Attracting birds to your local area is a pleasant and useful activity. After all, birds not only delight our ears with their trills, but also eat harmful insects.
How to make a birdhouse with your own hands - this is what our article is about.
Source materials
The starting material is exclusively wood. It is recommended to use wood from deciduous trees only, since coniferous trees emit resin, which can lead to the premature death of the feathered resident.
You cannot make birdhouses from plywood sheets, chipboard and OSB. The glue and special impregnation contained in such materials repel feathered guests.
As a result, assembly and fastening of workpieces should be carried out only with nails and self-tapping screws, without the use of adhesive.
Usually, to make a birdhouse from wood, unplaned boards with a thickness of at least 2 cm are used. This thickness allows you to maintain a constant temperature regime inside the bird house.
To prevent cracks from appearing on the boards when fastening, it is necessary to pre-drill holes for the screws.
How to choose the size of a birdhouse
The size of the birdhouse depends on what birds it is intended for. Different types of birdhouses differ in their proportions and the length of the entrance.
For example, for starlings the required dimensions are: 10 × 10 × 40 cm, the entrance hole is 5 cm. For tits and flycatchers, sparrows - 10 × 12 × 30 cm, the entrance hole is 3-3.5 cm. And the half-loop should be 10 × 8 × 20 cm with a taphole 3.3-5 cm high across the entire width of the wall.
Usually only the height of the birdhouse changes.
Half-loops can also attract squirrels.
Some birds prefer to live in nesting boxes made from part of a log using the hollowing method. The bottom and roof of such structures are made of boards.
To make the birdhouse habitable again, you need to remove the old nesting box from it and scald it with boiling water. An additional measure could be treatment with potassium permanganate.
How to make a birdhouse a safe place to live
To avoid the destruction of a birdhouse by cats and woodpeckers, you can take the following measures:
- Increase the roof overhang;
- Stick the roof with nails;
- Finish the taphole with a tin sheet;
- Drive nails around the tap hole;
- Attach a wooden overlay with horizontal fibers near the taphole;
- Make special protective belts from strips of tin or from “brooms”, and you must strictly adhere to the required distances between them.
Important: there should be no twigs, feeders or other possible supports between the protective belts and the birdhouse.
How to choose the right place for a birdhouse
Birdhouses should be hung on trees at a height of at least 3 m. It is not advisable for busy paths or benches to be located near these places.
Pay attention!
When choosing a place on a tree, you need to take into account that there are no large branches near the entrance. The birdhouse should be installed facing south so that there is a slight tilt forward.
Making a birdhouse
It is necessary to take untreated hardwood boards with a thickness of at least 2 cm. You will also need gloves. Next, we take the birdhouse drawings and cut out the component parts. It is necessary to cut carefully and evenly, at an angle of 90°, so that there are no gaps in the future.
It is better to choose nails with a diameter of 1.5-2 mm and a length of no more than 40-50 mm. Let's start assembly. We apply the side parts to the facade at an angle of 90° and nail them. It is recommended to use 3-4 nails per each.
We turn it over, install the bottom, and nail it to the sides. Next, we insert the back wall and also secure it with nails with the bottom and sides.
Let's turn it over again. We fasten the bottom on the other side as well. We install the roof so that the overhang is at least 5 cm. Preferably 10 cm. We nail it down.
Pay attention!
We inspect the resulting birdhouse and bend all the protruding nails.
Whether to install a perch is up to you.
Nowadays, on the Internet you can easily find a variety of ideas on how to make a birdhouse in the country or near your home.
Some of them are quite unusual. Therefore, feel free to make houses for birds.
After all, an original birdhouse can become a real decoration of your garden.
Pay attention!
Photo of a birdhouse with your own hands
Our interest in birdhouses awakens in the spring along with raindrops, bright rays of the sun and the ringing voices of birds. I really want nimble and cheerful birds to settle in our yard. It's nice to watch the family activities of birds and listen to their trills. It’s equally nice to know that birds will help protect your garden from pests.
Birdhouses for birds: what are they?
We have all observed a considerable number of different birdhouses. You may get the impression that these are just small houses with a hole of different shapes and colors. In fact, bird houses can be made from various materials and must have certain parameters for different types of birds. There are certain requirements for their design and placement.
Especially for you, we have grouped the existing options into an easy-to-read form. Of course, before you start assembling a bird house, you need to see what they are like.
Birdhouses made of wood - classics of the genre
There is no doubt that wood is best suited for making a classic birdhouse. The reason is in the whole complex of its characteristics:
- good thermal insulation;
- acceptable sound insulation;
- sufficient strength;
- environmentally friendly;
- well processed;
- affordable.
We have prepared for you photos of 40 types of wooden birdhouses, arranging them in order of increasing complexity and quality of design.
Here are images of the simplest designs. As you can see, they suit the starlings themselves. Unless they suspect that the lifespan of an untreated house is limited. If appearance doesn't matter, choose one of these options.
If you spend a little more time, you can make a much nicer house for the birds. Perhaps you use another type of lumber for this purpose. Definitely, it will take a little more skill and effort.
In these designs, fantasy played the main role. Moisture-proof impregnation and a tin roof will definitely increase the service life of the crafts. The products are somewhat more complex than ordinary bird houses.
As you can see in the photo, the birdhouse can be decorated by cutting a hole in the shape of a bird’s silhouette. At least the roof can be painted. To assemble a bird house, you can use clapboard treated with a blowtorch.
The photographs above show the application of paints. In principle, one color is enough to decorate a craft. Several bird houses painted in different colors look great.
If you try, paints will help turn a bird's home into a fairy-tale house. The design itself is not complicated. Imagination and diligence are the main tools of the presented success.
A few more options for successful and simple solutions. Small cross-section sticks allow you to complement the craft with a fence, trellis, and so on. Using a jigsaw helped a lot in the bottom two photos. The use of wood of different colors and unusual shapes of the bird house ensured the exclusivity of the work.
The photos presented above say: don’t limit your imagination! Of course, to assemble an airplane and helicopter you will need parts made on a lathe. However, the locomotive and the tiger are made from ordinary planks using a simple tool. Can be repeated!
The two elegant bird houses pictured above were crafted with great taste and care. It's not easy to repeat this. Creating similar and your own is even more difficult.
We present four more examples that will decorate a site of any level. Of course, wood carving is not for everyone. Note that the two lower options are quite realistic for copying. It will take a lot of time and effort.
A birdhouse made of logs is a separate topic
A great idea is to use an ordinary log for a birdhouse at the dacha. This is also wood, but untreated. Please note that an old tree trunk with a rotten core is the best option. Such housing for birds resembles a hollow and is called a nest box. As you can see, the design of the product can be very different.
For many, an old log is more affordable than an edged board. Birds don't care what their home looks like. A simple deck or palace made of birch will do. You make the choice.
The nest can be decorated with branches, boards, and mushrooms. Again we are talking about the manifestation of imagination.
