Building Birdhouses Chart For Hole Size, Floor, and Material Type
Introduction
This guide provides detailed information on building birdhouses, including the ideal dimensions for various species, recommended materials, and tips for safeguarding nesting birds.
While it's possible to get birds to nest in any nest box, you'll have greater success attracting the birds you want by crafting yours using the chart below.
With so much competition from House Sparrows and Starlings, it's important that we help by building properly constructed and monitored nest boxes where we can.
Some of the birds that will use your creations are Bluebirds, Wrens, Chickadees, Woodpeckers, and more than 50 others.
Protect Entrance Hole
After you build your birdhouses, ensure you don't let the squirrels and woodpeckers damage all your hard work. A metal portal protector will stop this damage before it starts.
Place these around the openings so that they stay the size you want. Available in 1 1/2 inch - 1 1/4 - 1 1/8 inch and 1 9/16 to cover most species of birds. Just click the photo to learn more.
Bird House Size Chart
| BIRD SPECIES | FLOOR SIZE | BOX HEIGHT | ENTRANCE ABOVE FLOOR | ENTRANCE HOLE | HEIGHT ABOVE GROUND |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Robin* | 7" x 8" | 8" | ---- | ---- | 6-15' |
| Barn Owls | 10" x 18" | 15-18" | 4" | 6" | 12-18' |
| Bluebirds | 5" x 5" | 8-12" | 6-10" | 1 1/2 to 1 9/16" | 4-6' |
| Chickadees | 4" x 4" | 8-10" | 6-8" | 1 1/8" | 4-15' |
| Northern Flicker | 7" x 7" | 16-18" | 14-16" | 2 1/2" | 6-20' |
| Flycatchers | 6" x 6" | 8-12" | 6-10" | 1 1/2 to 1 1/4" | 5-15' |
| House Finch | 6" x 6" | 6" | 4" | 2" | 8-12' |
| House Sparrows | 4" x 4" to 5" x 5" | 9-12" | 6-7" | 1 3/16 - 2" | ---- |
| Nuthatches | 4" x 4" | 8-10" | 6-8" | 1 1/4 to 1 3/8" | 5-15' |
| Osprey | 48" x 48" Platform | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- |
| Phoebes | 6" x 6" | 6" | ---- | ---- | 8-12' |
| Purple Martins | 7" x 11" | 6" | 1-2" | 1 3/4" - 2 1/4" | 10-15' |
| Downy Woodpecker | 4" x 4" | 8-10" | 6-8" | 1 1/4" | 5-15' |
| Hairy Woodpecker | 6" x 6" | 12-15" | 9-12" | 1 1/2" | 8-20' |
| Pileated Woodpecker | 8" x 8" | 16-24" | 12-20" | 3x4" | 15-25' |
| Red-Bellied Woodpecker | 6" x 6" | 12-15" | 9-12" | 2 1/2" | 10-20' |
| Red-Headed Woodpecker | 6" x 6" | 12-15" | 9-12" | 2" | 10-20' |
| Red-Tailed Hawk and Great Horned Owl | 24" x 24" Platform | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- |
| Screech Owls and Kestrels | 8" x 8" | 12-15" | 9-12" | 3" | 10-30' |
| Barn Swallows* | 6" x 6" | 6" | ---- | ---- | 8-12' |
| Violet-Green and Tree Swallows | 5" x 5" | 6-8" | 4-6" | 1 1/2" | 5-15' |
| Titmice | 4" x 4" | 10-12" | 6-10" | 1 1/4" | 5-15' |
| Prothonotary Warbler | 5" x 5" | 6" | 4-5" | 1 1/8" | 4-8' |
| Wood Ducks | 10" x 18" | 10-24" | 12-16" | 4" | 10-20' |
| Wrens | 4" x 4" | 6-8" | 4-6" | to 1 1/2" | 5-10' |
| Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker | 5" x 5" | 12-15" | 9-12" | 1 1/2" | 10-20' |
| *Robins prefer a nesting shelf. See one here. | |||||
Before You Begin Building
Some things to keep in mind before starting your build are: Choose the right material, birds in the wild nest in old trees, fence posts, or utility poles.
Wood is the preferred material for building nesting boxes. So what type of wood should you use?
Ideally, a naturally decay-resistant wood such as cedar, redwood, or a good grade of exterior plywood is best.
Wood should be 3/4" thick, anything less will allow heat to build up, which is detrimental to young birds.
Avoid using paint, especially dark paint, as dark paint absorbs heat. Besides, a natural-looking house will be more attractive to the birds.
Make sure that you provide proper drainage to keep the nest and its contents dry.
You can do this with an ample overhang on the roof and 1/4" drain holes bored in each corner of the floor.
Ventilation can be provided by drilling 1/2" vent holes at the top of each side or with a ventilation gap between the roof and sides.
The hole size is the most critical when building bird boxes. If it's too small, your chosen bird species may not be able to enter the house.
If it's too large, it could allow bigger, more aggressive species such as starlings or House sparrows to use the houses.
Predator guards are another necessary feature. These can be as simple as an additional 2 x 2-inch block drilled to the same size as the entry hole to add more "depth" to the face of the box.
This makes it more difficult for a predator to reach inside the nest. You also can drill the entry hole at an angle to deflect a predator's reach up and away from the nest.
NEVER add a perch when making bird houses. Birds don't need it, but it could be an advantage for predators.
Once the young are ready to fledge, having an easy exit is necessary. This can be done in several ways.
You can place the rough side of the wood to the inside of the house, you can horizontally score the inside of the front below the entrance hole, or add a piece of screening material below the hole and finally, you can add pieces of wood below the hole to act as a ladder for the young birds.
Any of these suggestions offer the nestlings a way to climb up to the entrance hole when it's time to fly.
You also must provide easy access for cleanout. You can do this simply by hinging the front panel or one of the side panels or by having a removable floor or roof.
This is a hobby that can be fun and rewarding. Consider giving them as gifts to friends, family, and schools.
Even if they are not now a birdwatcher, they might become one once they see a family of birds nesting in the house that you built.
Consider This
In addition to building traditional nesting boxes, consider making or purchasing a Nesting Shelf. Some birds, such as the American Robin, Eastern Phoebe, Barn swallow, and Mourning Dove, can be attracted to raise their young on these.
More
What You Need to Know When Building Bluebird Houses
Before Buying or Building A Wren House
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