Providing Shelter For Your Birds
Bird houses, as simple or as fancy as you wish, provide inviting shelter for many types of birds. In fact, bird houses are used by over 50 species in North America. Birds need places to build their nests and hide from predators as well as needing protection from the elements. You may want to consider placing several bird houses throughout your yard. Just be sure to clean them out in late fall or early winter. This minimizes the likelihood of disturbing nesting birds while eliminating unwanted parasites.
Specific house shapes, sizes and dimensions attract specific birds. The bird house we are building today would be a welcome home to Chickadees, Titmice, Bluebirds or Tree Swallows.
Materials Checklist:
- Tweeber Bird House Kit
- Hammer
- #2 Phillips Screwdriver
- Chain or rope for hanging bird house
- Shepherd hook (optional)
- Paint (optional)
- Paint brush (optional)
Instructions:
First, remove all the components from the Tweeber Bird House Kit. Separate the components as follows:
1 – Pine front panel (with opening)
1 – Pine back panel
2 – Wood roof panels
1 – Plastic floor panel
12 – Nails
2 – Screws
2 – Eye screws
Attach the pre-drilled plastic floor panel to the front and back panels with 4 nails and 2 screws as shown. Then, mount the eye screws in the pre-drilled holes.
Attach one roof panel with 4 nails.
Finally, working at the edge of a work table, attach the remaining roof panel with 4 nails.
- Once your bird house is assembled, it can either be painted or left to weather naturally. Attach each end of your rope or chain to the eye screws and hang the house at least five feet from the ground, either from a tree or a shepherd’s hook, in a location where you can easily view it. Now, just sit back and enjoy watching your new family move in.
- Providing a natural form of shelter is a welcome treat to your birds since nesting sites are generally at a premium in the wild. Download our printer friendly version to learn how conifers, grasses and nesting materials will be welcome additions to your birds.
First, remove all the components from the Tweeber Bird House Kit. Separate the components as follows:
1 – Pine front panel (with opening)
1 – Pine back panel
2 – Wood roof panels
1 – Plastic floor panel
12 – Nails
2 – Screws
2 – Eye screws
Attach the pre-drilled plastic floor panel to the front and back panels with 4 nails and 2 screws as shown. Then, mount the eye screws in the pre-drilled holes.
Attach one roof panel with 4 nails.
Finally, working at the edge of a work table, attach the remaining roof panel with 4 nails.