In any case, those who decide to make the house more complex and interesting must definitely link its design with the place and environment where the birdhouse will be located.
They also make plywood bird houses.
It is believed that plywood is not the best choice for a bird house, as it has an unpleasant and harmful smell of glue. However, the starling in the picture likes the plywood housing. You probably shouldn't use products with a noticeable glue smell. It can be assumed that the slight odor will subside over time. Plywood is more expensive than edged boards, but it is stronger and will last longer.
Here is a factory kit for assembling a bird house. Its main advantages are its interesting design and high assembly speed. Thin plywood has reduced heat and sound insulation. This type of bird house is best used in warm regions and will not last long.
Several more design options for birdhouses made of plywood demonstrate the wide decorative capabilities of the material. The use of paints will ensure a flawless appearance. It is probably better to use such crafts for decorative purposes.
Here are the simplest plywood bird houses. They are best used in relatively warm regions. They won't last long in this condition.
The use of 20mm thick plywood and paints greatly improves the position of plywood houses. Experiments with the shape of the craft are encouraged.
Birdhouses made of cardboard - it's possible
Birdhouses made of cardboard are difficult to take seriously. As follows from the pictures, such products exist. At the same time, they are made at enterprises producing corrugated packaging.
Of course, such a bird house is inexpensive, assembles quickly and even looks decent. Obviously, they will last one season, and in those areas where it will not be soaked by rain. However, we decided to overcome the identified shortcomings of the material and below we offer a diagram for assembling a fairly reliable bird house made of corrugated cardboard.
Birdhouses made from plastic bottles - a backup option
At first glance, plastic containers are very suitable for a bird’s nest: they cost nothing, are durable, and are not afraid of rain. Note that birds do not like to sit in a transparent room with poor heat and sound insulation. In addition, the slippery surfaces of the bottle make it difficult for the bird to move around in the house.
However, these shortcomings can be combated. Note that the assembly of such a product does not require a hacksaw or drill and can be done by a woman or child. A plastic bottle can be painted, covered with an opaque material and lined with fabric on the inside. It is better to use five-liter eggplants.
To prevent the lightweight structure from being swayed by the wind, it must be securely attached to the tree, for example with tape. Obviously, in this situation there is a wide scope for decor and decorations. Below we offer a practical way to use plastic bottles for a bird house.
Bird houses made from scrap materials
A very interesting house for birds is made from a pumpkin. The internal contents of the plant are cleaned with a spoon through the future entrance. The craft is dried, decorated and hung on a tree.
Options for “finishing the room” outside can be very different. Note that even in its simplest form, the product has a certain decorative value. Often it is for this purpose that such crafts are made.
A wooden barrel or pebbles and cedar cones, as well as beer cans, are suitable for building a bird house. Almost any material will do, from beer cans to shoes.
At the same time, it is important to comply with the conditions for comfortable living of birds, which we discuss further in the text.
An old boot is a wonderful home for birds. By the way, the leather version will last quite a long time. The convenience of living in an old snag with a hollow for birds definitely doesn’t need to be explained. Nothing prevents us from adding our human decorations.
An old bucket is perfect for birds. It is especially convenient to use a piece of plastic pipe to arrange a bird house. Very simple and durable. The possibilities for decoration are, as always, unlimited.
Multi-family houses or townhouses for birds
Probably, apartment buildings were first developed by birds, and then by people. There are a great many options for execution. Just like people, an apartment building can be beautiful.
These examples look more like townhouses. Probably, next to a “high-rise building” for a large number of birds it will always be possible to observe at least one of them.
At the same time, we must not forget that a cheerful company of birds can harvest your entire garden in one sitting.
Decorative birdhouses
Decorative birdhouses also have a place. They are designed to decorate rooms. Often decorative crafts are placed in the garden.
Bird houses can be made by children from paper, cardboard boxes, plastic bottles and beer cans. Of course, in this case no dimensions need to be observed. We have selected for you images of the most typical products that are suitable for a child.
Dimensions of birdhouses and other requirements
There are general requirements for bird housing, regardless of what specific birds they are intended for:
- The bird house must have sufficient thermal insulation and be protected from noise, moisture and drafts. To do this, a wooden birdhouse is made from boards at least 20mm thick. The seams and cracks of the house are sealed with clay, plasticine or tow.
- The structure should not have sharp protrusions that could injure feathered inhabitants. The protruding parts are treated with emery cloth.
- The configuration of the birdhouse should allow birds to easily get in and out. In a birdhouse made of planed boards, the front wall from the inside is roughened using a hacksaw and a drill. A birdhouse made from a plastic bottle is trimmed from the inside with a coarse cloth.
- The material of the bird housing should not emit unpleasant odors. Laminated chipboard and OSB board contain formaldehyde and are not suitable for birds. For the same reasons, the use of plywood is also discouraged. Inorganic adhesives should not be used to assemble the birdhouse. It is better to paint the product with acrylic paints.
- You should not use too bright colors to decorate the house. Birds distinguish colors much better than people, and in nature they are not used to showing off their nest to everyone. It is better not to create a tip for birds of prey and cats. Good paint will significantly extend the life of your product.
- The design and placement of the birdhouse should provide sufficient protection from cats and woodpeckers.
- The birdhouse should not be too large so as not to provoke the female to lay too many eggs. It is difficult to provide food for a large number of chicks, and they will not survive.
Let us add in more detail a few more significant comments on the “architecture” of bird houses. To protect against feline organized crime groups (organized criminal groups), the birdhouse should be positioned so that it is impossible to climb into it from nearby branches.
It is better not to make a support under the entrance, as the entrance to the bird’s house is called: branches are enough for the bird if the birdhouse is on a tree, and the cats will definitely take advantage of the additional opportunity for criminal purposes. To protect the chicks from attack from above, the overhang of the birdhouse canopy is increased to 70-80mm. The greater the angle of inclination of the roof, the more difficult it is for cats to commit a dirty deed.
To prevent cat gangs from reaching the birdhouse along the support from below or above, it is wrapped in tin in accordance with the image. The cat slides on the metal and will not reach the chicks. To protect against the claims of a woodpecker, the bird entrance is reinforced with a metal or thick wooden overlay, as in the photo. Then he will not be able to expand the entrance and get to the eggs.
Quite often, birdhouses are made from coniferous wood. Resin released from wood can ruin the plumage of birds. It is better to use birch or alder for a bird's nest. As a last resort, you should choose pine boards without knots.
Different birds have their own characteristics and choose their “apartments” according to their needs. When planning to make a house for certain birds, use its standard GOST dimensions from the table below.
The bird house mentioned in the table, called “half-loop,” is intended for birds that are accustomed to nesting not in tree hollows, but in the recess between the branches. These birds prefer a certain amount of light, and a slit-shaped entrance is suitable for them.
