Studying the habits of birds and listening to their singing is a fascinating activity. It’s easy to attract birds by making a birdhouse and placing it in convenient location. On summer cottage This will have an additional benefit - insectivorous birds will destroy pests in the garden and garden.
For those who have children, this will teach them something useful and bring them joy. After all, what a pleasure it is to make a birdhouse out of wood together with your parents, and then watch how the birds inhabit it and the grown chicks fly out.
Materials for manufacturing
It happens that birds nest in an old basket, a dried pumpkin, cardboard box, even in a mitten or boot. But the material familiar to birds, natural to nature, will be wood.
True, there are limitations here. Wood is not suitable coniferous trees. Even when dried, it releases resin that can damage feathers. Although sometimes they take pine boards, checking that there are no resinous streaks on them. Of the deciduous species, birch, linden, and aspen wood is preferable, since it is softer and easier to process.
Not worth taking wood boards and plywood glued with formaldehyde glue. In general, birdhouses are made from thick plywood.
Pay attention! For construction, the most common unplaned boards are best suited.
There should be no smooth surfaces inside the birdhouse. You can specially apply serifs. The thickness of the walls, bottom and roof is at least 2 cm. Thin walls will not retain enough heat, and this is important when hatching chicks.
It is better to fasten all the elements together with nails or screws. Glue mounting is used if the composition does not have a strong odor. Due to the smell, it is not advisable to paint the birdhouse. If you still want to decorate it, then it is advisable to use water-based paints.
Sizes for different birds
It is clear that a birdhouse is a general name for a home for any small birds; it is not at all necessary for only starlings to live in it. But the right bird house should attract the species that are found in the surrounding area.
Birds react differently to the size of the birdhouse and the hole for entering it - the entrance, trying to choose what is more familiar to them. Approximate sizes that are attractive to certain species have been experimentally determined.
It is worth mentioning separately about such a cute bird as the wagtail. The design of the wagtail looks unusual. It looks like a birdhouse laid on its side. 25–30 long, 10–12 high, and also 10–12 centimeters deep. The entrance is not round, but rectangular - full height and 4 cm wide. There is a flat shelf along the front wall so that the bird can approach the entrance on foot, without clinging to the perch with its paws.
Hanging Rules
Making a good birdhouse out of wood is only the first stage. The house still needs to be located in a “prestigious area” without offering a ground floor. When placing a birdhouse, there is no need to take into account the wishes of different birds, although wagtails prefer houses located near the roof of the building.
- hang away from crowded places. In the city there will be problems with this, but you should try to find a remote place in a park, garden, quiet alley;
- location height – at least 3 meters. In the city it is better to hang it even higher - 4–5 meters;
- do not place it in a place exposed to sunlight, do not place it deep in the crown of a tree. Access to the tap hole must be free;
- location along the cardinal points is not critical, but it is better to direct the entrance to the southeast, towards the rising sun. It is much more important to determine the direction of the prevailing winds, to turn the birdhouse so that they do not blow inward;
- You need to install the birdhouse by slightly tilting the front wall down from the tree trunk. This will make it easier for the chicks to get out.
There are different methods of attaching to a tree or pole. For example, a plank or board is nailed to the back. Then this plank is nailed to the support on which the house is attached. If you don’t want to spoil the wood with nails, you can fasten it with wire or rope. The original way is not to attach the birdhouse, but to hang it, but there is a risk that not every bird will want to live in a swinging house.
Protection from predators
The main enemies of birds are cats, squirrels, and weasels. In rural areas there are also woodpeckers that break the walls or entrance of birdhouses and eat the chicks.
One of the cat protection measures is to lengthen the roof of the house so that the cat does not reach the entrance. By the way, such a roof will additionally protect from slanting rain.
But what’s more important is to prevent the cat from getting near the birdhouse itself. There should be no strong branches or other supports next to it from which you can jump onto the birdhouse. To prevent the cat from climbing up the trunk or post, they can be wrapped in sheet iron or other material that does not allow the claws to cling to the tree.
If woodpeckers pose a danger, then there are techniques against them. It is necessary to paint over or cover with plasticine the knots on the walls of the birdhouse. And to protect the tap hole, it can be covered in a circle with tin. You can also increase the length of the tap hole by stuffing an additional spacer around it with a longitudinal arrangement of fibers. But the birds themselves may not like the elongated entrance.
The simplest option
Flat pitched roof and a square base – it couldn’t be simpler. The drawing is made schematically so as not to make mistakes with the dimensions. Sloping and gable roofs, decorative design, and other tricks are unlikely to be appreciated by starlings.
Material: unplaned hardwood board 25 mm thick and 15 cm wide; nails 50 mm. The screws hold more firmly, but there won’t be any special loads on the product (a starling weighs 75 g on average).
The diagram for making a wooden birdhouse with dimensions for small birds is as follows:
- the boards are sawn into pieces 30 cm long - these are the walls, 4 parts are required;
- Another piece that needs to be cut 20 cm long is the roof. This size will provide a protrusion above the taphole;
- two squares with a side of 10 cm - the bottom of the birdhouse and a spike for a removable roof;
- In one of the workpieces, a hole for the tap hole is drilled using a drill with a feather drill with a diameter of 30 mm. Drilling location – 21 cm from the bottom edge, in the middle of the width;
- the front wall with the taphole is nailed to the sides, 3–4 nails on each side;
- The structure is turned upside down. The bottom is inserted, the front side and sides are also nailed to the bottom;
- cover the top with the remaining long piece and nail it to the sides and bottom;
- another square 10 x 10 cm is installed on one edge of the roof of the birdhouse so that 25 mm remains on the sides. Then they nail it to the roof, which is now removable;
- The roof is tightly inserted into the birdhouse. You may need to do a little work with the chisel.
