Bird houses are not only fun projects for kids to make, they're also very important for helping birds survive.
Did you know that North America has about one-third less birds alive today than there were in 1970?
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Part of the reason is that people have taken over too much of the natural habitat and birds have fewer natural places to nest.
Bird houses (also called nest boxes) help make up for that by giving birds a safe place to make nests and raise babies.
Fun Fact: Birds that use bird houses are called “cavity nesters.”
Learn the birds in your area
Before you build a bird house you need to know what kinds of birds might need bird houses.
Different birds live in different parts of the country, so start by finding out what kinds of birds live near you.
On this NestWatch web page made by bird scientists (ornithologists) at Cornell University, you can enter the state or province where you live and it will tell you which birds in your area will use a bird house.
You’ll also be able to see which birds need the most help with nesting, and you can even download a free plan to make the exact type of house that bird likes.
Other places to get a free bird house plan:
10 FREE DIY Birdhouse Plans - These birdhouse plans use only straight cuts and no drilling.
Watch a video to learn how to make bird houses
Important things to know about bird houses
Right size entrance hole
Did you know that birds are really picky about the size of the entrance hole on your bird house?
If you want to attract only songbirds that belong in North America, use a hole no bigger than 1 and 1/8 inches (2.9 cm) across.
A hole about 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) wide works for lots of kinds of birds, but if you want to attract a very specific kind of bird, you need to know exactly what size hole it likes. If the hole is the wrong size or in the wrong place, they won't use the bird house.
If you downloaded a free plan from the NestWatch web page, it will tell you exactly what size hole to use and where to place it on the bird house.
Or you can look at this article about bird house hole sizes and shapes.
Don’t make a perch on the front
Lots of bird house plans say to put a short stick on the front for a perch but guess what?
Wild birds don't need it at all and the perch might make it easier for animals that eat birds and eggs to reach inside.
So don't make a perch!
In this picture you can see how this Eastern Bluebird grabs onto the edge of the hole with her feet - no perch needed!
Use plain, untreated wood
Lots of bird house ideas and plans say you can paint a birdhouse to make it more fun.
But scientists say it's better to leave the wood plain, or just stained on the outside with a natural wood preservative like linseed oil.
If you do paint your bird house, use dull natural colors instead of bright colors.
You can put a camera inside a bird house and watch the birds build a nest, lay eggs and take care of their babies. Here’s a video that shows the whole process as you would see it with a bird house camera:
To make this project, install a wireless camera such as a Ring or Blink security camera in your bird house.
These cameras are available to buy online at Amazon.
Connect your smart phone to the camera with the Ring app and you can watch what’s going on inside the bird house and even save some videos!
Here is a video that shows how to do that:
You can even add a solar panel to keep your bird house camera going forever. Here’s a video that explains how:
More information about bird houses
A good article from Audubon of Massachusetts that has some important general information about bird houses.
It also has a downloadable chart that gives the right size bird house for several species, how high up to place the box and what kind of habitat to put it in.
Build Nest Boxes for Wild Birds
A guide you can download, from the Oregon State University Extension Service.
The guide is meant for people in Oregon but it has lots of good information for everyone about building and caring for bird houses.
Plus it has a downloadable chart with information about bird houses for different species.
This article from the bird scientists at Cornell University tells you how to choose the right spot for your bird house.
No matter where you decide to put your bird house, make sure it's facing away from the prevailing (regular) winds.
Try to place the entrance facing east so that it gets sunshine in the early morning but not too much sun when the weather is hot.
Another article from the bird scientists at Cornell University that explains what to do to keep snakes, raccoons, possums, cats and squirrels from getting into your bird house.
How to Mount a Birdhouse Using 1-inch diameter pipe
This video explains how to make a sturdy post to put your birdhouse on using a few feet pf metal pipe and some connectors.
How to Safely Clean Bird Houses
This article with pictures explains how and when to clean your bird house to keep your birds safe and healthy.
Image at top is a screen capture from "Building Birdhouses with kids" by Wm. Walker Co.
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