Please note that it is difficult for a wagtail to move on vertical surfaces, and it is better for it to arrange a comfortable area in front of the entrance 8-12 cm wide. For small birds, like pikas, two entrances located opposite each other are organized. It is believed that starlings do not live in green houses.
Choosing a location and methods of attaching bird houses
Ornithologists recommend placing one birdhouse on an area of 20 m2. In practice, one birdhouse in the garden is enough, since a larger number endangers your cherries and even tomato seedlings. If you install several bird houses, ensure a distance of more than 15 meters between them.
Usually the birdhouse is installed at a height of 2.5-3.5 m from the ground. If there are objects nearby where people often appear and will disturb the birds, increase the height to 4.5-5.5 m.
It is necessary to think about the optimal orientation of the bird's house relative to the cardinal directions. If the entrance to the open space faces south, the house may overheat. It is better to place it in the shade. It is also wrong to point the entrance towards the most frequently blowing winds, since rain will enter through the entrance to the birdhouse. Also, to protect from rain, you should use the wall or roof of a building, tree foliage, etc.
Often the birdhouse has a special bar for attaching to the support. It can be fixed to inanimate objects with nails and screws. Flexible clamps are used for fastening to trees. Reliable and durable cords and ropes are suitable. In this case, the fasteners should not pinch the tree as the trunk thickens. If the birdhouse you installed is not occupied by residents, try moving it to another location. This circumstance will probably influence the birds' decision.
Workshops on making bird houses
Drawings, dimensions and photos of assembling a wooden birdhouse with decorations
We invite you to familiarize yourself with the drawings of three options for the most common birdhouses made of wood. Let us repeat that it is better to make them from deciduous wood or use pine boards without knots with resin. If you check the size table, you will find that for starlings and other birds the house may have different dimensions than in the drawings. Next, we describe a diagram for assembling a bird house with a pitched roof, following which you can carry out any of the three projects yourself.
Here is a drawing of a birdhouse made of boards, which is the simplest. A special feature of this design is the removable lid. In order for it to be securely fixed, a 120x120mm insert is provided, attached to the lid from the inside. If you do not plan to remove the cover, the liner is not needed.
The gable lid looks more interesting, but the design is a little more complicated. Pay attention to the accuracy of the connection of the roof parts with the side walls. Additional compaction with plasticine, clay or hemp may be required in these places. The design does not provide for a removable cover.
This drawing shows a design with an inclined removable cover. You should pay attention to the careful execution of inclined cuts of the side walls. We present a master class on assembling a birdhouse in two stages: first we make a birdhouse according to the description, and then we decorate it at our own discretion.
This is what the finished birdhouse will look like Let's consider the sequence of actions step by step:
- To make the birdhouse, I used a pine board with a section of 160x20mm. The knots are very small, so the resin will not interfere with the birds.
- For parts 120mm wide, I cut the board lengthwise to this width. I used a 40mm wide scrap as a pole for attaching the birdhouse.
- I used a square to mark the parts. Otherwise, cracks in the craft cannot be avoided.
- I marked the length of the insert under the lid “in place”, it’s more convenient.
- I carefully marked and made a bevel cut on the front and back walls of the product.
- First, I drilled the tap hole with a feather drill.
- However, I didn’t have a feather drill of the required diameter, so I finished the job with a jigsaw.
- I scratched the inside of the front wall with a hacksaw to make it easier for the birds to get out of the house.
- The result was a set of parts shown in the picture.
- The entrance was cleaned with sandpaper for the convenience of the birds.
- To assemble the house, I drilled holes with a diameter of 2 mm for screws. On long walls, three screws are enough, on short walls, two.
- I fastened the side walls with 3.5x40mm screws; 3.5x35mm screws were used to assemble the lid.
- The result is a birdhouse without cracks or gaps. For those who want to extend the life of the craft with the help of paints and at the same time make a funny birdhouse, follow below.
- First, let's turn the canopy over the entrance into the visor of an improvised cap. We carry out the markings using a compass.
- The cut along an arc was made with a jigsaw and the sharp edges were treated with emery cloth.
- I also used sandpaper to smooth out all the sharp edges of the craft. For this type of work, it is convenient to wrap the sandpaper around a wooden block.
- Next, I cut out templates for the eyebrows, eyes, lips and ear of the “Cyclops” from paper. I tried them on for a craft project and remade those that didn’t fit the proportions.
- For false ears I used 16mm thick plywood, for the mouth – 10mm. I pressed the corresponding templates onto the plywood and outlined the outlines with a marker.
- I cut out all the complex shaped parts with a jigsaw.
- The nose has a geometric shape, so I marked it out using a ruler. I cleaned the cut parts with sandpaper.
- I painted the ears, nose and lid of the birdhouse with brown paint in two layers. For the lips I used red color.
- The body of the “Cyclops head” was painted with yellow acrylic paint. To mark the whites of the eyes and eyebrows, I attached the corresponding templates to the front wall and outlined them with a marker. I did the eyebrows and eyelashes with a black marker. The white of the eye was painted over with white paint.
- The ears, nose and mouth were secured with screws. I invited a cheerful bird – a fashion model – especially for photography.
New technologies for assembling a birdhouse from cardboard and bottles for women's and children's hands
Not everyone who wants to build a birdhouse with their own hands has the ability to saw boards, drill and drive screws. On the other hand, plastic bottles and cardboard boxes are available to everyone. Both materials are not suitable for creating a bird house.
We came up with the idea that a wonderful result would be obtained if these available materials were used together: plastic protects from moisture, and corrugated cardboard provides thermal insulation. We bring to your attention an original project of a bird house made from improvised materials, which can be implemented by anyone at home. Look how we did it in the picture.
Here is a presentation of a master class on making an apartment for birds from plastic bottles and corrugated cardboard. In this case, a drawing is not required, since the dimensions are marked on the parts:
- To start, you will need two identical five-liter bottles. We cut one of them from the bottom along the line marked with a marker. The cut is below the protruding part so that the second container can be inserted into the first.
- Corrugated cardboard is best suited two-layer 6mm thick. The marking should be done in a rectangle. We cut the cardboard with a stationery knife using a metal ruler.
- First, we cut out one piece 118x118mm and check how it fits inside the cut container. It is ideal if it clings a little to the walls of the jar. If it passes with a large gap or passes into the container with difficulty, you will have to choose other square sizes. In the case when the size of the bottom and roof is changed or cardboard with a thickness other than 6mm is used, the drawings of the parts will be different. The height of 300mm will not change, the width of the front and rear walls is equal to the size of the bottom and roof, the width of the side wall is equal to the width of the front, minus double the thickness of the cardboard.
- We mark the entrance with a marker in accordance with the image. To obtain a circle, it is convenient to trace the lid of the container with a marker. Cut the hole with a narrow knife.
- We cut out all the details from corrugated cardboard in accordance with the image.
- Using a glue gun, apply glue to the bottom of the back wall.
