Bird House Kits Blog » Bluebird House

Measuring for Success: Bluebird House Dimensions

admin — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:58:57 +0000

There are many different styles of birdhouse kits on the market today. The kits can be found in specialty birdhouses, such as those that are decorative as well as functional. They can also be designed for a particular species of birds, such as for bluebirds, since they are more particular than others. The dimensions of a bird house will either attract or deter different species of birds. There are some birds that prefer to nest in a deep environment and others that like to nest in a very shallow environment. There are also birds that like to barely be able to squeeze through the hole to the birdhouse and others that need a more open environment. The entrance to the house may also be a slit instead of a round hole because certain birds prefer that and it will deter others from entering.

Bluebirds

Bluebirds are a more particular species of bird as far as their nesting environment goes. If the environment is not right then they will refuse to nest at all. Bluebirds will, in their natural environment, take the holes that were made by a woodpecker or a hole in a rotten trunk of a tree and make that into a nest. In the sprawling urban growth, this environment is being destroyed so that they are left without a place to nest. These birds are not able to build nests from scratch without a ‘container’ of sorts in which to place the nest materials.

The bluebird house dimensions are important to deter other birds from entering and to attract the bluebirds. The floor of the bluebird house should have the dimensions of five inches by five inches. This is a cozy size for the bluebirds who like to just be able to barely fit into the nesting area. The depth in the bluebird house dimensions is usually between six to ten inches. However, if sparrows are a problem in the environment where the birdhouse will be placed, the depth should be decreased to make it less attractive to the sparrows. Reducing the depth to about five inches is usually adequate to deter the sparrows, but it can be reduced to about three and a half inches if needed. Bluebird house dimensions of this shallow depth will still be used by bluebirds which do not mind a shallow nesting environment.

In addition to the bluebird house dimensions, the house should also have a drainage hole or holes at the bottom and have ventilation holes near the top for proper air flow. The house should also be set on a pole or post rather than in a tree so that predators are less able to get into it.

Choosing the Right Bluebird House Location

admin — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:58:56 +0000

Bluebirds are usually more particular birds when it comes to their housing location. In the wild, these birds will choose to nest in old rotten trees where there are holes, or will choose to nest in the holes left by woodpeckers. In today’s society, the urban sprawl is reaching into the bluebird territories leaving the birds without a nesting environment. They are not like other birds that are able to make do with the materials around them to construct a nest. Instead, the bluebirds are particular and will refuse to nest at all if the location is not right.

Location and Size

The bluebird house dimensions also should be taken into account. The floor of the house should be about five inches by five inches. The depth of the house varies, but if there are sparrows in the area, the depth should be around five inches as well. Sparrows like to have a deeper nesting environment and will not nest in a shallow home. The bluebird house should also have a slit opening rather than a round hole because that also helps to deter the sparrows which will take over the bluebird nesting environment if they are allowed to do so.

The bluebird house location should be in an area that is not within a quarter of a mile from a farm or barn. These areas are too filled with sparrows in most cases and will not allow the bluebirds to nest in peace. The bluebird house location should also not be within one hundred feet of the tree line since that is where the wrens tend to live which will also take over the bluebird houses. The bluebird houses should not be placed within one hundred yards of each other since the birds are very territorial and will not nest within that amount of space from each other.

Even though that is the recommended distance between houses in bluebird house location, there should be two houses placed within five to fifteen feet from each other. One of these houses will be for the bluebirds and the other is for any creatures or birds that want to use it for their home. In this way, the person can help to prevent the bluebirds from being prevented from nesting because their houses are getting stolen by less particular creatures in the environment. There are also some bluebird houses that have a predator guard on the bottom of them which means there is a lip at the bottom of the house that is hard for the predator to get over when climbing the pole.

Different Types of Bluebird House Design

admin — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:58:55 +0000

There are different ways that a bluebird house can be designed. There are very simple designs that almost any person can create. These usually come in a kit that gives the person all of the materials and instructions that are needed for building the bluebird house. There are other instructions that require the individual to obtain the materials and cut them to the right sizes for the bluebird house design. These plans take more experience and skill than the kits since the person will have to use carpentry skills and tools to get the project done properly.

