Making Bird-Friendly Birdhouses E-Book

Melvin "Bird Man Mel" Toellner

• Herausgeber: Fox Chapel Publishing
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Seitenzahl: 156

Beschreibung

As popular as birdhouses are, many are designed with aesthetics in mind, rather than the bird's preferences and needs. Not so for the projects in Making Bird-Friendly Birdhouses. Lifelong birder Mel "Bird Man Mel" Toellner and pro woodworker Matt Maguire walk readers step-by-step through 15+ projects for safe birdhouses that birds find conducive to their natural nesting habitats. They begin with a comprehensive introduction to why birdhouses are so important, and why the birdhouses should be created with specific birds in mind like bluebirds, wrens, chickadees, owls and even bats! With additional sections on distribution maps, detailed plans, mounting instructions, and tips on attracting birds to your yard, it has everything you need to create a successful backyard haven for your winged friends.

Leseprobe

© 2024 by Melvin Toellner, Matthew Maguire, and Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc., 903 Square Street, Mount Joy, PA 17552.

Making Bird-Friendly Birdhouses is an original work, first published in 2024 by Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc. The patterns contained herein are copyrighted by the author. Readers may make copies of these patterns for personal use. The patterns themselves, however, are not to be duplicated for resale or distribution under any circumstances. Any such copying is a violation of copyright law.

Print ISBN 978-1-4971-0428-0eISBN 978-1-6374-1311-1

The Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the Library of Congress.

Managing Editor: Gretchen Bacon

Acquisitions Editor: Kaylee J. Schofield

Editor: Joseph Borden

Designer: Mike Deppen

Proofreader: Kelly Umenhofer

Indexer: Jay Kreider

To learn more about the other great books from Fox Chapel Publishing, or to find a retailer near you, call toll-free 800-457-9112 or visit us at www.FoxChapelPublishing.com.

We are always looking for talented authors. To submit an idea, please send a brief inquiry to [email protected].

For a printable PDF of the patterns used in this book, please contact Fox Chapel Publishing at [email protected], with 9781497104280 Making Bird-Friendly Birdhouses in the subject line.

Introduction

In this book, we will share tips on what nest boxes to build to help attract birds that live in your area. We will concentrate on cavity-dwellers that need and will use a nest box you can build. Unlike a dentist visit, when these songbirds find a “cavity,” it’s a good thing. Unfortunately, as forests disappear and old wooden fence posts get replaced with metal, these birds find fewer natural nesting spots. You can help those birds by building and properly installing the birdhouses in this book. The birds desperately need your help! A recent State of the Birds report, published by 33 leading science and conservation organizations and agencies, shows a loss of nearly three billion birds in the U.S. and Canada over the last 50 years. Yet, there’s hope. In the 1970s, a concerted effort halted the decline of bluebirds, thanks largely to an uptick in bluebird nest boxes being properly set up and maintained. You can make a difference!

For over three years, Melvin “Bird Man Mel” Toellner wrote, co-directed, and narrated more than two dozen short and informative “tips” for a live TV show “to help people draw in the beautiful songbirds God made as part of his marvelous world.” (These episodes are still available on RFD TV and on Bird Man Mel’s Facebook page.) All the “Backyard Moment” videos were filmed on Bird Man Mel’s property, and he’s proud that all his properties are certified by the National Wildlife Federation as wildlife habitats.

Bird Man Mel’s love for backyard nature led him to enter the backyard nature business in 1995 with the opening of his store, Songbird Station in Columbia, Missouri, where he still enjoys putting on seminars in his retirement. From that early beginning, his family has been fortunate to grow a companion business to become the largest backyard nature distributor in North America (if not the world) and their Songbird Essentials line of products is one of the top lines sold by many stores. Songbird Station’s mission statement has been, “to help families enjoy nature together,” since the very beginning. For this reason, Bird Man Mel and Matthew Maguire have partnered to write this book on how to build your own nest boxes. Matthew’s ability to explain the steps of building nest box is incredible, as is his photography! The designs he chose for this book are based on what industry experts have recommended, and Matthew has refined the process to make it easy to do while preserving all critical features.

Engaging children in building a nest box can be a delightful experience, from choosing the perfect spot to witnessing the wonders of nature, like a wren’s courtship or a wood duck’s leap into the world. These shared moments create unforgettable memories and offer life-changing benefits Some studies have even shown demonstrable health benefits!. This book guides you through identifying suitable habitats, building, and mounting birdhouses. It also provides tips for attracting songbirds and protecting them from predators. Worried about tools? No need.