- We install the bottom liner on the glue. To ensure proper assembly, temporarily install and hold the side wall with your hand. You need to hold the parts until they are fixed with glue.
- The result will be an assembly in the shape of the letter “G”.
- Apply glue to the end of the bottom.
- Apply glue to the edge of the side wall.
- After installing the side wall and the glue has cured, you will have an assembly of three parts.
- Apply glue to the upper parts of the side and back walls.
- Once the roof liner is installed and the glue has cured, you will have a four-piece assembly.
- Apply glue for the second side wall.
- We install the second side wall and get a box without a lid.
- Apply glue to the ends of the four parts and install the front wall.
- The base of the craft is ready.
- At the ends of the craft, remove the exposed glue to glue the bottom and roof.
- Apply glue to the four ends of the walls and the bottom liner.
- Install the bottom of the birdhouse.
- Now we have a bird house with an insulated and reinforced bottom.
- This is what the finished cardboard capsule looks like after gluing the roof.
- Carefully insert the cardboard insert into the bottle and mark the tap hole on the bottle with a marker.
- We cut out the tap hole in accordance with the markings.
- We prepare corrugated cardboard parts for insulating the bird house in accordance with the image.
- Everything worked out for us, and the “insulation” is in place.
- We push the parts into place. If they do not fit well, the parts can be trimmed or the cardboard can be crushed at the edges of the long sides.
- After adjusting the size of the second bottle and assembling, mark holes for wire staples on the sides of the birdhouse with a marker. We punch holes at a distance of 20mm so as not to perforate the walls of the product.
- We make two brackets from copper wire with a diameter of 0.5-1 mm in accordance with the holes.
- We move the bottom eggplant down and insert staples into it on both sides. We bend the ends of the staples so that they easily fit into the upper bottle.
- We move the lower bottle into place and insert the staples into the holes on the upper bottle.
- We push the bottom part of the plastic container into place.
- We twist the wire and bend the twist.
- This is what an almost finished birdhouse looks like. We received impeccable thermal insulation and protection from moisture of the bird house.
- We painted the top of the house with brown paint, and the bottom with yellow paint. The sharp edge of the plastic can injure the bird. We took a piece of corrugation, cut it lengthwise and put it on the edge of the tap hole. You can color the product at your own discretion. The craft resembles a castle tower, so you can create a pattern of battlements from below.
How to make a birdhouse from a log easier
We have already given examples of arranging an original birdhouse made of logs. Birds will definitely like this project, as it resembles a hollow bird familiar to them: it has no cracks and blends in with the surrounding environment. Now let’s look at a master class on assembling such a bird house yourself.
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 rear 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.
The building material used is boards of pine or deciduous trees with a thickness of 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 are a good object for realizing 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 needs to 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
Attracting birds to the site is both useful and pleasant. It is useful because they destroy insect pests, it is pleasant to listen to their singing and observe the behavior of birds. That’s why many people come up with the idea of building a birdhouse with their own hands. People over 40 years old can remember their school days: during labor lessons, boys made houses for birds. But it’s not just property owners who make birdhouses. Often residents of apartment buildings hang them on trees near the house, on balconies and loggias.
What to make from
The answer is clear - from wood, and from deciduous trees: conifers are too resinous. The resin can stain the plumage, resulting in the death of the bird. You should not use plywood or. Rarely does anyone live in such birdhouses: glue and binders scare away birds. For the same reason, we assemble and fasten the workpieces only with nails or screws, we do not use glue.
Most often, birdhouses are made from boards. The thickness of the boards is at least 20 mm. This thickness is enough to maintain a stable temperature inside, which is important when hatching chicks. Moreover, the boards need to be unplaned; in any case, the inner surface should be rough. The front part under the entrance is also specially scratched: along these notches, chicks and birds rise to the entrance.
To prevent the boards from cracking during assembly, we pre-drill holes for the screws. The diameter is slightly smaller than the diameter of the screw.
Sizes of birdhouses for different types of birds
To attract different types of birds, the size of the house should vary. It is mainly the proportions of the “body” itself and the entrance that change. The goal is to create nesting conditions that are more familiar to this species.
| Bird species | Bottom dimensions | Birdhouse height | Taphole dimensions | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starlings | 10*10 cm | 30-40 cm | about 5 cm | a taphole is preferable to a round shape |
| Titmouse - tits, flycatchers, redstarts, sparrows, pygmy owls | 10-12 cm | 25-30 cm | 30-35 mm | round entrance |
| Lesser titmouse or flycatcher (flycatchers, redstarts) | 10*8 cm | 25-30 cm | 30 mm | |
| Poluduplyanka | 10*8 cm | 20 cm | height 33-50 mm across the entire width of the wall | taphole - a longitudinal slot across the entire width of the front wall |
As you can see from the table, basically only the height changes. The width remains more or less stable. There is no point in making birdhouses anymore. They will stimulate the laying of more eggs, and the birds will not be able to fully feed a large number of chicks; as a result, the offspring will be weak and, most likely, die.
If you want to attract wagtails, make a birdhouse laid on its side: its height will be 10-12 cm and width - 35-40 cm, with the same small entrance located approximately in the middle. Wagtails have weak legs, and they cannot climb a high wall to the entrance. That is why there is such a choice of nesting sites. in the shaker it is also advisable to make a ladder about 10 cm wide in front of the entrance - so that they can enter on foot.
The semi-duplyanka requires some explanation. Some birds are accustomed to nesting not in hollows, but in recesses between branches. They rarely settle in completely closed artificial nesting areas. If you want to attract, for example, a gray flycatcher, make it a small box in which the entrance runs the entire width of the front wall.
Just keep in mind that some types of squirrels also like to live in such houses.
There is another nesting site that birds often like better - a nesting box. This is a birdhouse made from a piece of log. Often dried wood is cut into logs of suitable size, turning it into apartments for birds. The height and diameter are selected based on the dimensions that were indicated for a regular birdhouse. The bottom and roof of the nest are made from a piece of board.
Duplyanka - birdhouse made of logs
Safety
It's a shame and a pity when birds' nests are destroyed. This is mainly done by cats, and also by woodpeckers. Therefore, when you make a birdhouse with your own hands, increase the roof overhang. In almost all drawings it is drawn 5 cm long. In order to protect the birdhouse from the cat, it is necessary to make sure that he cannot reach the entrance. To do this, the roof must protrude by at least 7 cm, and it is better to add a couple more - for large specimens. This ledge will also protect from slanting rain: the likelihood that the chicks will get wet becomes even less.
Another option is to put nails on the lid. The cat is unlikely to get hurt, but he won’t be able to sit comfortably - the nails won’t let him.
There are several ways to protect chicks from woodpeckers:
- beat the taphole with tin:
- drive several nails around the tap hole;
- nail a piece of wood on the taphole area, the fibers of which run horizontally.
