Yes, birds do like hanging birdhouses. If you love bird watching and there is enough space in your backyard to hang a birdhouse, then you can choose the best version to get a rewarding experience.
Birdhouses not only act as an attraction spot for a variety of bird species and you can admire them, rather, it also provide them shelter, protect the young ones from predators, and give the birds easy access to food. Birds can even choose to nest in your hung birdhouse.
So, let’s get into the depth and discuss what type of hanging birdhouses you should invest in.
Which Birds Are Attracted to a Birdhouse?
Every bird visiting your backyard won’t be attracted to the birdhouse as most of them prefer nesting in tree cavities or finding a natural environment to take shelter. However, the ones that would trust a birdhouse are –
- Bluebird
- Tree Swallow
- Wren
- Chickadee
- Nuthatch
- Titmouse
What Type of Bird Houses Do Birds Like?
When you are selecting a birdhouse, more than giving preference to the design, you need to understand a bird’s preference. Let’s go through this guideline, that would help you to pick the best birdhouse and make good use of your money:
- The birdhouse should be easy to clean and maintain. It should be made of insect-resistant and rot-resistant material.
- There should be proper roof coverage to prevent rain, fog, and snow from getting inside the house.
- There should be enough air vents, but they should be present at the back of the house, otherwise, rainwater would easily seep in.
- The door should provide easy access and movement for the birds. There should be an elevated mesh floor to manage blowflies and to protect the birds against predators.
- The birdhouse should have an extended predator guard at the entrance. Measurement of the entry hole should be at least 1 ½” in diameter.
- There should be fledding kerfs which would provide an extra grip while the bird is climbing out. The birdhouse should also stay dry so choose a sloped roof.
- To prevent discoloration, water damage, or mold growth, you can apply a weatherproof protective strain. Always check for cracks, and the windows should be crack-resistant.
What Choices Should be the Entry Hole?
If the bird is using the birdhouse for nesting, then to protect the young ones from siblings, the entry hole should be 1 ½” in diameter, so that most harmless species of bird can enter. If the birdhouse is meant for Western Bluebirds, then the diameter should be 1 9/16” in diameter. In the case of a wren, the diameter of the entrance should be 1 1/8″. However, irrespective of the size of the entrance door, it should have a predator guard which extends the entrance hole, so that predators cannot enter the house.
What Should Be the Internal Temperature of the Birdhouse?
If the birdhouse is placed in a hot sunny location, then it should have proper ventilation. You can install a thermometer to keep an eye on the internal temperature, which should not rise above 107 F, otherwise it damages the incubating eggs.
What Coloured Birdhouse Attracts Birds?
Birds can detect colors and some are specialized to detect more colors than a human can. Birds usually do not have any specific attraction to a particular color, however, some being prickly get attracted to bright shades.
Never go for birdhouses with black roofs as they absorb more light and heat which turns the place to be unsafe for the birds. Birds, in general, prefer a clean and safe space, rather than focusing on color. So, if you are looking forward to a successful brooding, then choose a birdhouse that has midday shades to protect it from getting overheated.
Where Should You Hang The Birdhouse?
Here are a few general rules that you need to follow while hanging a birdhouse:
Direction of the Birdhouse
The entrance of the birdhouse should be facing either south or east, mostly away from the prevailing winds. Some prefer the sunlight while others the wind, but you need to avoid the direct afternoon sun entering the birdhouse, and never choose a west-facing entrance.
Position of the Birdhouse
Place the birdhouse, near a natural shelter or low-hanging branches. Never place the birdhouse near a bird feeder, both these should be at least 60 feet away from each other. If there are more than two birdhouses then these should be at least 30 to 50 feet apart, so that birds can experience a healthy and peaceful nesting phase.
Hanging the Birdhouse
Prefer height of the pole about 5 to 6 feet off the ground, even though pole mounting can be quite exhausting but it is the best protection for the birds from predators. The birdhouse should be hung through a baffled pole to prevent predators from entering the house. If the diameter of the entrance is too large, then reduce the size by using boxes.
How to Attract Birds to a Birdhouse?
If you want to successfully attract the birds to your newly hung birdhouse, then here are certain aspects you must consider:
Get Familiarized with Nearby Bird
Birds won’t arrive automatically at your birdhouse, so you need to get familiarized with the species of birds that reside in your area or adjacent to the woods. You need to ensure that the foraging habitat is accessible to the birds from the birdhouse.
Plant Native Trees and Shrubs in the Backyard
You can also choose the right flowering plants, shrubs, grasses, and trees that would host insects and other food items that birds are attracted to. Birds prefer to hide and root around native plants, so you can create a bird-friendly ecosystem for them so that they do not face difficulty in adjusting.
Keep a Steady Water Source
You need to provide the birds access to a steady water source, so that they can drink and bathe. If keeping a water source is not enough, then you can create a natural basin for them, where the water will collect. You can use materials like scalloped stone or flat shallow dishes. The birds get a semi-reliable water source where the rain and dew get collected.
Put Up a Bird Feeding Stations
Birds are always on the lookout for food sources, so if the bird feeding station comes on the route of their foraging then they can visit your birdhouse as well. You can get steady visitors to your backyard every day.
Reduce the Chances of Predators
If you place the birdhouse in a safe space that is free from predators, then birds will reach out to you and trust the birdhouse. You can also use predator baffles to keep predators from crawling or climbing up the birdhouse.
Get a Bird Species Specific Birdhouse
You can also buy a bird species-specific birdhouse if you have a liking for a particular type of bird. Go through the dimensions and reviews and get the birdhouse where your favorite bird would nest. Also, have patience and leave the birdhouse empty, so do not try to fill it up with twigs or decorate it. Let the bird decide what kind of cozy place it wants to create.
Which Material Makes The Best Bird House?
Wood is considered to be the best material when choosing a birdhouse, as it is porous and also has the ability to insulate. You can also choose a birdhouse with a metal roof, but it should have wood underneath, right between the metal roof and the nesting cavity. Metal frames should be avoided while choosing a birdhouse, otherwise, it can reach unsafe temperatures and also prove to be dangerous due to heat conductive nature. You must also avoid birdhouses made of ceramic as the material makes the birdhouse unnecessarily heavy, and fragile. It also cannot protect the young ones, in case the birdhouse falls from a height.
Should You Get a Birdhouse with a Perch?
No, birdhouses with perches should be avoided. They usually add a decorative feature to the birdhouse but become quite dangerous for the nesting birds as the predators find it a potential option to perch and wait for the prey. Also, the non-native invasive birds can gain access to the birdhouse due to the presence of the perch and kill the young ones. Basically, birdhouse perches are an unnecessary attachment, so you must avoid them.
