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Building Bird Houses that Get the Movers Hired
Building bird houses for your backyard can add a distinctive flavor to your garden.
But remember just because you like bright colors, does not mean the songbirds you want to attract will share your enthusiasm. Nesting birds actually prefer tans, browns or grays that will blend in with the surroundings and therefore are less obvious to predators. But they will use brightly painted decorative bird houses as a second choice. 
Be Careful with Paint If you choose to paint your bird house, only use approved oil paints that are classified as safe for bird houses, or use exterior latex paint. Lead-based paints or creosote are absolutely to be avoided. Never paint the inside of a bird house. Fumes from painting the inside, or using the wrong kind of paint on the outside of the bird house, as just mentioned, can cause sickness or death to wild birds. Ventilation When building bird houses they must be designed to allow free flowing air for good ventilation. There should be small openings in the top of the bird house, under the overhang of the roof. This allows hot air to escape to prevent over heating and create the flow of fresh air through the bird house. When building bird houses the opening should be small enough as to not allow predators to reach inside. Building Bird Houses for Easier Spring Cleaning Bird houses need to be easy to open for cleaning. Nesting birds will not build a new nest in a house that contains last year’s nest. It must be cleaned out after every nesting season. When building bird houses, a good plan will include a way to clean out the old nest. Usually this means one side can be opened or the roof can lift up. This can be done by means of a pin that allows a pivotal action or with a hinge. A raccoon and squirrel proof lock must be attached, to keep them from eating the eggs or young birds. A method of easy access to the bird house for cleaning, also is a nice feature that allows the bird watcher a quick peak. What an exciting way to further enjoy your backyard birds! This must be done with some care and caution. It is crucial to only do this when the parent birds are away and only very briefly. A quick look can alert a diligent landlord to problems which may be averted; for example improper drainage or lice problems. Never sneak a peek when the young are near the end of their fledge stage. (Fledge is the stage of growing feathers to ready for flying.) It may cause them to leave the bird nest just before they are actually ready to fly and they will likely not survive. Entrance Holes The entrance to a bird house must be cut to the proper diameter to ensure that the appropriate bird will be attracted to it when building bird houses. Cutting the holes too large will enable larger birds or other predators access to the baby birds. Therefore it is important that you know the correct size of the entrance required to attract the birds that are suited to a bird house. The correct measurements are given in this chart. 
Nuthatch (1-1.25 inches) Chickadee (1.125 inches) Titmouse (1.25 inches) Beswick’s Wren (1.25 inches) Downy Woodpecker (1.25 inches) Bluebird (1.5 inches) Carolina Wren (1.5 inches) Swallow (1.5 inches) Hairy Woodpecker (1.5 inches) Crested Flycatcher (2 inches) Red-Headed Woodpecker (2 inches) Purple Martin (crescent shape) Flicker (2.5 inches) Mourning Dove (half side of gourd open) Barn Swallow (half side of gourd open) Phoebe (half side of gourd open) Robin (half side of gourd open) To Perch or Not to Perch A perch makes it easier for these predatory birds in their quest to invade the bird house to destroy the bird’s nest; eat the eggs or baby birds. It is therefore, worth considering when building bird houses if a perch is really necessary. Stave Off Predators Installing a predator guard to the entrance of the bird house will help to stave off raccoons, squirrels and predatory birds. If you are building bird houses and want to protect the baby birds and eggs, attach blocks of wood that are about 1 ¼ inches thick around the entrance. If you are mounting your bird house on a pole, installing a baffle on the pole, under the bird house, is very effective for stopping squirrels, cats and raccoons from reaching the bird house. Bird House Plans Need a Ladder! Bird houses will need a “ladder” on the inside. Some types of wood, such as pine, that is used when building bird houses, have very smooth hard surfaces that do not allow the young birds toe holds, to climb out of their houses. A bird ladder can be applied by roughing up or scoring the wall under the entrance, on the inside of the bird house. This will assist the baby birds in crawling out when it is time to fledge. Natural cavities used for nesting are rough inside and naturally provide a "ladder" for the baby birds. Drainage Bird houses need to have drainage holes to keep the bird’s nest dry as driving rain will get in from time to time. This will help ensure a healthy bird habitat for the nesting birds and their baby birds. Building Materials The material that is used when building bird houses is an important factor. The decision will be based on the climate where a bird house is to be erected and the ability to perform maintenance on the bird house. Wood has better insulation properties, warmer in cooler temperatures and cooler in hotter weather, comparatively speaking. When wood is painted a light colour it again increases the ability to stay cooler in the hotter climates. It is often stated that Purple Martin houses should be made in light colours to prevent over heating of the baby birds during the nesting season. This is good advice for southern regions of the United States for example where the temperatures can reach dangerously high levels for baby birds. Therefore a light coloured bird house is better, as it deflects heat rather than dark colours which absorb heat. In the northern regions of the United States and in Canada where temperatures in May and June can be very cool, a darker Purple Martin house is preferable. There have been years when these two months were too cold for many little birds and they succumbed to the elements. This noticeably depleted the Purple Martin population in these regions. Cedar and pine are popular types of wood to use when building bird houses. Pine, although often less expensive to purchase, is heavier than cedar. So it may be more cumbersome to manage when cleaning a larger bird house, like a Purple Martin House. Cedar will last longer than pine but both will last for many years. Both types of wood will age with a natural patina if left untreated.
What Else Do You Need to Learn? Hosting Wild Birds for Bird Watching   
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Predator guards can also be purchased and attached to the entrance. Metal predator guards will be more effective than wood or plastic. Metal will prevent paws and beaks from chewing and tearing the guard off. 