Borrow from someone you know, or use this book to choose the right nest box to buy. It’s filled with advice on materials, placement, and ensuring success for you and the birds.

Two tips that we don’t discuss in this book but are paramount:

Keep Cats Inside: Cats kill 2.4 billion birds each year in the U.S., so please keep yours indoors.

Window Collisions: Window collisions kill up to 1 billion birds each year in the U.S., with a large percentage of those happening on home windows. Visit birdsmartglass.org for simple solutions to prevent collisions on your windows.

Let’s embark on this journey to enrich our lives and nature. Remember, “nature is a stress reliever from God. Take time today to listen to the birds sing.”

This checklist is a great family project. You can check a box (thus qualifying) for both the “cover” and “places to raise young” sections of the list by building the nest and roosting boxes in this book.

Table of Contents

Getting Started

About Backyard Birds

Preparing the Nest Boxes

Birding Glossary

Essential Tools

Materials

Safety

Tips and Techniques

Projects

Bluebird Nest Box

Chickadee, Nuthatch & Titmouse Nest Box

House Wren & Bewick’s Wren Nest Box

Carolina Wren Nest Box

Robin, Dove & Phoebe Nesting Shelves

Northern Flicker Nest Box

Bat House (Single-Chambered)

Bat House (Multi-Chambered)

Screech-Owl Nest Box

Barred Owl Nest Box

Barn Owl Nest Box

Purple Martin House

Duck House

Winter Roost

Patterns

State Conservation & Natural Resources

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

Getting Started

About Backyard Birds

The following section contains information on common birds that will use the birdhouses in this book. While it’s not an exhaustive list, it’s a good start! Chances are, you have many of these birds in your region, so why not create a home perfectly suited to them? As a bonus, we’ve added information on the Big Brown Bat, common almost everywhere in the world!

Despite their small size, chickadees (and titmice, which will also use the house if the entrance hole increased to 1¼″ [3.2cm]) provide more eggs in a single clutch than most songbirds do. The female will lay one egg each day until she has a clutch of six to eight white eggs with tiny mahogany dots. She will incubate them for 12 to 13 days until they hatch. The male will feed her while she incubates the eggs and will continue to feed her and the nestlings until they fledge. Chickadees are great to have in your yard as a single bird can eat between 200 to 500 insects and 4,000 egg/larva per day!

Nesting

As cavity nesters, chickadees may excavate their own holes in rotten wood, use abandoned woodpecker holes, or utilize your nest box. Instead of mounting your house on a post (like bluebirds, wood ducks, etc.), chickadees prefer a house mounted 6′–16′ (182.9–487.7cm) above the ground on a tree. When possible, choose a tree at the edge of a wooded area surrounded by brush or thickets.

FAST NESTING FACTS

Chickadee

Nest Description: rounded cup in a cavity made from green moss, often lined with fur.

Number and Color of Eggs: 6–8 very thin-shelled, non-glossy white/cream eggs with light-brown/reddish dots, blotches, or speckling.

Number of Days to Incubate: 12–13 days

Number of Days Until Babies Fledge and Leave Nest: 16 days

Number of Broods Per Year: normally 1

Black-Capped Chickadee

Predominantly found in the northern U.S., most of Canada, and parts of Alaska year-round, the Black-capped Chickadee breeds within these territories. Its range sees little variation between breeding and non-breeding seasons, though it may shift locally for food.

Carolina Chickadee

The Carolina Chickadee is a year-round resident of the southeastern U.S., stretching from New Jersey to eastern Texas. Its breeding activities are concentrated within this same range, with minor local movements during non-breeding periods.

Three species of bluebirds are found in North America: the Eastern Bluebird, the Western Bluebird, and the Mountain Bluebird. Bluebirds are admired for their beauty and their predilection for insects. While they predominantly consume insects, they also eat fruits and, occasionally, nuts or seeds when alternatives are limited.

Eastern Bluebird

The Eastern Bluebird resides primarily in the southeastern U.S. year-round. In the breeding season, it travels north, extending into parts of Canada. During the nonbreeding season, it travels south to warmer climates.

Mountain Bluebird

The Mountain Bluebird resides in the Rockies and the western plains of the U.S. year-round. During the breeding season, it extends its range northward into Canada. In the nonbreeding season, it travels south to milder climates.

Nesting

Bluebirds are cavity-nesting birds, which means they prefer hollowed-out tree cavities for nest-building. Typically, they lay four to five eggs per clutch, which can be blue, pink, or white. This happens one to three times a year, with their nesting period extending from March through August.

