Before we can go about buying or building a bird house, we need to know a few things.
First, what type of birds are you trying to attract? The size and location of the birdhouse will vary depending on the specific species. Obviously, you will want to build a house for a bird that lives in your location. If you are not familiar with the birds is your area, you’ll need to do some bird watching and identification.
Second, do you have an appropriate location on your property to place the birdhouse? Different species have different preferences, some preferring to have their homes in the open, others prefer them near vegetation. In some cases, it is beneficial to place two houses since some species will build a "decoy" nest before building their "real" nest. Also, you’ll want to make sure the location is away from food sources, as this increases the potential for predators, and away from other nests, as these increase the likelihood competition from other birds.
Third, what type of house does the species you are trying to attract require, and what are the bird house dimensions? There are basically two styles of bird houses that you can build (or buy, if you prefer). The first type is a fully enclosed house with a small entry hole. The second type is a platform house, consisting of a floor, sides and roof, but with an open front. The type of birds you are trying to attract will determine the type of house you build. The dimensions page will give you information on which types of houses are appropriate for which types of birds.
Fourth, can you maintain the house? After the house is up, it will need to be cleaned out once a year to make room for new guests. If it is attached to a growing tree, it might need to be re-hung periodically.
Finally, do you have the skills and tools to build a bird house from scratch? If you don’t want to build a house from scratch, there are some good kits out there you can use instead. This will save you from having to calculate dimensions and cut all the parts, and most kits will include all assembly hardware as well. Kits are usually a good starting point if you’ve never built a house before, and work especially well for building with kids. If you don’t want to build at all, you can always buy a completely pre-assembled house. Just make sure you’re getting a good kit or a good prebuilt house, one that contains components based on the materials I recommend, or that can be adapted for use with those materials.
So, in order to make these decisions some information would be helpful. The next article discusses bird house dimensions and other information you will need to make these decisions.
