House Hunting for birds

House Hunting

bird houses, where and how to place, start now

Iknow it’s the dead of winter, but now is the time to think about what nesting birds you might want nearby, and even install a bird house now. The logic might seem questionable since the birds won’t be nesting for weeks or months to come, but it does make sense. Many birds begin to scope out possible nesting sites in February and are sitting on eggs by mid-March. Our feathered friends don’t have the advantage of a real estate agent or an MLS (Multiple Listing Service) to aid them to find their homes IN spring, but we can help!

There are many backyard birds for which you can offer nesting options. These include Black Capped Chickadees, House Wrens, Bluebirds, Cardinals, Carolina Wrens, and Downy, Hairy, Red-bellied, Red-headed and Flicker woodpeckers. You can also do the same for Owls, but you’ll have to plan ahead for that next year because they’re already sitting on eggs now with hatchlings just weeks away. Except for the Cardinal, all of these birds are considered cavity nesters and thus why nesting boxes or bird houses can be viable options. Cardinals are shelf nesters and need a slightly different nesting solution.

Before you begin your house hunting, there are several key considerations in choosing a viable nesting box or bird house. All bird houses should include good ventilation near the top of the box, drainage holes in the bottom of the box, and have an access to clean out nesting materials between broods. Do not use bird houses which have a perch in front of the opening. Perches make it easier for predatory birds, snakes and raccoons to eat eggs or hatchlings in the nest.

Other physical characteristics of the bird house are also important for determining the likelihood of attracting the bird you want. Key things to consider are the size of the opening to the nest. For example, if you want to attract bluebirds, the opening should be 1 ½”. By contrast a House Wren and Black-capped Chickadee prefer a 1 1/8” opening. Additionally, the size of the box in floor space and height are also important. Lastly, a key consideration is the height of the opening from the base of the box. This dimension is important, because it ensures that the fledglings are strong enough to fly by the time they are mature enough to be able to jump up to the opening to take flight.

Where and how you place your bird houses is also important in increasing your chances to attract nesting birds. Bird houses should be placed with the opening facing south or east. This makes it easier to maintain proper temperature for the eggs without a cold north wind blowing in during early spring. With the exception of wren/chickadee houses, other bird houses need to be affixed to keep them from blowing in the wind. They can be affixed to posts, fences, trees, etc. Additionally, the height of the bird house from the ground is also important. Many species’ bird houses can be 5 or 6 feet off the ground, but woodpecker houses will need to be higher at about 8 feet or more. One other key consideration for affixed bird houses is using a baffle on a pole or post and/or snake guard on the opening to prevent predation by raccoons and snakes.

If you start now, you too could be a landlord for your backyard nesters. Having nests is another way to expand your joy of the hobby. Nesting behaviors including nest building, feeding the young, and watching fledglings take their first flight. Perhaps the most exciting and satisfying behavior to look forward to are the first and subsequent fledgling visits to your feeders!

NIK HIREMATH Birding Expert

Local birding experts Nik and Theresa Hiremath own and operate Wild Birds Unlimited of Leawood at 11711 Roe Avenue, Leawood, Kansas. Contact them at 913-491-4887.