Western Bluebird

The Western Bluebird can usually be found in the western U.S. and parts of Mexico year-round. It travels to the northern extents of its range in the breeding season and moves southward to warmer regions during the nonbreeding season.

Why Attract Bluebirds?

The loss of dead or dying trees due to landscaping and development has diminished their natural nesting habitat. Moreover, aggressive and nonnative species like starlings have outcompeted bluebirds for nesting sites, further contributing to their decline. This was particularly evident during the first three-quarters of the 1900s when bluebird populations dwindled.

No other bird species has benefited as much from human intervention as bluebirds have. Their numbers have seen a significant resurgence since individuals began placing bluebird houses and establishing bluebird trails, particularly from the 1970s onward. The go-to authority for everything related to bluebirds is the North American Bluebird Society (www.nabluebirdsociety.org). The house plans and instructions we provide align with their recommended specifications.

FAST NESTING FACTS

Bluebird

Nest Description: cup-shaped; made of grass, straw, and pine needles

Number and Color of Eggs: 4–5 eggs on average, though sometimes as low as 2 or as high as 7. The color is usually baby blue, but is sometimes white or pink

Number of Days to Incubate: 16-21 days. Average 13.5 days

Number of Days Until Babies Fledge and Leave Nest: N/A

Number of Broods Per Year: normally 1–3

The House Wren has the largest territory of any of the approximately 60 species of wrens that inhabit North and South America. House Wrens weigh just one-third of an ounce. You could mail three House Wrens with a single postage stamp! As you see on the House Wren range map (below right), its breeding range stretches from coast to coast through much of the U.S. and Southern Canada—all the way down into Argentina! House Wrens, like other wrens, often carry their tail up at a jaunty angle. They are often called Jenny Wrens and are easy to attract to a birdhouse. The male and the female look very much alike.

House Wren

House Wrens primarily breed in the northern parts of the U.S. and southern Canada, with their breeding range extending slightly into Alaska. During nonbreeding seasons, wrens largely migrate southwards, with some remaining year-round in the southern U.S. and parts of Mexico. The migration areas, where wrens are typically seen during their seasonal movements, span across the central US.

Nesting

In the spring, the male House Wren will arrive first. Many return to the same place they successfully nested the previous year. Until the female House Wren arrives, the male will fill every cavity he can find with sticks (hundreds of them). He uses his loud, persistent voice to convince the female he has the perfect summer cottage to raise a family in, and he’s the man for her. Once the female settles in, she will lay a clutch of three to ten eggs which will hatch about 12 days after the last egg was laid. At that time, the male starts to earn his keep as he spends all of his time searching for food while the female sits on the chicks to keep them warm. As chicks get older, both parents feed them. In about 15 to 17 days, their work is done because the chicks fledge and fly out to face the world.

Despite the female normally raising at least two (sometimes three) broods, mortality is high. Very few wrens (like other birds) live to be a year old. However, once they successfully complete a migration to winter grounds and back, they tend to be loyal returners to your property and raise multiple families for you to enjoy.

Why Attract House Wrens?

The number one reason to want House Wrens in your area is their delightful songs, which are always on everyone’s Top 10 Billboard Bird Song Charts. Beyond their charming melodies, wrens are especially desirable because they feed almost exclusively on insects. Gardeners will appreciate their diligence; watch them closely, and you’ll often see House Wrens sneaking in to grab a tasty worm, much to a gardener’s relief.

As an important side note for those eager to attract an array of songbirds, butterflies, pollinators, and other beneficial insects: please refrain from using insecticides. We recommend using organic and natural weed and insect control for your home. The results are astounding. Visitors will be constantly amazed at the myriad of birds, butterflies, bees, dragonflies, and other creatures that flock to your yard. Moreover, you will encounter very few nuisances like mosquitoes or problem insects, as highlighted in the introduction. For those looking to boost their local ecosystem, I highly recommend planting as many trees, shrubs, and flowers native to your region as possible.

FAST NESTING FACTS

House Wren

Nest Description:: Unique foundation of sticks. The nest box will appear full of sticks and will be a round nest of grass and hair, with feathers on the inside

Number and Color of Eggs: Average of 6-7, sometimes 5-8, white, heavily spotted with reddish brown

Number of Days to Incubate: 12-15 days.

