Hillary Nelson David Petty

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Building a Bluebird Nest Box

Choose cedar or pine for your nest box. Cedar will last longer; pine is less expensive. Don’t use pressure-treated wood; it contains harmful chemicals.
Finished boards are smaller than their dimensions suggest. The 1x5 lumber required here will actually measure 3/4-inch thick and 41/2-inches wide; the 1x6 will be 3/4 inches by 51/2 inches.

If you decide to paint the outside of the box, use only flat, light colors. Dark colors can cause the box to get too hot in summer. Do not paint the inside of the box or the edges of the entry hole. Alternatively, use linseed oil on the outside of the box or simply leave it untreated.

What you’ll need:

Tools
• Hand saw
• Hammer
• Electric drill
• A hole saw attachment for your drill, or a coping saw (for cutting the entry)
• Sandpaper

Materials
• 1x5, pine or cedar untreated lumber, 2 feet long
• 1x6, pine or cedar untreated lumber, 3 feet long
• Galvanized nails or screws
• 1 small hinge with appropriate screws and/or a 6-inch strip of heavy rubber with small, galvanized tacks for mounting
• 2 small eye hooks

Remember to be safe when you work! When using power tools, be sure to use safety goggles.

Building steps

Step 1: Measure and cut the 1x5 into three pieces.
• One piece measuring 4 by 41/2 inches; this is the floor.
• Two pieces cut flat on one end and diagonally on the other. These pieces will be the two sides. The two diagonal ends should measure 9 inches on one side and 10 inches on the other. The 9-inch sides will be toward the front of the house, the 10-inch sides toward the back. This diagonal cut will allow the roof to slant so rain will shed off the box.

Step 2: Measure and cut the 1x6 into three pieces.
• One piece measuring 51/2 by 9 inches; this is the roof. Because the roof slopes, one of the 51/2 -inch sides must be trimmed to an angle so it will butt up tightly against the back wall of the house.
• A second piece measuring 51/2 by 9 inches; this is the front piece in which you will cut the entry hole.
• The remaining piece can be left at 51/2 by 18 inches or shortened, according to preference and how the house will be hung. This is the back piece.

Step 3: Cut the drainage holes and the entry hole.
• Cut the tips off the corners of the base piece and sand any rough edges. This will allow moisture to drain from the house.
• Mark the center of the front piece 7 inches up from its base. This will be the center of the entry hole. Draw a circle 11/2 inches in diameter around the mark. Because the size of the hole must be accurate, it should be cut smaller than necessary and then sanded to its finished measurement. Center a 1 3/8-hole cutter in the marked circle and cut out the opening. (You can also drill a hole large enough to insert a coping saw and then cut out a hole slightly smaller than the marked circle.) Use sandpaper to widen the hole to precisely 11/2 inches.
• On one side of the front piece, beneath the entry hole, use the saw or the tip of a nail to score some shallow slots in the wood, just enough to create a rough surface for the baby birds to cling to as they climb to the opening.

Step 4: Assemble the base and walls.
• Attach the front piece to a 4-inch side of the base, using screws or nails—two or three should be plenty. The entry hole should be closer to the roof of the house than to the base. Recess the base by attaching it about 1/4 inch from the bottom of the front; this will help keep water from seeping in.
• Attach the two sides to the 41/2-inch sides of the base, again recessing the base about 1/4 inch from the bottom of the other pieces.
•Attach the back of the box to the base and sides. The back is left long for ease of mounting. It isn’t necessary to place the house precisely on the back piece, but be sure to leave more wood protruding from the bottom than the top or the house will be top heavy.

Step 5: Add the hinged roof.
• Attach the 51/2-inch side of the roof (the one that has been trimmed to an angle to fit snugly) to the back of the house using the hinge. The roof is designed to protrude over the front of the house to protect it from weather and predators. For a more watertight seal, you can make a hinge from a strip of heavy rubber held on with small galvanized tacks (be sure they don’t protrude into the house) either alone or, for added strength, over the metal hinge.
• Attach the hooks, one on each side of the roof, placing the eyes appropriately on the sides of the house.
• You could also hinge one of the sides and nail the roof in place. Although baby birds can jump out of a side opening box, accessing the interior of the box for viewing and cleaning is easier.

Step 6: Drill the drainage and hanging holes.
• Drill two or three 1/4-inch holes on the two sides and the back of the nest box to allow cross-ventilation.
• Drill holes into the top and bottom of the back panel as needed for hanging the box.

Step 7: Install the baffle.
• The most common baffle is a cone made of sheet metal (for other options, see Bill Thompson III’s Bird Watching for Dummies). Mount the baffle on the pole beneath the nest box.

Once you hang your nest box, keep your eyes open for visitors, both wanted and unwanted. With luck, you’ll have guests in residence in a week or two. If no one arrives immediately, don’t despair—you’ll have another chance later in the summer when some nesting pairs move to a new site to start a second family.

To customize a nest box for a particular species, check out Cornell University’s Birdhouse Network at birds.cornell.edu/birdhouse.

Hillary Nelson is a writer who lives in Canterbury, New Hampshire. Her Child’s Play column and op-ed pieces appear in the Sunday Concord Monitor.

David A. Petty provides clients with creative advertising illustration through digital photography and video. His business, DPImaging, is located in Hampstead, New Hampshire, and his portfolios can be seen at dpidp2.com.