Bird House

Building a bird house is a great way to start a new hobby. Offering shelter and protection to a family of birds can be a fascinating project. Bird watching has become very important in preventing the extinction and tracking the wherabouts of some species .

Bird houses can be built from a kit, from plans, or just by nailing a few boards together depending on how fancy or plain a bird house you want. They can be very simple in design or very elaborate. Either will turn out to be a great source of entertainment.

First you need to know what kind of bird you want to attract. Specifications are different for the houses of the different species. Do you want to attract blue birds, cardinals, wrens, finches, purple martins or chickadees? The sizes of the house, the size and location of the entrance hole and the placement of the house are just a few considerations.

Once you decide what type of bird you want to attract, look into the kits and plans or draw up your own plans according to the needs of that particular bird family. You will also want to look into where to best locate your bird house so there are no dangers to the birds and they are comfortable in moving in.

After your house is completed and you are waiting for arrivals, you can put out nesting materials nearby for the birds to use to build their nest. Just keep the pieces of yarn or string together where they can be easily found.

Birds are loosing their natural habitat by the widespread practice of clean forestry. There are many species that actually require our housing to keep the species alive. In North America there are about 50 species of birds that will nest in bird houses.

Copyright 2007 - Alice Scott

Alice Scott and her daughter Michele Redmond have a website on Bird Feeders and Houses and offer information on attracting all sorts of birds with feeders and houses. If you're looking for a project, or just want to attract birds to your yard, visit their site for lots of ideas.

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Decorative Bird Houses

A decorative bird house is a nice addition to any garden, porch or patio. There is a wide variety of styles, colors and shapes and you can buy the one that best suits your garden style. In fact most of the decorative bird houses are fully functional and are suitable for bird nesting.

You can buy a decorative bird house from almost any garden shop or online. There are many online stores selling only bird houses and you will be amazed at the number of styles available.

Before you buy one though you should look for several things that are of great importance. The bird house should be made of wood or other natural material. It should be pest free and not treated with any chemicals. If it is painted make sure the pain is water based. These are all important factors and the decorative bird houses sometimes sacrifice them in favor of a great design and architecture.

If you are after a fully functional bird house than most of the above issues will be covered. The next worry will be where to hang the bird house.

Some people make the mistake to install a bird house on a place of their preference. It might be nice to have it directly next to your porch door but you may not attract any birds by doing so. You have to decide if you want the bird house as a décor enhancement or you want it for birds nesting.

If you want to attract birds, than place it accordingly. Each bird type prefers different bird house placement. Some birds such as Bluebirds and Swallows prefer open areas and fields, while other such as Woodpeckers and Owls prefer forested areas. Water birds such as ducks will love a bird house facing a lake or a stream. The same rule is valid for Purple Martins. Titmice, Nuthatches, Kestrels, Flycatchers and Chickadees will like a bird house placed on the edge of a forested area. If you want a bird type living directly into your garden, than get a bird house for Finches. They live pre4fectly near the house.

If you are placing more than one bird house consider the territory of each bird type. Some birds establish a territory and do not let other birds to enter it. If you place more than one bird house too chose you risk one of them to be empty. Check what is the typical territory for each bird specie and than distribute the bird houses.

Finally you can add some feeders near the decorative bird houses. This will invite birds to come as they will have plenty of food to raise their families.

Keith Londrie II is the Webmaster of http://www.about-bird-houses.info/ A website that specializes in providing information on bird houses that you can research on the internet. Visit http://www.about-bird-houses.info/ now!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Keith_Londrie

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