All this will prevent the woodpecker from expanding the entrance and getting to the eggs or chicks. The last trick - the cover - will also complicate the cat’s task: it is more difficult to reach the chick through a long entrance.
Measures against enemies: 1 - against woodpeckers, 2.3 - against cats
They still escape from cats and possible invaders with the help of protective belts. They are made either from tin strips or from “brooms”. You will understand everything by looking at the picture. Please note that the distances must be maintained within 3-4 cm. Then the animals will not be able to jump over the protective belts. There should be no twigs, feeders or other possible supports between them and the birdhouse.
Where to hang
Where to hang a birdhouse is also a science. If you are going to set it up on a tree, then at a height of at least 2.5-3 meters. There should be no paths or busy places near the selected tree - a well, a bench, etc.
When choosing a place on a tree, keep in mind that there should be no large branches in front of the entrance: the approach must be free. At the same time, you need to unfold it so that the “window” faces south. All this increases the chances that residents will move into your birdhouse.
Another point: you need to tie or nail it so that the “house” is tilted slightly forward. This will make it easier for the chicks to get out, and less rain will clog them.
How to make a birdhouse with your own hands: photo report
We will do the easiest option - with a flat roof. As already mentioned, we take unplaned hardwood boards with a thickness of 20 mm or more. To avoid splinters, it is better to work with gloves. According to the drawing, we cut the blanks. Try to keep the cuts straight and at right angles: there should be no gaps. Immediately after hatching, the chicks are without feathers, and the slightest draft can kill them. Therefore, all edges must be smooth.
We take long thin nails - diameter 1.5-2 mm, length 4-5 cm and a hammer. Let's start assembly. We nail the sides to the front part at right angles. For each - three to four nails.
Turning the workpiece upside down, take the bottom, insert it, and level it. We nail it to the sides. Cover the top with the back wall and nail it down too. Don't forget about connecting the back wall with the sides.
Turning the tap hole upside down, we nail the bottom on this side as well. All that remains is to assemble the roof. We take the remaining square - the double of the bottom, nail it so that the visor sticking out in front is at least 5 cm (preferably 7-10 cm, as they said before). If the nails stick out, bend them.
The roof just needs to fit tightly. If something gets in the way, we use a chisel. That's all, the birdhouse with your own hands is ready.
Often a perch is installed under the entrance. Is it needed or not? If there are enough branches around, it’s better not to do it. If there are no branches, you need to either make a perch or a small shelf, although you can do without them. Why? Because cats also rely on them and it is easier for them to reach the chicks with support.
How to make a titmouse, watch the video
Making a nest - a birdhouse from a log
If the feathered people have a choice - to live in a nest box or a birdhouse made of boards - they will choose a nest box. It is more similar to the usual “housing” - a hollow, there are no cracks on the sides and, therefore, it is warmer. They are less noticeable on the tree, which means there is a greater chance of raising offspring. These are advantages from the birds' point of view. Now about the advantages from the point of view of the “manufacturers”: a fallen tree is used for work, and it is free. If you find a suitable one, it will be enough for a large number of birdhouses. About the disadvantages - making nest boxes takes longer and is more difficult: you have to manually pick out the core, leaving the walls intact.
Now about how to find a suitable tree. Aspen is best suited: it usually rots from the inside, but remains hard along the outer edge. Therefore, we go in search of an aspen forest, and there, among the fallen trees, we look for something suitable: we cut several trunks. It is important to find one with a whole edge and a rotten middle - the work will go faster.
It is advisable to find such aspen - with a rotten core, but strong edges
Often such trees have rotten bark, which makes them look unsightly. We peel off the bark and drag the log to the dacha or house. There we cut it into logs of suitable size. Dimensions are determined by diameter. For a birdhouse, the inner diameter of the nest should be 22-30 cm, respectively, the outer diameter - 27-36 cm. For the titmouse, the sections closer to the top are suitable - the inner diameter is 15-22 cm, the outer diameter is 19-26 cm.
The height of the log also depends on the type of house - a titmouse is 20-40 cm high (but they are more willing to settle in low ones), a birdhouse - from 30 to 45 cm. When sawing, try to make the bevel that appears at the bottom level, and at the top - at a slight slope - so that sediment flowed from the roof. To make roofs and bottoms, you will need cutting boards; you can use unedged boards and slabs.
We take the cut log and begin to pick out the core with a chisel. The task is to dig a through hole. After this, even hard wood is easier to chop. To make the process go faster, you can drill holes with a drill, then break out the jumpers with a chisel.
The task is to dig a through hole
As a rule, the rotten core runs out quickly, then you have to chop off pieces of wood using a chisel and a hammer or mallet. But with a hole in the center it is much easier - the longitudinal pieces are chipped off, the work proceeds at normal speed.
The walls should remain about 1.5-3 cm. We try to work on the middle more or less smoothly, without large chips. When the walls are selected, we make a taphole. If there is a knot, you can hollow it out. Or take a crust and a drill, drill in a suitable place. If there is no crown, take a regular drill, drill holes in a circle, then, using the same chisel, cut through the remaining jumpers.
A piece of board 2-2.5 cm thick goes to the bottom. It is nailed or screwed onto self-tapping screws. The protruding parts are cut off as close to the walls as possible.
All that remains is to nail the roof. The same board or slab will do. Before screwing in the screw, drill holes, otherwise the board may split.
Actually, you have already made a birdhouse with your own hands, all that remains is to secure it from attacks by woodpeckers. If there are knots on the walls, it is advisable to coat them with plasticine (regular, children's). They can also be used to seal the gaps that remain between the bottom and the roof and walls: it is rarely possible to fit everything neatly. If you don’t want to cover it with plasticine, you can caulk it with hemp rope. It is applied to the crack and driven into it with a flat screwdriver (actually there are special blades for caulking, but they are large - this is the time, and for “one-time use” you should buy them...). If it doesn't go well, you can hit the handle with a hammer.
Caulking the “seams” with hemp rope
How to decorate a birdhouse
While the birdhouse is new, it looks relatively good, but after a couple of months it will darken. This is good for the birds - it will become less noticeable and they will only benefit from this. But not all homeowners like to look at such an unsightly “decoration”. To improve the appearance, the birdhouse can be painted, but you need to choose “natural” colors - brown, gray, shades of green. You want your birds to survive, right? This means their nest needs to be camouflaged, and not painted in all the colors of the rainbow, attracting all possible predators.
And this one is just ideal - no cracks in the floor))
Titmouse is inhabited
Beautiful decoration and disguise
We hope that now you can not only make a birdhouse with your own hands, but also decorate it competently (from the point of view of the birds).
Drawings with dimensions
Some drawings of birdhouses are in the text, we are posting a few more in this section. Adjusting the dimensions to suit the planned “tenants” is probably not a problem. Also note that the layout is given for a 2 cm thick board. If you increase or decrease the thickness, adjustments are necessary.
