure out the placement of the metal-backed insulationalthough clearly that would be an additional asset. Follow the link above to check out  how he installed the washer anddonut cover over the entrance hole. The photo shows the inner Lauan box inside the outer box, with the insulation, spacers and air space. Also notice the pocket screws usedto hold the sides to the bottom.

Building birdhouses — a good indoor winter activity - Manitobe Co-Operator

Building birdhouses — a good indoor winter activity.

Posted: Wed, 20 Mar 2019 07:00:00 GMT [source]

It’s not uncommon to find a bluebird that has been savagely killed by a House Sparrow or European Starling. Although basic, this DIY picket fence Bluebird house is a fun afternoon project. It’s relatively easy to make, costs very little, and will provide a nice new home for any Bluebird family. Youtuber DIY with Wayne has a great way of explaining and, to help you even more, has a link to free PDF plans. This would be a great project for a parent to create with their child and teach them proper tool handling basics.

How to Make a DIY Bluebird House

It can be just a few boxes on your private property, or the trail canbe miles long and have 100s of boxes on public land. We highly recommend the Stokes Complete Guide to Attracting Bluebirds. Nestlings in dark colored boxes were in poorer condition thanthose in light colored boxes, due toheat stress (Docfile). Some have even gone so far as to say that it is better to take down all yourboxes than to let House Sparrows breed in them.

Replace 4x4 Nest Box with 6 1/2-9 1/2 inch Log

When fresh, it has a repellent effect on some insect pests. Cover the roof with the asphalt shingle, using 3/4" roofing nails; the shingle should extend 1/4 " over each side. Ok - so you've found some acorns that just fell on the ground and you want to grow and germinate them to get your own tree. Many predators will attack, destroy, and eat Bluebird hatchlings. Although the best predicator of fledgling (baby bird success) is coordinated defense from both male and female [2], we can aid their chances through intelligent design and features [3].

If you think it can help others, please share these 14 bluebird house plans you can build today on Facebook and Twitter. That’s the reason we included these plans from Youtuber Dean Rust. What you’ll do is add a skylight to your Bluebird house.

Here arerobin nest shelf plans made easily from one 1"x10"x4' board. The plans can be used to attract either Western or Eastern Bluebirds. Attract these beautiful birds to your yard with this well-designed house. Also consider adding bee, bat, or owl boxes if you have a larger property. Eastern bluebirds may nest as early as February and continue until early fall, raising two to three broods each year. Pivot screws, driven into the front piece from the bottom of both sides, allow the front to open easily for checking and cleaning.

Some woodworkers may prefer to drill strategically located holes for ventilation and leave floor panels whole. Only then did I bore my holes in that back piece, add my spacers, and thensecure it to the back of the �outer� box. If you can follow that then bless you.If not, ask someone to hold your beer and you can figure it out�probably better. In fact we already have a pair of bluebirds checking it out. Here is a few pics ofthe house in the making and finished and mounted. Bluebirds eggs and nestlings can tolerate temperatures above 104� F for shorttimes, but temperatures above 107� F will kill them.

This chart has bird house dimensions and hole sizes for 34 species. Many birds build nests in the trees and shrubs, but what is usually missingfrom many urban areas are potential nest cavities in the form of dead trees. The potential high temperatures in the nest box should always be a consideration for bluebird box designs and placement.

When making bird houses, the thickness of the stock determines the thermalinsulation of the next box. A growing brood of Tree Swallows becomes too crowded in the small bluebirdnest box and that reduces their nesting success. I chopped a two foot section from the downed tree with the idea that Icould make two nest boxes. Many of the nest boxes I built in the past were made of plywood, because Ialways had scraps of plywood handy.

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