Steps to Take

When deciding to build a bluebird house, the person should thoroughly check the location for the bluebird house to make sure that it is already an adequate environment for bluebirds. Bluebirds are fairly picky when nesting and will avoid an area that is missing some of their requirements. The area must have low cut grass or low bushes that insects can live in so that the bluebirds can feed on them. In addition, there should be some bushes and trees nearby for the bluebirds to perch in while waiting to spot the insects. The nesting material required by the bluebirds is soft grasses or pine needles, so these materials should also be close by so that the birds do not have to travel as far when building the nest, which usually takes more than one hundred trips.

There are some bluebird house designs that are made to deter sparrows from nesting within it. Sparrows often like the same type of nesting environment as the bluebirds and will often take over the bluebird houses. The bluebird house designs that are made to deter them will often have a slot entrance rather than a round entrance. Bluebirds prefer the slot entrance to the round one and sparrows do not like the slot entrance at all. In addition, these bluebird house designs are often more shallow than a traditional birdhouse, measuring about five inches deep rather than eight to ten. This will also deter the sparrows from nesting since they prefer the deeper houses. There are some bluebird house designs that are made to deter predators to the bluebirds, such as squirrels, raccoons and snakes. These houses usually have a certain lip at the bottom of the house so that it is difficult for the predator to climb up the pole and get over the lip of the birdhouse to get into the nest.

Keeping Pests out! Sparrow Resistant Bluebird Houses

admin — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:58:54 +0000

Sparrows often nest in the same types of areas and homes that bluebirds will nest in. They will often steal houses from the bluebirds since they are more demanding birds and not as particular about the house placement. There are some bluebird house designs that offer sparrow resistant bluebird houses which can allow the bluebirds to nest in peace without their homes being overrun by the sparrows. There are areas that are more attractive to the sparrows, such as barns and farmyards, so bluebird houses should not be placed within a quarter of a mile from these types of areas. In this way, the sparrows will not be as likely to invade the bluebird house. Also, there should always be more than one birdhouse placed in an area so that if the sparrows want to nest, they can use one birdhouse and the bluebirds will still be left with the other one. There will not be two sparrow nests within a five to fifteen foot vicinity of each other, so if these bird houses are placed within that distance of each other, the sparrows can use one and the bluebirds are left with the other one.

Design

There are certain bluebird house designs that are sparrow resistant. Sparrows do not like to have a slot entrance to the box where they will nest. The slot entrance means that it is a narrow but wide opening to the bird house rather than the circular hole that is typically seen in bird houses. This type of opening helps to make the bluebird house sparrow resistant because sparrows like the circular openings instead of the slot openings. In addition, these sparrow resistant bluebird houses are much shallower than the boxes that sparrows like to nest in. The sparrow resistant bluebird houses are about five inches deep as opposed to the ten inches of a traditional birdhouse. There are even wooden inserts that can be added to the bluebird house to make it sparrow resistant, which can narrow the depth of the house to even shallower, such as a three and a half inch depth. Shallow depths will still be used by the bluebirds, but sparrows will forego that type of a birdhouse.

These sparrow resistant bluebird houses can be found on many different birding websites or bird house stores. These houses can also be made by the individual if they have the skill and tools required for the basic carpentry work to build the house.

Instructions on How to Build a Bluebird House

admin — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:58:53 +0000

Finding out how to build a bluebird house is probably the easiest step in the process. Bluebird house placement and preparing the area for the bluebird house is the more important step and often takes more time the building the house itself. In addition to finding the instructions on how to build the bluebird house, there are choices in the styles of houses, since there are some decorative houses that will add an artistic flair to the yard as well as being a functional home for the bluebirds.

Information

The reason that learning how to build a bluebird house is important is that bluebirds have to depend on other birds to build a home for them to use at a later date. These birds naturally use a woodpecker’s hole or a rotting tree to make their homes. However, with the new construction projects that are going on all the time, the land that they used to nest in is now devoid of these old trees or woodpeckers. This has caused the woodpeckers to die out and makes building artificial habitats for them to be even more imperative.