The birdhouse is ready. The removable lid will allow you to clean it at the end of the season, when the starlings fly to warmer climes. There is no need to make a perch in front of the entry hole, since it will provide additional support for the cats, but starlings do not sit on it anyway. You can decorate the structure by painting it with soft green, white and brown paint.
Birdhouse nest
The nest box imitates a real hollow in a tree and is made from scraps of logs. It is best to choose aspen; although the wood on the outside is strong, it usually has a weak or rotten core - it will be easier to remove it.
The dimensions of the logs are selected in accordance with the desired type of house, taking into account that the thickness of the outer walls must be at least 20 mm. A block of wood of the required length is sawed off, and then the core is selected with a chisel. This is not difficult, but long, monotonous work. The inner surface remains rough, but without large scuffs.
The bottom and roof are made of boards. To make the house beautiful, you must try to cut a round bottom. The tap hole is drilled anywhere at a distance of 2/3 of the length of the log from the bottom.
Such a house, installed on a tree, does not catch the eye; tits and sparrows like to live in it. The nest box additionally attracts birds due to its shape as a safe home.
Is it necessary to decorate a birdhouse?
When a bird house is installed on a summer cottage or in a city with direct visibility from a window, then, of course, you want it to look beautiful. You can see birdhouses that look like works of art - original shape, decorations made of various materials, carved ornaments and other beauties. But main beauty of any birdhouse - the birds living in it. Why do you need a wonderful but empty house?
Taking a family of birds under your wing is a noble and pleasant task. And the first step towards this is the construction of a bird house. You can easily make a birdhouse familiar from childhood with your own hands, but for each type of bird there are design and placement features that must be taken into account before inviting new neighbors to the site.
Classic wooden birdhouse
A birdhouse of the simplest design consists of a square bottom with a side of 13-15 cm, side blanks 30-35 cm high with a slope in the upper part are cut end-to-end to the size of the bottom, the end and back parts should be 2-4 cm wider for fastening.
The difference in length between the back and front walls of the birdhouse should be calculated so that the slopes fit tightly to the lid. Another piece is cut to size and attached to the inside of the removable roof, providing a seal and the ability to open the birdhouse for cleaning.
Another option is a house with a pitched roof. Two identical blanks are overlapped on the trapezoidal façade and rear wall. Such a roof should not be nailed tightly to ensure access to annual cleaning and disinfection.
A round entrance hole is made with a distance of 5-6 cm from the top edge and a diameter of 4-5 cm. There should be sufficient space (10-15 cm) for the nest in the lower part of the structure, protected from the wind.
The birdhouse parts are fastened together using nails or self-tapping screws and wood glue.
The roof slopes protect from excess moisture; they should protrude slightly from the sides to protect the walls as well. The joints should fit neatly, without gaps, adjacent to each other. It is necessary to avoid unnecessary decorative elements on the walls and facade, which can become a place for moisture accumulation.
Pine boards or deciduous trees thickness from 2 to 4 cm. Fibreboard and chipboard are not recommended, since the smells of chemicals contained in their composition can scare away birds.
For the same reason, the internal surfaces of the birdhouse are not treated with varnishes or paints. The outside can be sanded and made into a waterproof coating.
Wooden birdhouses– a good object for the realization of creative abilities. They can be painted and decorated, but it is better not to use glass or other light-reflecting materials. Photos of ready-made birdhouses of different styles will help you choose the most suitable option.
Duplyanka
In order to cut a birdhouse from a wooden block, it is more convenient to use a chainsaw. Brief instructions for creating such a birdhouse are as follows.
To begin work, you need to firmly install the deck in a vertical position. The proposed cut is divided into three equal parts: the upper one for the roof slopes, the middle one for the hollow and perch, and the other third for the nest.
First, the upper slopes for the roof are cut at an angle of 45 degrees. Then, as smoothly as possible, the core is removed along its entire height and an entrance hole is cut. And only after this the birdhouse is cut off from the deck along the bottom line.
Bird houses made from scrap materials
Boots, bags, lamp shades, similar-sized containers with necks, dried pumpkin - can become building material for a bird house.
Before you make a birdhouse with your own hands, you need to remember to maintain the correct proportions to accommodate the nest.
You also need to take into account that the entrance hole should allow the inhabitants to pass through, but not be too large, for the sake of their safety. A homemade house should provide protection from moisture and wind.
Birdhouse installation
The ideal place for a birdhouse is a tree trunk free from branches. A wooden beam or pole of triple length is attached to the back wall, which is fixed by wrapping it with wire.
Then you need to give the birdhouse a slight forward tilt using a small piece of wood placed between the trunk and the house. This will protect the chicks from falling and make it difficult for enemies (cats and crows) to get to them. The entrance, and as it is also called, the entrance, should face south or southeast to avoid cold winds.
Another option is to attach it to the facade of buildings. But you should not hang or place the house on the branches; it must be stable and securely fastened. For comfortable living, you also need shade to protect from direct sunlight. 