Birdhouse with a triangular roof: drawing, dimensions
Birdhouse with a sloping roof (front wall higher)
In this article we will make birdhouses with our own hands - correct, beautiful (simple and unusual) bird houses. I decided to break down this topic of birdhouses into clear points, this will make it easier to navigate through the article. And before I give specific drawings and diagrams for assembling birdhouses, and tell you how to make a birdhouse, we will talk about important things– the location and method of attaching your birdhouse. After all, the model of the house also depends on what fastening methods you have available, and on whether you will mount your bird house on a tree or on special high structures. And one more thing... before moving on to choosing the design of your future birdhouse, we will deal with the most common mistakes in making birdhouses (in order to avoid them in our homemade house). So here you will find answers to the following questions:
- How to attach birdhouses on wood (types of fasteners for bird houses)
- Where can you attach birdhouses ( if there are no trees nearby).
- Main mistakes when creating a bird house.
- How to help the birds choose your birdhouse.
- Drawing and assembly diagram classic birdhouse.
- Multi-seater, multi-apartment
- Bird houses non-standard forms.
- Birdhouses from non-traditional materials(from boots, canisters, teapots, pots, etc.)
More ideas and tips on how to make bird houses in the article
After studying this article, you can make a birdhouse yourself for a competition in kindergarten or school. Or buy a ready-made set of blanks for a birdhouse– assemble it and decorate it according to your own design.
How to attach a birdhouse
on the tree.
Birdhouses are usually tied to a tree with a rope. To do this, a thick long beam is nailed to the back wall of the house. It is leaned against a tree and a rope is wrapped around it many times - wrapping the beam and the tree trunk at the same time.
But in the West, birdhouses are often nailed to a tree (it’s harder to tie, easier to nail, although it’s cruel to an adult tree). To do this, the back wall of the birdhouse is made a little higher in height - so that there is a protrusion of the board on top where nails can be driven in.
In the same way, you can make this upper projection of the back wall even longer. Long enough to drill a hole in it and hang it on a rope or iron hook as in the photo below.
You can also drive a hook into the roof of the house and use it to hang a birdhouse on a chain or rope on a thick and strong tree branch at your dacha.
SUPPORT FOR THE NIGHTBOOK.
In addition to wood, any tall structure made from scrap materials can serve as a support for a birdhouse. This could be a large branch cut from an apple tree. It can be dug into the ground. But you should understand that on such a support the birdhouses will be too low above the ground, and it will be easy for cats to reach the house (this will alarm the bird). This support model is good in cases where there are no cats in the area and you have a quiet nook in the yard where even your “human foot” almost never sets foot.
Therefore, to maintain the bird’s sense of safety, it is necessary to make high structures of supports for wooden birdhouses. For example, such as in the photo of bird houses below.
Also, an original portal in the form of a pergola can serve as a support-pedestal for a bird house. But also for places with infrequent traffic. If people wander back and forth through this portal, the birds will not want to settle. It is better to place such a pergola in a quiet corner of your garden and not visit it often. Birds will appreciate the solitude and wilderness and will choose this place for safe breeding.
But in the photo below we see that holders for simple wooden birdhouses can be very different from beams with decorative carpentry, to ordinary old garden forks stuck into compacted earth.
Also, the support post for your new birdhouse, made by yourself, can be interestingly decorated with fresh flowers. If you plant a climbing plant near a pole, or hang pots of flowers as in the photo with birdhouses below.
MAIN ERRORS
in bird houses.
Very often you can see WRONG birdhouses made with errors. Such beautiful painted bird houses are certainly cute and beautiful, but the birds don’t want to live in them. And the houses just hang empty on the tree - purely for decorative purposes.
Let me tell you what mistakes craftsmen make in making birdhouses. So that the bird house made by your hands is not only beautiful, but also initially correct. Then the birds will like your homemade birdhouse at first sight.
MISTAKE #1
entry hole too low.
The window-door in the birdhouse must be located at a height of at least 30-40 cm. This height is needed so that the bird has the opportunity to create a nest at the bottom of the house.
By the way, the photo above is an example of another fastener - a metal U-shaped bracket is nailed to the roof of the bird house (like an eye for latch bolts).
Look, on the transparent birdhouses from the photo below we can see that the bird is dragging more branches into the house. And if the window is low, the branches will block the exit from the house and it will be impossible for the bird to get out of it. And the bird itself does not want to sit in a nest where its head will be level with the window, it will be so anxious. It is much safer if the window is high - and the wind does not blow on the wet, fledgling chicks, and the mother bird feels safe.
By the way, the photo above shows the original model of the birdhouse, the back wall of which is made of glass with suction cups. Such a house is mounted on a window in a large house and you can watch the birds settling in the nest. You just need to comply with the condition - a window. In the place of the window glass where you plan to mount such a birdhouse on suction cups, you must first seal it with tinting film - so that the birds do not suspect third-party observation.
MISTAKE #2
hole too big.
Starlings will not settle in a house with a door large enough for the cat's head. Cats love to climb trees in search of nests of defenseless chicks. And such a house with a large hole is easy prey for them.
The small hole of the birdhouse was not invented in vain. The cat's head and paw should not fit into the hole, but starlings and other birds should calmly climb inside. Therefore, when you make a birdhouse with your own hands, make a small hole in it.
Only if you live near a forest line and are making houses for owls flying in the vicinity, then a large hole will of course be appropriate.
MISTAKE #3
BRIGHT COLORING of a bird house.
If you do not live in a blooming jungle, and if the house you are planning is not designed for parrots with bright plumage, there is no need to paint it in bright colors. Birds trust only natural colors and natural materials. This birdhouse is good to use as a designer piece for your living room or as a piece for a competition for a school or kindergarten. But birds will not live in it.
Mossy, aged houses are much nicer for feathered mothers than sleek, glamorous, smoothly planed apartments.
And if you want your bird house to be original and beautiful, then know: you can make a decorative glamorous design in natural shades. Here in the photo below is just an example of such a house, which at the same time looks chic from an aesthetically human side and does not scare off the birds at all with its bright colors.
But the houses that are dearest to the feathered heart are dwellings with maximum disguised as an ordinary hollow on a tree. After all, starlings initially settled in hollows. From time immemorial it has been this way - it is embedded in their bird genes: to look for a hollow. So make them an artificial hollow from unhewn bark slab boards(sold as firewood).
Or your house made of planed boards, take and additionally decorate as a living hollow- cover (or cover) it with twigs, branches and pieces of bark.
Birds love houses made of unplaned wood, with elements of bark and rough branches.
MISTAKE #4
There is no bird stand.
It is inconvenient for birds to climb the smooth boards of a wooden house. It's hard for them, their little claws slip off.
This is especially important for the INNER SIDE of the walls of the birdhouse. It is better to line the inner front wall with small slats-ladders (so that the bird inside can climb along them to the exit window).