There is a specific size to follow when following the directions of how to build a bluebird house. The floor size is usually around five inches by five inches so that it is a small square. The height is usually about a foot tall and the entrance hole should be placed around eight inches from the floor. The entrance hole should be very small, just big enough to fit the bluebird through it. Usually the entrance hole is about one and a half inches in diameter. There is also a hole that is placed in the bottom of the box so that if any water gets into the box it can drain out. There should also be some ventilation holes near the top of the box so that there is proper air flow but the elements are not allowed to get in.

In order to help to protect the bluebirds, after learning how to build a bluebird house, the house should be placed on a pole or post so that it is out of reach of most predators. The problem with mounting the house on a tree is that cats, squirrels and other predators will often climb the tree branches and be able to reach into the box and disturb the mother and the eggs. By placing it on a bare pole, there is less likelihood that the predator will be able to get to the mother and eggs.

Rural Environments: Bluebird House Placement

admin — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:58:53 +0000

Bluebirds are more particular than other birds about the place in which their nest will be built. Bluebirds usually use an old hole made by a woodpecker or a hole in a rotted tree to build their homes. However, with the sprawl of suburban communities, often these natural homes are destroyed. This has led to the decline in the bluebird populations. Bird lovers are promoting the creation of bluebird houses and helping with placement so that these beautiful birds are attracted to nest more readily in yards and garden areas. The placement of the bluebird house is very important since they have to have all of the features that they need in order to live and nest.

Features

There are many features to look for when seeking bluebird house placement. One is that the bluebirds will not usually nest in an urban area. Instead, the area would need to be suburban or rural for these birds to be attracted to nest. In addition, there should be a cut lawn or mown field nearby so that the bluebird can perch in a tree and scan for insects that might be crawling in these areas. Even though the bluebirds need to have these cleared areas as well as some trees and bushes to perch in, the bluebird house placement should be at least one hundred feet from the brushy or wooded area so that the wrens that like to live in those areas will not take over the nest. In addition, the house placement should not be near a barn or farmyard since there are sparrows that tend to nest in those areas and will also take over the bluebird house. This makes the bluebird house more sparrow resistant.

Great areas for bluebird house placement are in an open area such as a fence row, orchards, open fields, cemeteries or other open areas. Often there are open areas near the highway or a mowed pasture land. Bluebird house placement should be about one hundred yards from the next box since the bluebirds are very territorial and do not like other bluebirds in their territory. In addition, it is a good idea to place a couple of bird houses near each other, within five to fifteen feet, so that sparrows or other birds can nest in one box and the bluebirds can nest in the other one without any problems. There are always other creatures that will try to use the birdhouses for their homes, such as squirrels, so individuals need to plan for this eventuality and offer more than one bird house in the area for them to use.

A Specialized Home: Bluebird House

admin — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:58:52 +0000

While bluebirds will sometimes nest in a birdhouse that is not designed specifically for their species, they are more likely to nest in a bluebird house, meaning one that is designed specifically for them. There are many different plans that can be obtained for free on how to build a bluebird house. These plans usually also give instructions on the placement and care of the bird house so that there is the best chance possible for the birds to nest there. If the person’s house is not in a wooded area or at least one that has a lot of trees and bushes available for the bluebirds to eat from, then the bluebird house is unlikely to attract them to the area.

Habitat

Bluebird houses should usually be placed in an area where there is low vegetation and some bushes in which there live insects for the bluebirds to eat. Bluebirds will usually perch on branches of the trees to spot insects that are dwelling in these areas before flying down to capture them. Meadows and fields are great places to put a bluebird house since it allows the birds to clearly see the insects that they eat and swoop down to eat them.

When placing the bluebird houses in the yard, they should not be placed closer than one hundred yards apart since the birds are very territorial creatures. They do not like to be too close to each other when nesting. It is also a good idea to place the bluebird houses at least one hundred feet from any brushy area or area with dense trees because those are places where wrens will nest which will take over the bird house if it is too close. It should also be placed at least a quarter mile from a farmyard or barn where sparrows tend to live so that they will not be as likely to take over the bluebird house.

In addition to the feeding availability and the spacing of the bluebird houses, there is also the issue of the birds being able to easily find nesting material. These birds usually like to use grasses and pine needles as nesting material. The bluebird house should be placed in an area where these materials are easily available so that the birds do not have to travel as far to obtain them and carry them back to the house. In addition, there should not be any pesticides used so that the birds are not inadvertently poisoned by these insecticides.