The bird house must be mounted at a height of 2.5 to 5 meters, out of the reach of cats and other hunters. It is worth taking care that there are no steps or branches that will help them get to the nest.
Often, a traditional perch in low-mounted birdhouses becomes a support for unwanted guests to enter. 
Photo of a birdhouse with your own hands
Any gardener will confirm to you that birds are not only living “decorations” of the site, delighting people with their sonorous singing. They also protect plants from pests (including some rodents) throughout the summer. But in order for birds to settle on your site, they should be provided with comfortable living conditions. Today we will talk about how to make a birdhouse with your own hands and where is the best place to hang it.
It is quite obvious that you need to use wood. Moreover, it is better to give preference deciduous trees, and not pine needles, because they are too resinous. As for plywood and chipboard, you should not use them - birdhouses made from them will most likely be empty, and the odors of binders and glue are to blame. By the way, this is why the elements of the birdhouse should be connected with nails/screws, and not with glue.
In most cases, birdhouses are made from boards with a thickness of at least 20 mm (this thickness is enough to maintain a stable temperature inside, which is extremely important for breeding). It is also important to use unplaned boards or, in extreme cases, those with a rough inner surface. Moreover, the front part under the entrance should be deliberately scratched - it will be convenient for birds to climb along such notches.
Pay attention! When assembling the structure, holes for screws must be drilled in advance, otherwise there will be a risk that the wood will crack. As for the diameter of the holes, it should be somewhat smaller than the diameter of the screws themselves.
About the required sizes
As for the sizes, they depend, first of all, on the type of birds that should live in the birdhouse. After all, it is necessary that the birds receive the most familiar conditions for nesting. So, you can find out the recommended sizes from the table below.
Important! Having reviewed the information provided above, we conclude: the width in all cases remains almost the same, the changes concern only the height. It should also be remembered that the birdhouse should not be larger than the recommended size, as this will push the birds. As a result, they simply will not be able to feed more offspring and they, most likely, will not survive.
If we are talking about wagtails, then the birdhouse should be laid on its side. Its approximate dimensions are shown in the picture below. This kind of design features are explained by the weakness of the legs of wagtails, which is why they will not be able to climb a high wall. There should also be a small ladder (about 10 cm wide) in front of the entrance hole.
Poluduplyanka is a design that deserves special attention. Some birds settle in natural cavities (for example, between branches) instead of hollows, and therefore will not be able to settle in a closed nesting area. Also, do not forget that squirrels also sometimes settle in semi-dugs.
Let's move on. Duplyanka is a birdhouse made from part of a log. When calculating the height and diameter, in this case it is necessary to take into account the above dimensions for a simple design. The bottom and roof are made from pieces of boards.
Work rules and safety precautions
When working with wood, be careful - you can get injured even when creating a simple birdhouse. So be sure to follow a few simple carpentry rules.
- Hide your hair under a hat and wear comfortable work clothes. Use thick gloves when mandatory to protect hands from injuries and splinters.
- The hammer must have a long enough handle. You can first practice using a hammer, hammer in a couple of nails, and only then, if everything goes well, start making a birdhouse.
- Safety glasses are also recommended, if you have to drill/cut in the process.
- When working with cutting tools, place them only with the blade down.
- Electrical appliances must work properly; try not to get moisture on them.
- When hanging the finished structure, use a ladder or stepladder. It is also recommended that you have someone help you with this.
Well, now you are familiar with the basic rules of work, and therefore you can proceed directly to the manufacturing process.
Design No. 1. Hinged lid option
To create this simple birdhouse, first acquire:
- pine slats (200x4.5x2 cm);
- loop 4x2 cm;
- round 1-centimeter strip 2 m long;
- 5 mm self-tapping screws (8 pieces);
- 15 mm self-tapping screws (4 pieces);
- boards (one – 200x9.5x2 cm, the second – 200x15x2 cm);
- wood glue;
- with a rag.
Note! Equipment will include a miter saw, an electric drill, a hammer, a Phillips screwdriver, a screwdriver, a ruler, a pair of clamps, a pencil, as well as drills (8 and 3 mm) and a wood router (45 mm).
First of all, cut the wood according to the required dimensions. Cut the main rail with a jigsaw and make a pole to mount the structure on the tree. Using a miter saw, cut the boards to make the bottom (140x95x200 mm) and four walls (200x95x200 mm). Then you need to take a wider board and cut out a roof from it (150x140x20 mm). It turns out that from a board 2 m long you can make 2 structures at once.
Make a hole on the front wall with a 45 mm cutter, and to install the perch (slightly lower) use an 8 mm drill.
Mark on the finished parts exactly where the screws will be screwed in (10 mm at the bottom, 20 mm at the sides). It is also necessary to cut a piece (15 cm) of a round lath, from which the pole will be made in the future.
Secure the future front wall with clamps.
Drill holes in it in the required places.
Step 4. Screw the first side of the future birdhouse.
Step 5. The parts need to be freed, and then a drill is used to make notches on the front wall (we have already described above why exactly).
Step 6. The second side is screwed in the same way.
Step 7 At the end the back wall is screwed on.
Step 8 The bottom of the future structure is screwed to the finished base.
Step 9 The places where the loop will be attached, which is necessary to close and open the lid, are marked. The marks are placed in the center.
