Enhancing Bird Habitat with Nesting Structures

To go with the cabin we're building for ourselves, the NRCS EQIP program is supporting our addition of 45 bird "cabins" throughout our 20 acres between now and 2013. I built the first 25 this year.

Wren et al house, 15 inches tall. The bird cabins are hung about 7' off the ground. The trees are pruned up to 12'-16' so there are no limbs near the nests. The box shown here was made from some rough milled true 1" thick cedar, a gift from Shaun Brender in Peshastin WA. 20 boxes were made from store-bought one-by lumber (planed to 3/4" thick).

Our plans came from Spokane Audubon Society. They're very easy to follow, and one bird house plan is suitable for several different species by making the entry hole a specific size and height for the desired species. I used 1x6" cedar boards 8' long, so I could get two bird boxes (for wren, chickadee, nuthatch) from each board. Except for the tops, which came from 1x8" cedar boards. I omitted the optional reinforcing plate across the entry hole for most of them.

Drawing a line across the back piece near the bottom gives me a baseline to align the sides and front as I assemble the bird house.

A brad nailer makes the mass-production of bird boxes go much faster than swinging a hammer or twisting screws. I still used a 6d nail to hold the hinged side closed. The side nail isn't hammered in flush, so I can get a claw on it easily. A bench drill press with hole saw made the openings.

A mark across the top of the left side helps to align the two nails or brads that will form the hinge on the side wall. One nail from the front and one from the back form the hinge.

One evening's assembly work. I precut all components in one morning at the property, then brought them back to my garage where I have a bench, air tools, and heat. Once I got the pattern down, assembly went quickly.

I'm hanging the finished nesting structures from galvanized nails through holes in the upper portion of the back plates. Plenty of nail shank is exposed so the growing tree won't push the bird cabin off the nail. Each cabin is numbered with a stamped aluminum disc attached to the tree using an aluminum nail, both from Forestry Suppliers.

I use a GPS to track each location by number. If I later come across a box that needs attention, all I need is the number to go back to that location with tools or a repaired cabin.

The bird boxes are designed to open on the side for inspection and clean-out. The top could be removed in the field if necessary. Or the whole cabin can be taken in for repair.




Flicker house, 30 inches tall. 23 boxes are of one basic size (like te photo earlier in this post), and two like this one are about twice that size for flickers and downy woodpeckers. Those two are hung in pine stands, where these woodpeckers can feast on newly hatched pine bark beetles every spring.