Or nail a piece of bark, or an old grater, or, in short, any ribbed and rough surface to the inner wall of the birdhouse. Or place a short inclined board inside the birdhouse (from the bottom to the window) so that the bird can climb up this slide to the exit of the house.
Also, if the outside of your birdhouse is made of smooth planed boards, make sure that the bird has a footrest.
These could be simple twigs or branches that you cut while pruning apple trees in the garden.
These can be river pebbles glued with hot glue from a glue gun. Or, instead of pebbles, you can stick on logs of branches (cut them into round saw cuts and paste them over the house).
Any old, rusty thing from the barn is suitable as a stand for the birds' legs - a door hinge, a valve from a water pipe, a faucet, a reel from an old fishing rod, a rake, an aluminum fork, a key. Anything can become a perch-stand in a homemade birdhouse.
Such things will only add originality and creativity to your simple bird house.
WHAT ELSE
we can
HELP THE BIRDS.
In addition to hard branches, to build a nest, birds need soft material - tufts of dry grass, moss, feathers, rag debris, pieces of paper, which they collect everywhere themselves, spending long hours on low-level search flights.
Why not make the bird's work easier and place a construction warehouse next to the bird's home. Housewarming in your birdhouse will come much earlier if everything you need to create comfort is located next to the house.
You can collect bunches of grass yourself, tear the cotton wool into pieces and place it in such a way that it is easy for the bird to pull out pieces of material from this construction warehouse. There is no need to tie the grass into tight bunches with thread - the bird will not be able to pull the grass out of the tight bunch. You need to make storage out of a mesh container.
You can hang a box with rags, cotton wool and moss nearby. To prevent the wind from blowing the material away, the box can be covered with a mesh (metal) or plastic mesh, which we place on the bottom of the kitchen sink.
Or weave and twist balls from flexible branches and insert cotton wool, centipon and pieces of chopped newspaper or toilet paper inside such woven balls.
Even holders for bird fleeces and rags specially made for this purpose are sold. They are installed or hung next to birdhouses.
Material for the construction of birdhouses.
MATERIAL for the house must have the correct thickness and texture characteristics.
THICKNESS. Boards 2 cm thick. This thickness of a wooden board will better retain the heat of the house. After all, nests are built in the spring, when the nights are still quite cold and even frosty.
TEXTURE. As I already said, the boards should be rough (slab boards with unplaned bark are suitable). And if you only have smooth planed boards, you can stuff pieces of bark on them with nails and stick them on liquid nails (thick adhesive from spray cans).
Or create artificial roughness - scratch the inner wall of the birdhouse with a knife - make notches for the bird to cling to. Or nail pieces of bark onto the inner wall, several slats one after another like a ladder, or nail a grater or a piece of insulation (it is made of foam and it will also be convenient for the bird’s claws to climb on it).
IT IS FORBIDDEN make houses from glue boards (plywood, chipboard, fiberboard - these materials contain adhesive resins, they emit toxins that the birds may not like. I don’t know whether it’s true or not, but they say that resin pine boards are also not suitable for a birdhouse, which is because of the warm In the sun, the resinous board heats up and releases stinking resin, and I haven’t tested it, so I can’t say that it’s harmful.
Now I will give diagrams and drawings of simple houses. But I’ll immediately make a reservation that your designs can be completely different in shape and size. You are free not to adhere exactly to the outline from the project below. As you already understood from the photographs above, there are a variety of houses.
But the logic of the sizes must be preserved... And this logic is as follows.
What are the dimensions of a proper birdhouse?
Window hole size(called a tap hole) – no more than 5 cm in diameter. So that the crow cannot stick its head into the birdhouse and eat the chicks. And the cat's head didn't get in there either.
The height of the tap hole-window– at least 20 cm from the bottom of the house. So that the wind from the window does not blow on the nest of the chicks, and that the chicks are not near the entrance - because of the danger of meeting a crow's beak or the clawed paw of a cat.
Birdhouse height - at least 35 cm. You can do it a little higher, but remember that if you make the ceiling too high, then such a high-ceilinged house will be harder for the birds to heat (warm air will go up and the birds below in the nest will freeze).
House width- (that is, the square area of its floor) should also not be very large. A spacious house is not considered cozy and a wide nest requires a longer time to build. The bird will be tortured to fill such a spacious house with twigs. Therefore, we try to stick to the bottom size of 15 x 15 cm (or 20 x 20). That is, if you are making a wide house, then put dry grass there yourself in advance (the bird will only be happy).
As you can see, these dimensions are dictated by the logic of survival in the wild.. And the right birdhouse is the one in which all these features are observed.
Well, now let's move on to the drawings and diagrams.
Here I collected ways to make a birdhouse in the form of diagrams and drawings. You can choose your house model and estimate what parts you can assemble it. And remember, it doesn’t matter if your sizes differ slightly - we make them from available material and therefore the sizes will depend on our availability.
Here is another drawing of a birdhouse, although here the dimensions are given in inches. It will be easier for you to convert inches to centimeters if You ask your wife for a measuring tape for patterns - the one she uses to measure the circumference of her losing weight during a diet. On such a measuring tape, centimeters are written on one side and inches on the other. This way you can always see a quick conversion of any inch size to centimeter.
These drawings do not take into account one more CONDITION. In the Soviet birdhouses of our childhood there was always a clear rule: the front front wall (the one with the hole) should be tilted forward. This was done so that the starling could climb up such an inclined hill to the exit from the house.
To maintain this slope, you need to make 2 side walls from the rear edge straight vertical– and from the front edge obliquely(we see a similar principle of oblique side walls in the photo below). Only in this example does the birdhouse have a triangular side section. And in Soviet birdhouses there was such a slope, but at the same time there was also a normal bottom, so that there was enough space for the nest.
Below we see a drawing of real Soviet birdhouses from our childhood. True, the dimensions here are given in inches.
But if your house does not have a bevel on the sides, then to make it easier for the bird to escape, you can put an inclined board on the front wall on the inside of the house (it will perform the same function as a ladder).
Now let's look at birdhouses of another unusual shape - a rhombus. Here he is in the photo. The idea is certainly beautiful, the house turned out elegant and decorative. But from a practical point of view, it would be better for the birds if the window was located closer to the left or right edge - then the inclined plane of the wall would serve as a support for the bird to comfortably climb out.
And also in this house that drawback what a window too low- there is no place for a nest - it turns out that when the bird puts grass and twigs there, the height of the chicks will coincide with the height of the window - and they will look straight out and any crow will pull it out with its beak and devour it without a twinge of conscience.
An intelligent feathered mother would never choose such a dangerous house for housing - and it will just hang in your garden, and you will wonder why the birds do not move into the birdhouse.
Here is a drawing of a similar house, but here the entrance hole itself is located much higher - it’s better this way. Or better yet, raise it right under the roof of the birdhouse. The bird will approve of this option.
MULTIPLE APARTMENT
bird houses.