The loop is applied to the lid, then you need to mark the points where the holes will be drilled.
Holes are made at these points.
The hinge is screwed to the lid using a Phillips screwdriver.
The places for screwing in the holes on the back wall are also marked.
After this, the screws are tightened there too.
The final stage is marking the attachment of the birdhouse to the tree. A straight line is drawn in the center of the back wall, after which an indent of 10 cm is made from below.
In this place the birdhouse will be fastened with 3-4 nails, for which you need to make the appropriate number of marks.
The fastener is clamped, holes are made in it according to the markings applied.
After this, the fastening is nailed to the structure.
The structure is ready, all that remains is to fix the perch. Glue is applied to one end, after which it is inserted into a smaller hole.
Wood glue usually takes a maximum of 15 minutes to dry. The birdhouse can be attached to a tree using, for example, wire.
Design No. 2. Option with gable roof
To make such a house for birds, prepare:
- pine boards 1 or 2 cm thick and 200, 160 and 120 mm wide;
- self-tapping screws (19 pieces);
- varnish (necessarily transparent);
- nails (8 pieces);
- pole stick (diameter 15 mm);
- sandpaper;
- paints (use acrylic);
- ruler;
- jigsaw, set of saws for it;
- pencil;
- brushes made of synthetic material;
- Phillips screwdriver;
- hammer;
- electric drill, a set of drills for it.
In this case, boards with a thickness of 20 mm are used. As noted earlier, to make a birdhouse it is preferable to use natural wood, but not plywood or chipboard.
A 16-centimeter board is taken and the front and back walls are marked on it. Everything needs to be done as shown in the diagram below.
Take a 12-centimeter board and mark the sides (B) and bottom (C) on it.
Step 4. Roof parts will be made from 20 cm boards. It is important that one part (in our example, K2) is longer by the thickness of the board, that is, 20 mm. Thanks to this, you will end up with identical slopes.
Step 5. All elements are cut out with an electric jigsaw; To make curved cuts, it is preferable to use a narrow saw.
Step 6. Decorative elements It is convenient to make from scraps in order to save consumables.
Step 7 The edges are processed with sandpaper.
Step 8 Mounting holes are marked on the front and rear walls in accordance with the diagram. In front there is an additional notch (approximately 45-50 mm).
Step 9 On each side you need to mark one hole through which the bottom will be attached.
When marking the future roof, you need to act extremely carefully. The holes are drilled with a 4 mm drill.
The tap hole is cut out with a jigsaw, for which a hole is pre-drilled. The edges of the tap hole should be sanded.
A pole is attached to the front.
The front wall is scratched from the inside, for which in our example a stationery knife is used.
All the walls of the future house are connected.
After this, the bottom is installed and fixed with self-tapping screws.
The roof parts are connected (the longer one is placed on top) and secured with self-tapping screws.
A decorative “chimney” is attached from the inside with a self-tapping screw.
Loops are screwed on the sides at the back, through which the structure will be installed on the tree trunk.
The roof is installed (it needs to be aligned with the back wall), 4 self-tapping screws are used to fix it.
The “fence” is nailed down with small nails. If desired, it can additionally be fixed with wood glue.
That's it, our birdhouse is ready, all that remains is to paint it with acrylic paints!
Design No. 3. Using a bottle gourd
You will be surprised, but for our purposes... dried bottled water is also ideal! To make such an original house, get;
- directly with pumpkin;
- a crown for an electric drill;
- latex paint (use the one intended for external work);
- brush;
- leather lacing;
- "sandpaper".
First of all, make a hole in the pumpkin using a crown. Remove all contents, which will require a long knife and spoon.
The surface of the pumpkin and the edges of the hole made are processed with sandpaper. If desired, you can use a homemade solution (water with bleach in a ratio of 9:1) to disinfect the pumpkin, but after processing it must be washed and dried.
Step 4. The pumpkin is painted. It is better to use a light shade of paint - this way it won’t be too hot for the birds in the house.
Note! You need to make three small ventilation holes in the bottom of the pumpkin. There are two more holes on the top to make it convenient to hang the structure.
Thread leather lacing through the upper holes, thus making a kind of hanging belt, and then hang the birdhouse.
Video – Master class on making a birdhouse
Design No. 4. Classic bird house
This is another one classic version, for which you need to prepare in advance:
- untreated larch boards;
- nails at least 4 cm long;
- paint (it is important that it is odorless);
- equipment (electric jigsaw or hand saw, pliers, brush, pencil, tape measure and hammer).
The first stage is drawing up a drawing indicating all the required dimensions.
The scheme is transferred to wood. It is important that the dimensions match those indicated in the drawing.
A 1-centimeter perch 4 cm long is also prepared in advance. Having marked all the elements, you can finally get down to business. The design details are cut out in accordance with the markings. In this case, the boards are planed exclusively on the outside (they should remain rough on the inside for the reasons we described above).
Step 4. A hole is made for the tap hole with a diameter of no more than 50 mm.
Important! At the back you first need to attach a bar with which the house will be attached. The assembly procedure itself can be carried out by anyone in an accessible way, it is only necessary for the house to be rigid and durable. Below is one possible option.
Step 5. The sides are connected to the front part. The structure is checked for strength and, if required, further strengthened with screws/nails.
