your backyard.
Place birdhouses in gardens, large trees, and open areas. However, refrain
from placing them in places where pesticides and herbicides are in use.
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These are harmful to birds and reduce their primary food supply of insects
and worms. Also, keep the birdhouses away from industrial pollutants.
If required, mount your birdhouses on PVC pipes or metal poles.
Place small nest boxes on trees and fence posts. Use baffles to prevent any
predators from crawling into birdhouses. Greasing the pole with slippery
substances like vegetable oil or hot-pepper spray can also help to keep
predators at bay.
Again, place birdhouses at strategic locations so that you can always have an
eye on them. At the same time, teach your kids and pets to not disturb the
birds. Hang your birdhouse at a sheltered place.
Fix metal plates across the entrance hole to prevent other big birds, and
squirrels from enlarging the holes. Entrance hole should be perfect for the
type of bird you intend attracting to your birdhouse.
Certain species of birds do not like any of other birds within a perimeter of
forty feet around their birdhouse. If you want to place many birdhouses,
spread them over a huge area. Otherwise, territorial fights could leave all
your birdhouses empty.
Keep your birdhouses with their back to the most common wind in that area.
Use non-toxic methods to treat ant beds if they are close to birdhouses. Put a
thin layer of petroleum jelly to the inside the roof to prevent wasps and other
insects from making birdhouses their home.
Although feeders are essential for attracting birds, keep them at a distance
to maintain a calm and quiet surrounding for the young birds to grow in.
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15. How Many Birdhouses Should You Have?
If you are an enthusiastic bird-watcher, you will love to hang many
birdhouses in your backyard and garden. However, birds may not share your
enthusiasm. Specific species of birds have their own preferences when
choosing their birdhouses.
Bluebirds, Purple martins, and Tree swallows love the company of other birds near their birdhouses. Purple martins love nesting near your home.
They also love having birdbaths, streams or ponds close by. These birds
usually nest in colonies and therefore require many birdhouses to
accommodate their huge families.
Chickadees and bluebirds prefer open spaces with fields and trees spread
over an area of two to five acres. Flycatchers and American kestrels love
nesting in birdhouses on the edge of forested areas. Finches, however, love
nesting near your home.
Nuthatches accept birdhouses in forested or open areas but spread across
twenty to fifty acres. Titmice require around two to five acres of open or
forested land around their birdhouses.
So, the number of birdhouses you should put on your backyard or garden
depends more on the type of habitat surrounding your home. Open areas
attract some species of birds while dense forested areas in the vicinity attract
different species. If you have a mixture of habitats surrounding your house,
you can expect a wide variety of birds to take up a home in the many
birdhouses you could spread across the landscape.
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16. How to Help Birds Make Their Own Nests
A lot of hard work goes in to
building a nest. Birds have to
select a suitable nesting site,
collect all materials for their nest,
and then carry them to their
nesting place. Thereafter, they
have to build their nests all the
while looking after their regular
job of scouting for food and
water.
You can help them by placing
suitable nesting material in a pile on the ground or more safely in string bags
and suet cages to prevent the wind from blowing it off. Hang such bags at
strategic locations so that birds can gather necessary materials. (Suet bags
are a way to feed birds so they will come to your area to eat. You can
purchase them from any bird-feeding store.)
Useful Nesting Materials
¾ Thin strips of cloth around six inches long, or pieces of yarn about four
inches long
¾ Twigs
¾ Human or pets’ hair
¾ Long strips of dried grass or leaves
¾ Feathers
¾ Cotton pieces
¾ Pine needles
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¾ Strips off plastic sacks or cellophane
Some birds, like Barn swallows, use mud to give a lining to their nests.
Place a muddy pool close by to help these birds. Birds also collect flower
petals, snakeskin, spider webs, butterfly wings, horsehair and, sometimes,
their own feathers to provide a comfortable lining for their nests.
Do not keep any fishing line or dryer fabric softener sheets around for the
birds to find.