And here are the options for simple multi-place birdhouses. You will see a variety of options. Only here not all apartments will be inhabited; the side houses in the photo below have a too low entrance. If only it were the same design - but with higher side turrets (or higher entrance holes).
And in this photo too, the central house will be inhabited - but there is no side wall (the entrance hole is too low). Therefore, you can make this design, but know that the side parts of the house will only serve a decorative function. And the bird family will occupy only the middle apartment.
And here (in the photo below) is a multi-person version, where all three houses are made according to the rules for the height of the entrance and the height of the house. Such birdhouses will be completely populated.
Here is a beautiful option - the houses look in different directions of the world. By the way, it is recommended to mount the house so that the window faces the south or east. The main thing is not to the north, the birds also need the sun.
It just seems that such a house is difficult to make. In fact, once you start drawing a drawing of a house, you will realize how simple it is. No more complicated than those designs that you made in your childhood from a construction set.
You can design simple cell houses. In a row, like mailboxes in the entrance. Here's a good option in the left photo. But in the right photo it’s not very good – the entrance is low. Not suitable for starlings, maybe for some other birds, I don’t know...
And here is another project for a multi-seat birdhouse. Here, each cell (except for the middle one) is a separate house with an exit in its own direction. If this drawing is changed and the height of the house is made larger and the opening of the entrance is raised to a height of 20 cm, then the starlings will appreciate such a communal apartment.
And here are more options for beautiful and lived-in birdhouses for several bird families at once.
Or you can make a very light and simple model - a birdhouse in the form of a shelf, with holes for entrances, as in the photo below. Only one drawback needs to be eliminated - here in the model below the houses are not large enough in height - it is necessary. It is necessary to make the height of the shelves at least 35 cm, and raise the entrance 20 cm from the bottom of each shelf-flat. Then the house will be inhabited.
DECORATION OF NIGHTBOOKS.
Decorative stylized birdhouses look very beautiful and can serve as decoration for any spring garden.
Bottle caps can serve as a decorative material (and at the same time as an insulating material). Any available material can become a decorative and finishing material when building a house for starlings.
Pieces of laminate or linoleum left after repairs can serve as material for a layered “tiled” roof of a house.
Just never stop thinking about the birds. And if, for example, you chose a sheet of tin to create the roof of a house, think about how such a roof will rattle when it rains. The bird will go crazy with fear as the drum drops echo loudly in the house. Then you need to add a sheet of sound-insulating material (foam or foam rubber) to such a roof.
You can also create a whole green garden on the roof of the house. If you cut holes in parts of the house, put black soil there and plant plants. Pieces of moss or lawn take root well.
As well as special plants related to ground cover. That is, those that grow like a carpet covering the soil, in the same way they will grow on your house not upward, but outward like a carpet. This will add thermal insulation to the house. And most importantly, it will allow the birdhouse to merge with nature - and the birds will feel safe in such a cozy shelter, disguised as a natural dugout.
WHERE TO BUY A NIGHTBOOK.
Birdhouses are often sold in hardware stores, construction stores also have them, and everything for the garden is in the department.
They can also be purchased from individual craftsmen. There is such a well-known site called “Fair of Craftsmen” - we go to the site and in the old “site search” we enter the word “birdhouse” and all the pictures of birdhouses with prices and addresses of the craftsmen immediately pop up. You place an order and receive it by delivery or mail.
Here I have highlighted original creative works for myself Masters Dmitry(you can see his profile below).
And the same master also has works like these on sale. Do you want to buy such an exclusive birdhouse for your dacha. You are welcome to Masters Fair to the author Dmitry (tik-kem).
But the works Sergei from the same Masters Fair. Also cozy pictures of antiquity, brought to life in the form of birdhouses.
And on the same site there are a lot of options for ready-made kits for self-assembly of houses. It’s nice to buy such sets, assemble them – AND THEN CONCEIVE YOUR OWN INDIVIDUAL DECOR (cover them with twigs, cover them with moss, turn them into a toy house, or a fishing shed, or a cartoon character.
Company Workshop No. 13 on the website of the Fair of Masters offers a lot of kits for assembling birdhouses, as well as paints and painting schemes for such houses.
If the house kits of this company are expensive for you, then there are other craftsmen who sell the bases for birdhouses at a much more reasonable price. For example Master Cat– keeps a good price. You get an excellent, solid house and use your decorating imagination to the fullest.
DIY birdhouses
from NON-STANDARD MATERIALS.
Any available material can be adapted into a house for starlings. Previously, before human intervention in bird affairs, starlings found any holes in the natural environment to build a nest there. Therefore, they still do not pay attention to the external shape and material - as long as it is safe. Boots are just boots, you don’t have to choose. Moreover, it is very warm there.
There’s this picture floating around the Internet – maybe it’s photoshopped, or maybe in a deep forest such a nest turned out to be safe enough for the bird. If the tree is tall and inconvenient for cats to climb, then the bird will find this a good place to breed.
You can try to design any item in your dacha as a house for starlings and titmice. What if he likes it? The ceramic pot holds heat well and does not drum in the rain.
But an iron kettle cools down quickly on a cold night, and when it rains it rattles like a drum, so it is not suitable.
Houses can be made from old cans. But just cover them with thick wooden boards to avoid the roar of rain.
Old wicker baskets with a hole in the side can be turned into an original house for birds - just make the entrance higher and so that the walls are not blown through, do not be too lazy to insert a tab sewn from heat-insulating material inside.
HOUSES for WINTERING birds.
Many of you will go to Google to look for more interesting drawings for birdhouses, in which case I want to warn you right away. DON'T BE CONFUSED NESTING HOUSES (designed for nesting and hatching chicks WITH HOUSES FOR WINTERING BIRDS (the purpose of which is to provide temporary overnight accommodation for birds during the cold winter season).
Winter houses are distinguished by the fact that…
- The inlet hole is located in them down(so that warm air rises and remains in the upper part of the house).
- In such houses they cram perches, on which the birds can sleep on a harsh winter night, protected from the wind and cold.
And in winter, in addition to houses for cold weather, birds need feeders. I already have the same voluminous and detailed article on making a wide variety of bird feeders with your own hands
Now, you know everything (or almost everything) about birdhouses and houses for hatching chicks. A bird house is essentially a simple craft. Anyone can do it.
And if you didn’t find your birdhouse design here, then I have another article on the same topic. Perhaps your future birdhouse is located right there -
Good luck with your work. And let the birds celebrate their feathered housewarming this spring. After all, it’s so nice to feel like the one WHO BUILT THE HOUSE.
In our country, with our salaries, not everyone can afford to build houses. But even if you cannot yet build a house for your family, you have already done a real job if you have built it at least for a family of birds. More will be added to this little. After all, the magic of a house made by your own hands is already working to ensure that your family also celebrates a housewarming.
Magic begins when we begin to do a good deed, with our own hands.
Olga Klishevska, especially for the site