Step 7 A removable lid is being prepared. It should go outside the house in order to protect it from rain.
In our example, the lid is made of two parts so that it holds better. The elements are adjusted to size and connected.
Step 8 Now you need to install the lid and perch. The design is ready!
Design No5. Simple nest
Here, completely free material is used for manufacturing, which is an undeniable advantage of the option. However, making a nest box is a more complex option than those described above, and now you will find out why.
First of all, you need to find a suitable log. It is better to use aspen, which begins to rot from the inside while its outside remains solid.
The bark is removed and the log is cut into logs of the required length. The core of one of the logs needs to be picked out with a chisel. This task can be made easier by making a through hole. You can also speed up the process by drilling several holes in advance with a drill, and then continuing to use the chisel.
Pieces of wood are broken off, and when the rotten core is removed, a hammer is additionally brought into the work.
The result should be walls 15-30 mm thick. It is convenient to make a taphole if there is a knot - in this case, the latter just needs to be hollowed out. If there is no knot, you will have to resort to using improvised means.
Step 4. The bottom is made of a 2-2.5 cm board. A piece of board is fastened with nails or self-tapping screws, after which the protruding parts are cut off as close to the walls as possible.
Step 5. To create a roof, you can use a slab or the same board. It is advisable to screw self-tapping screws into pre-made holes; If this is not done, the board can easily split.
Step 6. The nest box is almost ready, you just need to protect it from woodpeckers. All joints and knots that are found are coated with plasticine. An alternative option is to caulk using a flat-head screwdriver with hemp rope.
Video - Making a simple birdhouse yourself
Design No6. “Designer” house (wine corks)
Using wine corks, you can decorate a birdhouse. They can even be said to be ideal for this, because:
- have porosity, but are quite durable (hence, good protection against moisture);
- retain heat well;
- are durable;
- they are easy to handle.
What is needed in this case? The list is not that big:
- required number of wine corks;
- wooden twigs;
- heat gun;
- prefabricated structural frame.
Table. Step by step instructions on production.
| Steps, photo | Description of actions |
|---|---|
| You should start from the walls. You need to apply glue to the corks and then glue them. One row will require two or three plugs, the specific figure will depend on the size of the bird's house. |
| The wall is covered to the very top. In the case of the structure narrowing upward (and in the example we are considering, this is exactly the case), cut plugs are used in the right places. At the front, the central row is glued vertically. |
| You can decorate the sides of the “roof” with moss. Or, as an option, you can use pieces of the same corks. Before hanging, you must wait until the glue is completely dry. |
Design No7. Birdhouse out of the box
In the absence suitable materials To create a house, you can use a juice or milk box with a volume of at least a liter. The container itself must be thoroughly washed and dried before starting work. Then you just need to cut out the entrance, reinforce the bottom with thick cardboard and make holes on top, thanks to which the feeder will be tied to the branch with wire.
How to hang a birdhouse correctly
- It is recommended to install it around mid-April.
- Straight lines should not fall on the structure sun rays(especially at noon).
- It is important to provide free access to the house in order to be able to clean it every year.
- There should be no branches near the house - this way it will be more protected from various types of predators (for example, from cats).
- The recommended installation height is 9-10 m (in urban areas) and 3-4 m (in rural areas).
- Finally, the structure should be positioned strictly vertically. A slight tilt forward is allowed, but not backward.
Video - Rules for installing a birdhouse
Video - Making a birdhouse step by step
So that the forest rings with songs,
We'll hang each one in a hollow.
We will provide birds with housing:
Every couple gets a new home!
People build birdhouses according to various reasons. Someone who wants to help birds does it free of charge by placing birdhouses in public gardens and parks.
And this is great, because every year birds have fewer places for nesting.
Hanging bird houses is an old and very useful tradition. With the help of birdhouses, you can restore and sometimes even increase the number of birds living in hollows - starlings, wagtails, tits.
Many people attract birds to their gardens so that the birds protect the plantings from attacks by insect pests.
It is known that a tit is capable of eating insects weighing equal to its body weight in a day, and a brood of starlings destroys a thousand cockchafers and their larvae and other pests in a week!
Birds are quite picky and careful when choosing a place for their nesting, so it is very important to know how to properly design and hang an artificial house (birdhouse or titmouse) so that the birds like it and not be left hanging empty.
The first bird houses in Rus' appeared during the reign of Tsar Peter I, who observed how Europeans fed birds and decided to introduce this tradition in Rus'.
Moreover, at first people were forced to make birdhouses on an orderly basis, but this innovation quickly fell in love and took root, since people liked the chirping of birds near their houses and it was a pleasure to watch how the birds fed their offspring.
The sight of birds with caterpillars and beetles in their beaks quickly convinced people that this was useful for the farm, and not just fun.
It is known that redstarts, wagtails, starlings, nuthatches and tits are leaders in the destruction of garden pests. For example, only one pair of starlings can protect up to 50 fruit trees. You just need to make sure that the birds remain your good neighbors for a long time.
1.How to make a birdhouse correctly
You need to understand that a bird house should appeal primarily to birds, not people. The best home for them is an unpainted box made of unplaned boards with the smallest possible entrance and a deep bottom.
(so that cats or birds of prey don’t get there).
Even if all these requirements are met, there is no complete guarantee that wary birds will colonize it in the first year. Sometimes birds take over the house for the second season. If the house remains empty further, it needs to be removed, cleaned and moved to a more suitable place.
