Use these tips for choosing birdhouses that attract visitors to your garden.
Attracting birds to your garden is a fabulous way to liven up your yard and add a little extra summer ambiance. Of course, discriminating birds will only move into the finest of homes, and here are some tips to help you select a birdhouse they’ll be proud to raise their young in.
- Make sure the birdhouse is made of wood. It is a good insulator, absorbs sound and is much more comfortable for birds than plastic or metal houses.
- The entrance to your birdhouse should be about 1.5 inches in diameter. This allows most bird species to enter and keeps larger, predatory species from entering the nest inside.
- Robins, swallows, blue jays, mourning doves, cardinals, and phoebes don’t need birdhouses. However, they will be attracted to a simple bird platform they can build a nest on. You can place these in a tree, upon a fence or in an area where it will be protected from the elements.
- If you don’t already have a birdhouse up, you might want to hurry. Birds are nesting right now. If you don’t have a place for them to live, well, they just might move in with your neighbors.
You can find the perfect plants that will attract our avian friends by checking our Plant Care Guide. Learn more about using bird-friendly elements in your gardening with our upcoming gardening classes in Kansas City, too, like Birdfeeders on July 24 and Bird Baths on Aug. 7.
Image from Flickr.
Thank you for letting me know that a wood house is better than a plastic or metal one for birds. I think I was about to make a plastic one today. If wood helps muffle sound as well that is a huge plus. Looks like it is a wood house for my birds.
Cynthia | http://www.tazmangifts.com/listing.asp?dept_id=30070&nopopup=1
My sister has been talking about getting a birdhouse for her garden for the last few weeks. Her birthday is coming up, so I’m considering getting one for her that she can put out there. I wasn’t terribly sure what I should be looking for, so I appreciate the tips. It should be fun to try and find one that she’ll appreciate having in her yard.
http://www.merlesgiftshop.com/default.asp?dept_id=30060
Thanks for helping me choose the right birdhouse. I’m thinking of buying a two-story white wooden birdhouse I found online since I’ve noticed that some birds like robins and doves visit my garden in the afternoon. To make a place for them, I’ve decided to put it up on a tree in my yard to protect their nests from elements, as you suggested.
My aunt loves birds, and the idea of her attracting these creatures to her yard makes her all excited! Your tip about how she should consider purchasing a birdhouse that’s made out of wood along with having the right entrance since totally makes sense. I’ll go ahead and recommend this to her so she’d consider it!