Number of Days Until Babies Fledge and Leave Nest: 12–18 days

Number of Broods Per Year: 2, rarely, 3

At one time, the Bewick’s Wren was the most common wren across the Midwest and Appalachian Mountains. Unfortunately, the expansion of the House Wren’s territory significantly impacted their numbers, especially due to the House Wren’s habit of puncturing the eggs of other birds within its territory. This behavior has led to the decline of Bewick’s in the Midwest and Appalachians. Nonetheless, Bewick’s Wrens appear to be thriving in western parts of their range. An interesting feature of the Bewick’s Wren is that those in the west have gray underbellies, while their eastern counterparts have a reddish-brown hue.

Bewick’s Wren

Bewick’s Wrens primarily reside year-round in their established territories, particularly in the western parts of their range. However, northern populations may exhibit some migratory behaviors, heading south during colder months. Overall, their migratory patterns are not as pronounced as many other bird species.

Nesting

The Bewick’s Wren, like most of its family, is cavity-nesting, often favoring natural hollows, old woodpecker holes, or even man-made structures. Their nests are intricate, crafted with twigs, feathers, and other materials. An interesting feature of the Bewick’s Wren is the regional color difference in its underbelly: gray in the west and reddish-brown in the east. This dichotomy is also reflected in their songs, with the eastern population boasting a richer and more melodious tune than their western counterparts.

Why Attract Bewick’s Wrens?

The appeal of the Bewick’s Wren extends beyond its melodious songs. These birds play an essential role in the ecosystem by feeding on various insects, making them a natural pest controller for gardeners. Moreover, their rich history and the challenges they face, particularly from the territorial House Wren, make them a symbol of nature’s delicate balance. By providing them with safe nesting spaces and supporting their habitat, bird enthusiasts not only enjoy their beautiful songs but also contribute to conserving a species that’s faced challenges yet continues to enchant with its resilience and charm.

FAST NESTING FACTS

Bewick’s Wren

Nest Description:: cup-like, deep nest; made of sticks, moss, dry leaves, grass, and hair, often topped with feathers and a snakeskin or piece of cellophane

Number and Color of Eggs: Normally 5–7 but can be 4–11. Often, the largest egg laid is the last. The eggs are oval or rounded oval, and are white with purplish, reddish-brown, or gray spots. They are smooth with little or no gloss.

Number of Days to Incubate: 14-16 days.

Number of Days Until Babies Fledge and Leave Nest: 14 days

Number of Broods Per Year: 1–3, depending on weather

The Carolina Wren, characterized by its distinctive white eyebrow stripe and reddish-brown back, has earned its title as the “Loudest Littlest Voice in the Woods.” No matter the time of year, the robust teakettle song of the male Carolina Wren can be heard echoing through the woods, with the female occasionally harmonizing in a charming song. The song sounds something like, “Tea-kettle, tea-kettle, tea-kettle.”

Carolina Wren

The Carolina Wren is widespread in the eastern U.S., with a year-round presence that spans from the Midwest to the East Coast, extending into parts of southeastern Canada and down into Mexico. The species has a stable residential status throughout much of its range, which encompasses a variety of habitats, including suburban gardens, forest edges, and swamps. This bird is not typically migratory, and its robust population reflects adaptability to both natural and human-altered landscapes.

Nesting

Carolina wrens tend to be stay-at-home birds that seldom migrate, choosing instead to settle in various unexpected nesting spots. These spirited birds have been known to choose unique nesting sites, including mailboxes, plant pots, shoes, and even hats. In suburban areas, they’re especially attracted to brushy locations near woods, and while they adore natural cavities for nesting, they’re not averse to human-made structures.

Why Attract Carolina Wrens?

Attracting Carolina wrens to your yard brings with it the joy of their exuberant songs and energy-filled antics. They’re monogamous birds, often forming strong pair bonds that last multiple years, adding a touch of romance to any garden. More practically, these birds are insectivores, assisting in natural pest control. During colder months, they often visit feeders, favoring suet, chopped peanuts, and sunflower kernels. Providing native bushes, brush piles, or even roosting pockets can create a haven for these birds, making them a delightful addition to any garden or yard.

FAST NESTING FACTS

Carolina Wren

Nest Description: Bulky mass of twigs, leaves, and weeds with a lining of softer material such as pieces of snakeskin

Number and Color of Eggs: 4–8 sometimes 5–6 white with brown splotches

Number of Days to Incubate: 12–16 days

Number of Days Until Babies Fledge and Leave Nest: 12-14 days

Number of Broods Per Year: 2 (3 in the South)