The occupancy of a house is influenced by many factors, not all of which have been sufficiently studied. Therefore, if you want to attract feathered friends to your home or garden, you should make several copies of birdhouses or titmouses and hang them in different places.
It is best to take birch to make a birdhouse, however, others are also possible well dried boards, not even necessarily new. The thickness of the board is approximately 1.5-2 cm. This will be enough for the birdhouse to retain heat inside well.
Also, you cannot use any processed compressed wood (such as fiberboard or chipboard), because the glue can be toxic and very harmful for birds, and changes in wetting and drying will lead to deformation of the structure.
You should not make a birdhouse from plastic (harmful for birds, it gets hot in the heat and does not warm in the cold), porcelain, ceramics and iron and plywood (gets wet and deformed).
The outside of the birdhouse is most often sanded (for beauty), but inside it must remain rough and untreated, so that the chicks can cling with their claws and approach the entrance for food, and then get out of the house.
It is very important to choose the right size for the birdhouse and don't make it too big. In this case, the female lays more eggs, but the parents are not able to feed many chicks. As a result, they grow up frail and unviable. And the birdhouse is too small size birds will never settle.
The approximate dimensions of a proper birdhouse are shown in the figure.
Classic birdhouse has dimensions of 25-30 x 13-15 x 13-15 cm and a round entrance of 4.7-5 cm. Such a dwelling can take not only the starling, but also the great tit, woodpecker, sparrow or swift.
Among smaller birds, including songbirds, it is very popular titmouse Its dimensions: 22-28 x 10-11 x 10-11 cm with a tap hole of smaller diameter: 3.2-3.5 cm. You will like such housing pied flycatcher, nuthatch, garden redstart, tits, sparrows and some other birds.
It is better to make the roof of the bird house pitched. It should fit snugly against the walls of the house, but at the same time be easily removable. This is necessary to clean the bird’s home in the fall after the birds fly to warmer regions for the winter.
To make the lid easy to remove, a thick board is nailed to it from the inside, the size and shape matching the size and shape of the hole between the walls. Such a board should fit into the house quite tightly, like a cork in a bottle,
Birds do not need any decorations or bright details at all; they get along just fine without them.
You can build a birdhouse from a piece of round dry log with a diameter of 30 cm. Its core must be carefully hollowed out with a chisel, leaving walls 2 cm thick. Then drill a tap hole with a diameter of 5-6 cm, fit a lid and nail a thin stick below the tap hole. That's it, the round house is ready!
Often a perch is fixed under the entrance on which the bird can sit, but it should not be made very long and thick, since it will become a support for the cat’s paws and for crows and jackdaws.
Sometimes houses are made without a perch at all - the birds cling to the edge of the entrance while feeding the chicks.
But the best thing to do is middle option- it’s more convenient for the birds and the predator won’t grab hold of it.
It should also be said that it is better immediately paint the birdhouse to protect the boards from wearing out faster. You can only paint the outside of the house; there must be unpainted boards inside.
There is a lot of debate about what colors bird houses can be painted.
Many insist that the color for a bird house should be dim and calm. It is better to choose natural shades. Green and brown colors, which are very familiar to birds in nature. Or cover the product with stain, as well as any antiseptic composition for wood.
Paints must be non-toxic to birds.
True, I read about experiments when birdhouses were painted in gray and red colors and the best inhabited red houses (???)
By the way, the vision of birds is much more perfect than that of humans. They perceive a wider spectrum of waves, including ultraviolet. The world plays for them with brighter colors and has many shades unknown to us.
Birds are tetrachromats. The retina of their eyes contains four types of cones with opsins that are sensitive to red, green, blue and another color in the ultraviolet range.
And below I have selected examples of birdhouses that are very beautiful from the point of view of people, but birds will avoid them.
And the next story will tell in detail when and how to hang a birdhouse correctly - “Birdhouse - when and how to hang it correctly.”
When the house for the owners of the site is built, it’s time to think about the other inhabitants of the surrounding area. Our helpers, birds, also need housing. What it will be depends on the type of birds that need to be attracted to the garden.
"Building standards" for a birdhouse
When choosing housing, birds are guided not by the beauty and elegance of the structure, but by its safety and functionality. Birds are guaranteed to settle in the garden if a number of conditions are met:
- the birdhouse is made of hardwood;
- the thickness of the walls of the house is at least 2 cm;
- During assembly, no glue or materials based on it were used: plywood, fiberboard, OSB.
Fresh wood from coniferous trees is unsuitable because it releases resin that glues the feathers together. In addition, birds do not accept strong odors, so instead of glue, nails or screws are used to hold parts together.
You can make a birdhouse from an old pine board without resin pockets
The parameters of the house determine which species of birds will choose it. Most birds recognize their future home by the size of the entrance hole. Taphole diameter:
- for starlings - 4.5–5 cm;
- for redstarts - 3.5 cm;
- for tits - 2.8–3.5 cm.
If you cut the entrance too wide, the nest will be easily accessible to predators. There is also a high chance that squirrels or large birds will settle there.
Squirrels are funny neighbors if the owners of the property don’t mind treating them to their berries and nuts
Try not to exceed standard sizes birdhouse:
- height - 30–35 cm;
- bottom inside - 12–17 cm.