Additionally, keep your feeders full to help such birds. Later, these feeders
are useful for feeding the nesting parents or their young ones.
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Part-VI: Nesting Behavior and Habitat Requirements
17. Nesting Behavior of Different Birds
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)
The American Kestrels nest in deserted holes of the woodpecker, snags or
natural cavities in trees. They prefer to set up in cliffs, under building roofs or
in dirt banks. Both the male and the female look for good nesting sites.
Ash-throated Flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens)
The Ash-throated Flycatchers have quite arbitrary needs for their nesting
site. Their nests are 3 to 20 feet above the ground in hollow stumps,
deserted woodpecker holes, behind the loose barks or in tree cavities. They
nest in yucca plants, metal posts, drain cans or tin cans. The female fill their
nests with rootlets, weeds, grasses and dried animal dung. Then, they cup
them with fur, hair, or tender grasses. The male quietly follows the female
and protects her from advances from other males.
Barn Owl (Tyto alba)
The Barn Owls do not build a nest. The female of this species make a bed of
pellets and different breeding pairs often use good sites again in future
years. The cavity area can be just big enough for the incubating female to
recline or large enough to accommodate several birds. The nests are mostly
located in tree cavities or caves. They occasionally dig burrows in the areas
where they can find abundant prey.
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)
The Tufted Titmouse use natural cavities for breeding. Abandoned
woodpecker holes are sought after. The nest building begins during late
March and takes six to eleven days. The nest is constructed of leaves, dry
grasses, moss, cotton, hair and, at times, snakeskin. The male feeds the
female during the nest building and until the time that the eggs hatch.
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Violet-green Swallow (Tachycineta thalassina)
The Violet-green Swallows build their nests in the crevices of cliffs, cavities of
trees, woodpecker holes and in old nests of other birds. The female build the
nest with twigs, grasses, fur, horsehair and stems. The nest building takes
six days to three weeks. The male brings feathers and uses them to line the
nest during the egg laying and incubation period.
Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana)
The female Western Bluebirds build their nests in decaying trees, in tree
cavities or snags or even woodpecker holes. The nest is made of grasses,
weeds and, at times, feathers and hair, about 4 to 40 feet above the ground.
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)
The White-breasted Nuthatch’s nest is usually 3 to 20 feet from the ground in
woodpecker holes, tree cavities and nest boxes. They use bark strips and
lumps in their nest. They cup the nest with fine grass, hair, fur, wool and
feathers. The female builds the nest and the male stays close to her, giving
her contact calls and feeding her throughout the incubation period.
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)
The Wood Duck builds its nest 3 to 60 feet off the ground in a hole of a tree
trunk. Their nests are not necessarily near the water body, but never too far
for the young ones to go to the water. They prefer woodpecker holes. They
also use nest boxes for their nests. The female of this species does not use
any foreign objects to build the nest. Instead, she uses the grayish-white
feathers off her body.
Purple Martin (Progne subis)
The Purple Martin depends on a nest that is provided by humans. If they do
build one, it will be in natural wood cavities or abandoned woodpecker holes.
The breeding season begins late May or June. The pair initially starts building
in many cavities but eventually settle for one. These birds use straw, leaves,
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stems, twigs and mud in their nest. The nest cup consists of fine grasses and
fresh green leaves, which they bring in everyday until the eggs hatch. The
Purple Martin rims their nest with mud to prevent the eggs from rolling and
predators from getting in.
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)
Black-capped Chickadees usually excavate or build their nests in woodpecker
holes and nest boxes. The females take three to five days, or sometimes as
long as two weeks to build the nest. The nest inside is made of moss, fur,
feathers and cobwebs. The nests may be located at different heights, but
most commonly at one and a half to seven meters away from the ground.
The males of this species feed their mates throughout the nest building and
incubation period.
Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens)
The Chestnut-backed Chickadees build their nests in existing tree cavities
and nest boxes, but mostly they excavate their own nest sites. Their
breeding season begins from the middle of March to early April. Their nests
are usually at low heights and are made of moss, grass, ferns etc. It is not
yet known whether it is the male, female or both that build their nests.
Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis)
The Eastern Bluebirds build their nests in woodpecker’s holes or dead, or
decaying, trees with dry grasses or pine needles. The nest cup is made of
fine grasses. The female selects one of the various sites shown to her by the
male to build a nest, which takes about four to six days. The males guard
their mates from other males. See an Eastern Bluebird House.
Brown-headed Nuthatch (Sitta pusilla)
The Brown-headed Nuthatches build their nests in decaying pine snags,
deserted woodpecker holes and hollow branches or nest boxes. Their nest
building involves excavation and takes one to six weeks. Both sexes work on
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it. The nest cup is made of wool, hair, or fur. They even caulk their cavities
by stuffing the cracks with cotton or plant down.
Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
The Carolina Chickadee excavates cavities in rotting tree trunks or snags for
nesting. They occasionally nest in nest boxes. Both sexes work together to
excavate the nest cavity, which takes around two weeks. The female lines
the nest cup with fine grass, feathers, furs, and hair.
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
The Carolina Wrens build their nests in enclosed areas such as vine tangles
or upturned trees and even, at times, in the glove compartments of old cars
and discarded shoes. The breeding begins as early as March. The females
select the nest’s site. Both the sexes build the nest. Their nest is dome
shaped with a side entrance. It is made of dead leaves, pine needles, shed
snakeskin etc., and lined with hair and fur. The nests are rarely more than 12
feet above the ground level.
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)
The common Golden eye prefers cavities of mature trees and cavities close to
the water. They use all kinds of cavities. They line their nest with material
from the cavity or the feathers of the female’s chest. The limiting factor of
the Golden eye breeding is the availability of cavities. The Golden eyes rarely
perch on the limbs of a tree but, instead, they sit at nest cavity entrance.
East and West Screech-Owls; Eastern
- (Otus asio); Western - (Otus kennicottii)
Female Screech Owls generally prefer cavities in which they have earlier
successfully raised their young. The female select the cavity from their
male’s territory, which has an abundant food supply. They build their nest in
natural cavities or at abandoned woodpecker holes. They form a depression
in whatever materials are there in the cavity.
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Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea)
The only wood warbler that nests in cavities is the Prothonotary Warbler.
They make their nest over or near a water body. The males make dummy
nests, but the nest that a female builds is used. Moss, lichens and dry leaves
make their nests and fine grasses line it.
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)
The Red-breasted Nuthatches excavate a nest cavity in a rotted branch or a
dead tree about 15 feet above the ground. The nest is made of rootlets,
grass, moss, furs and hair. Their breeding season begins late April to early
May. The adults typically smudge the pitch of the tree at the entrance region
to dissuade enemies.
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)
Tree Swallows build their nest in natural cavities, woodpecker holes, or bird
boxes. Their nest building is governed by the prevailing weather. Their nests
are 1 to 10 meters off the ground and comprised of dry grass or pine
needles. The nest cup has mostly feathers and the male keeps on adding
them over the entire incubation period.
(Meter – The fundamental unit of length in the metric system, equivalent to
39.37 U.S. inches.)
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
European Starlings build their nests in rock crevices, building structures,
parks and open fields. The male starts building the nest but it is the female
that does most of the work. It takes two or three days to complete the nest.
The males closely guard their females during this period and prevent other
males from mating with them.
Mountain Chickadee (Poecile gambeli)
The Mountain Chickadees excavate nests if they do not find other sites. They
prefer snags, natural cavities, deserted woodpecker holes and places under
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rocks. Their nests are at low heights and are made of moss, bark, fur and
feathers. Which of the sexes build the nest is not known.
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)
The House Wrens build their nest in natural cavities, woodpecker holes,
crannies and in nest boxes. They even build their nests in unique places such
as cow skulls, flowerpots, etc. Males start building the nest with small sticks.
The female make the nest cup with soft materials feathers, hair and wool,
etc.
Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides)
Mountain Bluebirds are private nesters. The female chooses the site for the
nest and also builds it. It could be a natural cavity, deserted woodpecker hole
or cliff crevice. The nest is made of grass, pine needles, rootlets, wool, hair,
or feathers. The males pay all their attention to their mates during this
period.
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)
With the Northern Flickers, the males do most of the excavating. They make
their nest on weak trees. They build their nests on poles and fencepost, too.
They also nest in boxes. See Northern Flicker Birdhouse design.
Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus)
The Great Crested Flycatchers build their nest in natural, deep tree cavities,
woodpecker holes and nest boxes. At times, they nest in unique locations
such as tin cans and pipes. Their nests are bulky and 3 to 70 feet above the
ground. Both sexes build the nest. They fill the cavity with pine needles,
twigs and mosses and then line them with hair and other soft material.
Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)
Hooded Mergansers nests are 10 to 20 ft (3 to 6 m) off the ground in hollow
trees, other natural cavities and nest boxes. Nests near the water are
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suitable for them. The female chooses the nest site. No nesting material is
used except the nest line that comprise down feathers off the female’s belly.
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
House Sparrows prefer their nests in natural tree cavities or tree branches.
The males select and build the nest. The nest is dome shaped with a side
entrance. The nest is an untidy collection of grass, paper, hair and feathers.
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18. Habitat Requirements for Cavity-Nesting
Birds
Different cavity nesting birds have specific preferences for nesting and
habitats. This is an insight into their preferences:
American kestrel
These birds prefer nesting at a height of ten to thirty feet from the ground on
farm buildings. Place their birdhouses on trees along the edge of woods or on
single trees in the middle of fields. These birds also prefer nesting in
meadows, pastures or orchards with grazed and mowed vegetation. The
entrance hole should have a diameter of 3 inches.
Ash-throated Flycatcher and Great Crested Flycatcher
These birds prefer nesting at a height of three to twenty feet from the
ground. The entrance should be a round hole of 1¾ inches diameter. Place
birdhouses in deserts, oak scrubs, mesquite thickets and dry plains with few
trees or cacti, or in open, deciduous woodlands.
Barn Owl
This owl species prefer nesting at a height of twenty to twenty-five feet from
the ground. They prefer open places like deserts, fields or marshes. Their
nest boxes should be close to riverbanks, cliffs, hollow trees, barns and
bridges - ensuring good rodent supply. Make birdhouses with round entrance
holes of 6” diameter for housing barn owls.
Black-capped chickadee and Carolina chickadees
These birds have similar nesting and habitat preferences. These birds prefer
nesting at a height of five to fifteen feet from the ground. Put an inch of
wood shavings in the birdhouses and make an entrance hole of 1 1/8 inches
diameter away from the direction of the wind. Place them in meadows, forest
edges and in woodlots with many mature hardwood trees so that they
receive sufficient, but not direct, sunlight. Place one box for every ten acres.
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Chestnut-backed chickadees and Mountain chickadees
These birds prefer nesting in mixed forests of deciduous and coniferous or
coniferous-only forests in close proximity to streams.
Eastern Screech Owl and Western Screech owls
These owls prefer nesting in forest edges, woodland clearings, parks, or in
trees with streams in the vicinity. Put a layer of two to three inches of wood
shavings in their birdhouses and place them at a height of ten to thirty feet
from the ground. Make round entrance holes of 3” diameter, facing north.
House Wrens
These birds prefer habitats like open forests, farmlands, parks, backyards in
shrubs or tall trees. Place their birdhouses at a height of five to ten feet
above the ground and make round entrance holes of 1¼ inches diameter.
Carolina wrens additionally prefer nesting in forests with thick
undergrowth.
Brown-headed Nuthatch
These birds prefer clearings or burned areas with dead trees, open stretches
of pine-hardwood forests, forests edges or cypress swamps. Make round
entrance holes of 1¼” diameter and facing away from the prevailing wind.
Pla