Birdhouse Basics - Eight Facts to Consider

When choosing a birdhouse, looks aren't all that matters. There are eight things that you must take into consideration.

1. Roof with overhang. The purpose of the roof is two-fold, First, it is to keep the rain from getting inside the house. An overhang is useful for protecting the entrance hole. Second, the roof should be a light color to reflect rather than absorb sunlight to help keep the nest cool.


2. Drainage. Even with an overhang on the roof, rain can sometimes get inside the birdhouse through the opening, especially during a violent storm. In this case, there needs to be suitable drainage holes to allow the water to escape.


3. Ventilation - the birds need air movement to keep from suffocating. The birdhouse should not be "sealed tight." A raised roof is ideal.


4. Ease of access. This is for you, the human caretaker. At the end of the season, nests must be removed, and you will need to be able to access the inside of the birdhouse to accomplish this.


5. Perch. A perch is what the birds land on before they enter the nest. A perch makes it easy for birds to land at the birdhouse before going inside. The perch can also serve as the jumping off point for new fledglings. If you want your birdhouse to house one of the "clinger birds," like nuthatches, then a perch is unnecessary. In addition, however, a perch can also be a hazard. It can serve as a landing area for predatory birds who would consider the nest contents - eggs and babies - as dinner.


6. Living area size. The inside of the birdhouse must be spacious. Not too large, but not too small. A brood of baby birds is going to be living inside, and so they need to have enough space to move around.


7. Properly sized opening. The opening must be large enough for the desired birds to enter, but not so large for the predatory birds (and animals) to get inside. The ideal diameter for a black-capped chickadee opening is 1.125 inches, and the opening diameter for a barn owl house is 6 inches. Most songbirds need entrance holes that are less than 1.5 inches in diameter.


8. Aesthetics. This is the second characteristic which is for you, the human caretaker. If you are going to place the birdhouse in your garden or yard, then you should enjoy it and like how it looks. However, consider this last. Once you have established that the birdhouse makes a suitable home for birds, only then should you decide if you like the look of it.

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