Otherwise, the birds will hatch too many chicks, some of which will die due to underfeeding. Let the parents better raise 2-3 healthy cubs.
Birdhouses are home to not only starlings, but also sparrows, flycatchers, swifts, all types of tits and redstarts.
Every bird has a favorite house design
It is not necessary to make a perch on the birdhouse. Magpies can sit on it and destroy the nest. The thresholds on the house also do not attract birds. Due to the structure of their paws, it is uncomfortable for them to stand on a plane.
Birds do not need thresholds on birdhouses
Gallery: drawings and diagrams of birdhouses
Restless sparrows are the most common inhabitants of gardens A birdhouse with a flat roof can be made in a few hours A birdhouse with a raised roof is not the safest option for birds A house with a bottom of 12x12 cm is suitable for tits 
A birdhouse with a hole diameter of 3 to 4 cm is suitable for the smallest birds. After cutting out the birdhouse parts, sand the cut areas. The simplest birdhouse for redstarts is with a square hole. Wagtails and flycatchers often nest in houses with a hole the full width of the wall.
Birdhouse decoration
The less attention the home attracts, the better for the birds. It is advisable not to paint it or add bright details. A house made of untreated wood - best option. As a last resort, use odorless paint to match the color of tree bark - gray, brown or dark burgundy.
Birdhouses made of thin plywood that are too brightly colored are used only for decorative purposes - to decorate the garden, birds are unlikely to settle in them
Another thing is decor natural materials. Pieces of bark, twigs, and moss will decorate and camouflage the nesting area.
Bark and branches hide the home from the watchful eye of predators
Gallery: birdhouse decor
A birdhouse decorated with pebbles may scare away birds due to glare 
Small tree cuts decorate the house and do not irritate the birds 
A birdhouse in the shape of Baba Yaga's house will decorate any tree. Wine corks will additionally insulate the walls of the house. The gift birdhouse is covered with carvings. Birds are unlikely to live in a birdhouse made of branches due to the numerous cracks. By gluing the planks onto a birdhouse painted white, we get a half-timbered house 
By gluing the birdhouse with saw cuts, the cracks are sealed with moss. You can stylize the birdhouse as a country house. When making a birdhouse with children, draw cartoon characters on the walls. The birdhouse is often stylized as a fairy-tale house. An interesting solution is to use a perch instead water tap Sometimes bird houses are made in the form of animal heads 
The decor in the form of a tree trunk on the facade really decorates the birdhouse. Garden designers have figured out how to combine a flowerpot and a birdhouse. If you don’t know how to draw, draw a birdhouse with lines using a ruler and paint it
Birdhouse made of wooden planks with a flat roof
Spring is coming soon again and my husband and I decided to make the right birdhouse for our winged friends. Our last house was chosen by squirrels and turned into a nut warehouse; it turned out to be too big for the birds.
Now the choice fell on the simplest design of a birdhouse with a pitched roof.
Tools:
- hammer;
- screwdriver;
- drill and drill bits;
- jigsaw or saw.
Materials:
- meter board 10 cm wide - 1 pc.;
- meter board 15 cm wide - 1 pc.;
- nails and screws.
Step by step instructions:
1. Mark the boards according to the drawing.
The drawing is needed so that all the details of the birdhouse fit together
2. We cut out all the parts except the bottom and the roof tenon. Using a chisel, we make notches on the inside of the facade so that the chicks can climb to the exit.
When cutting the board, press it firmly against the surface so that it vibrates less
3. We get 2 sides of the birdhouse measuring 10x30 cm, the front and back - 15x30 cm, the roof - 15x25 cm. We deliberately increase the roof overhang to protect from predators.
There is no need to sand the surfaces of the boards
4. On the front wall, with a pencil and a ruler, we mark an entrance with a diameter of 3 to 5 cm, depending on the type of birds expected in the garden.
Measure the middle of the bottom and sides of the facade, draw lines and mark the entrance at their intersection
5. Drill a hole inside the tap hole circle.
First, a hole for the jigsaw knife is drilled in the facade
6. We insert a jigsaw knife into it and cut out the tap hole.
Move the jigsaw slowly to prevent the knife from flying off
7. We hammer nails into the outer walls at the fastening points so that the points stick out a little.
If you hammer the nails in early, they are less likely to bend.
8. We assemble the body from the 4 walls of the birdhouse in the following order: facade, side walls, back.
The nails are hammered into the walls slowly so as not to bend
9. Take a board 10 cm wide, apply it to the place where the bottom of the birdhouse will be and mark the cut line. We do the same with the roof spike.
Do not cut out the bottom in advance, first assemble the body and measure the actual dimensions
10. Saw off the listed parts. We insert the bottom into the body and fix it with nails.
11. We nail the tenon to the roof from the back side.
The roof spike protects the birdhouse from precipitation getting inside
12. Place the roof so that a canopy is formed over the entrance. We drill holes for the screws and screw the roof on.
After a year, the roof can be unscrewed to clean the birdhouse
13. The birdhouse is ready.
A birdhouse made from untreated boards will merge with the tree bark and will not attract the attention of predators
Master class on making a birdhouse - video
Duplyanka
Birds include birdhouses made of logs into the category of luxury housing. To make a nest box, the middle of a log 30–50 cm long and 30–35 cm in diameter is hollowed out using a chisel. After drilling the tap hole, boards or saw cuts are nailed to the bottom and top of the body.
Starlings and tits happily settle in nest boxes
Making a nest - video
Birdhouse made of plywood with a gable roof
If you have scraps of moisture-resistant wood-laminated board, you can make a birdhouse from it. However, due to toxic fumes from plywood, most likely, the house will only be a decoration in the garden.
Tools:
- screwdriver;
- drill;
- the drill is slightly smaller than the diameter of the screws;
- core drill with a diameter of 50 mm;
- saw or jigsaw.
Materials:
- plywood;
- self-tapping screws
Step by step instructions:
1. Draw a drawing.
A birdhouse with a gable roof is still better made from boards
2. Mark the plywood and cut it.
3. Drill a taphole hole on the façade using a crown. Drill a hole for the perch 4 cm below it. Make holes for self-tapping screws on all parts.
The house is assembled in the following sequence: facade, side walls, bottom, back wall, roof, perch, plank
4. Assemble the case without the back wall.
5. Place the structure with the tap hole down, install the bottom and back wall, and fasten it together.
6. Assemble the roof.
Holes for self-tapping screws are drilled in advance so as not to split the plywood when screwing them in
7. Insert a perch on the facade.
8. If desired, glue the decor and paint.
Birdhouses are painted with odorless products
How to make a birdhouse with a gable roof - video
Gallery: interesting birdhouse ideas
Any birdhouse will be transformed if you cover the roof with tiles. A birdhouse in the form of a barn with a sloping roof will decorate the lawn if you install it on a pole. Making multi-apartment housing for birds is a great temptation, but they will not be able to live together. Old license plates often cover roofs abroad. A birdhouse looks stylish with an irregularly shaped roof Eco-friendly tiles for a birdhouse can be made from wood The shape of the birdhouse does not have to be strictly rectangular Birds love round houses, as they follow the shape of the nest To make an unusual birdhouse, change the shape of the roof Modern birdhouses have strict geometric shapes It cannot be guaranteed that in two families will live in a double birdhouse Birdhouses with a gable roof leak, so it’s better to cover the ridge with tin A plot with a modern house will be decorated with a birdhouse with a sharp roof You can try to scare away cats by placing a plywood specimen on the birdhouse Unusual solution- a roof made of two cuts. A rectangular entrance is also suitable for birds. Sometimes decorative birdhouses are designed in the form of “dancing” houses 
A modern birdhouse can be very convenient for birds. A wicker birdhouse is very beautiful, but cold due to the cracks
Where and how to hang a birdhouse
The bird house is placed on a tree with a slight forward tilt to make it convenient for the chicks to get out of the nest. The entrance is oriented to the south side so that cold winds do not blow inside. The hanging height is not lower than 4 m above the ground. To prevent cats from getting to the chicks, increase the roof overhang by 5 cm from that indicated in the drawings.
Birds need to be protected from their natural enemies - cats
To protect against feathered predators:
- cover the entrance with tin;
- do not mount a perch on the birdhouse;
- make an entrance under the roof itself.
A long overhang and the absence of a perch are necessary protection measures against predators
To properly secure the birdhouse to the support, strips are screwed to the back wall. For them, the house is tied to the trunk with wire or synthetic cord.
To prevent the harness from growing into the bark, a wooden or rubber pad is placed under it.
You should not nail a birdhouse to a living tree. This causes great harm to it, especially during sap flow.
Pieces of pipe are driven into the ground, into which a pole with a birdhouse is placed
If you decide to place a birdhouse on the roof of your house, do it with an eye on the cats. Attach the bird's "cottage" to a two-meter pin covered with tin. But best place- under the eaves of the roof, perhaps under the ridge. Screw in a screw there and screw a metal eyelet to the house. There should be no objects around that the cat can get caught on.
For fastening strength, the metal eye for the birdhouse should have a pear-shaped cutout
There should be an open space in front of the birdhouse for birds to fly. Only tits love houses hidden deep in the tree crown. Usually they hang 1 birdhouse per 10 m2 of garden. If you place them more often, they will be empty.
Do not hang more than one birdhouse on a tree, the birds will conflict
Decorative birdhouse made from a plastic bottle
Birds very rarely nest in houses made of artificial materials. The so-called birdhouses from plastic bottles used only for decorating the garden and feeding birds.
Materials:
- five-liter plastic bottle - 3 pcs.;
- strip of burlap;
- perch;
- glue;
- paints;
- leg-split;
- branches.
Tools:
- knife and scissors;
- marker;
- brush.
Step by step instructions:
1. Cut a tap hole at the top of the bottle.
The entrance can be easily cut with sharp scissors
2. Cover the area under the tap hole on the inside of the bottle with burlap.
The burlap is needed to make it easier for the birds to get out of the bottle.
3. Under the taphole, 4 cm, make a cross-shaped cut for the perch.
4. Cut out the template for the tiles in the form of a trapezoid. Attach it to a two-liter bottle, outline it with a marker and cut it.
To cut out tiles, it is better to use bottles with a smooth surface; they are easier to glue.
5. Glue the tiles at the top of the house in rows from bottom to top. You will need 3 rows.
In order not to wait a long time for each row of tiles to dry, you can use a heat gun
6. Paint the house: the roof is brown, the walls are white.
7. Cover the bottom of the birdhouse and the space around the entrance with twigs. Insert the perch.
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