Bird HOUSE requirements guide

If building your own bird house at home or finding information on a bird house you intend to buy in-store or online, crucial requirements must be part of the build.

Bird house requirements guide presses on what features or functionality must be built into your bird house. Among them, air vents, angled roofs, exact entry hole size and an accessible clean out door must be included. Most must be included although it is possible you can make your own alterations in wood.

What with up to sixteen bird house build requirements I've listed, rest assured not all is needed - while others can be built into a wooden bird house with little fuss.

Having said that, only a few basic requirements are needed to guarantee your bird house can attract the birds its construction was intended for.

How to attract birds to a new bird house must first have the correct size entrance hole.

With that be sure the internal dimensions meet the species specific requirements, only then can you be sure a handful of the most vital features are included.

What really does make a good bird house to buy is one that utilizes an angled roof to be sure damp can't settle, as rain would eventually leak into the box. While air vents must be pre-drilled in the base to act as ventilation and drainage in one.

Finally, you'd want to be sure your bird house includes a latch to open a door or the roof so you can clean the interior once the occupants have left come spring.

To make adjustments in a box is possible, including the possibility of slotting in an elevated wire mesh floor, or be sure to cut off a perch if its mounted to your bird house.

Requirement list:

Requirement:	Priority:	Improvements:
Air Vents	High	Drill more holes to base
Angled roof	High	Apply felt or leather to prevent leakage
Audubon approved specs	High	Close too or thereabouts
Bird house dimensions	High	Margin of error acceptable
Clean out door, secure latch	High	Secure extra latch
Elevated mesh floor	Low	Can go without
Fledgling skerfs or grooves	Medium	Chisel in your own
Fully assembled	High	Self assembly not recommended
Insect and rot resistant	High	Apply your own preserve
Pole or flush mount install options	High	Avoid drilling directly throw rear panel
Predator guard	Medium	Keep detachable predator guard on at all times
Premium wood build	Medium	No correction possible
Rust resistant hardware	Low	Replace with rust resistant screws
Species-specific entrance hole size	High	Predator guard to re-size hole
Stain or preserved	Medium	Adjust color with added protection
Made in USA	Low	Protect US jobs

Air Vents

What I believe to be the most important requirement on an homemade bird house of any kind, is of course proper air ventilation.

Air vents are a major feature of bird houses as vents help to keep the interior cool.

And while a wooden bird house can still remain hot with many air holes circulating air around - air vents will still keep interior living conditions comfortable for bird house birds.

Why bird houses need ventilation is of course to allow air to pass through the box full of parenting birds, hatchlings - or if its to keep unhatched eggs at optimal temperature.

By default air vent holes would be drilled out at the bottom of the bird house; while the entry hole will allow air to pass through with additional openings on the roof overhang all assisting in keeping precise birds safe with fresh air.

Bonus feature of ventilation holes drilled out on the base of course will allow proper drainage if there's any risk of moisture building up.

Pro tip: Be it a DIY bird house or a store-bought bird house, it doesn't hurt to drill more holes in the base if its needed, and can be done so in a safe manner.

Angled roof

Of course a bird house must have a roof, of which you'd probably own one or later or buy a bird house with an angled roof.

With that I suggest you never buy or make a bird house with a flat roof, as resting rain water on top can gradually leak into the box.

Angled roofs on a bird house will give you the peace of mind that is needed when keeping the bird house interior dry - and believe when I say a flat roof - or indeed a roof at a shallow angle can see water run back into the wooden box.

How an angled roof will appear is at 45 degrees with the point on top with the overhang on both sides of the bird house.

Similarly, a single short length of wood will be angled shallower this time, only it will be slopping towards you at the front of the bird house.

Either style will do although I can't emphasis enough importance on a deep angle.

Pro tip: Risk of leakages can be prevented with felt, leather or a length of rubber glued on to the joint of the angled roof where the two points meet on the very top.

Species-specific entry hole size

Never doubt the specific size entry hole when attracting a certain bird species to your newly situated bird house.

Birds who use bird houses all have their own entrance hole size requirements - be it with certain hole sizes being identical - which is needed for a birds body girth, feeling of safety or birds knowing hole size can keep predators out.

While many species share the same hole size then, you can expect birds who match the size to potentially move into your box.

Difficulty in attracting birds to use your bird house can be down to entry hole size, while a rounded hole must be prioritized.

Get the hole size correct down to the last millimeter and then see if it makes a difference.

What birds will use your bird house can include Chickadees, Wren's, Woodpeckers, Sparrows, Finches, Nuthatches and many more.

Pro-tip: Slight reduction in hole size is allowed for a Bluebird house in order to deter Sparrows overtaking the box.

Bird house dimensions

While prioritizing the correct entrance hole size for specific bird species needs, this must be in conjunction with how big the bird house should be for each species.

What is the must crucial sizing to consider is actually the floor or base of the bird house.

What size the internal dimensions of the base will be will then be responsible for building the bird house up in height at the exact requirements outlined.

Most common floor size is 4 by 4 inches for Wren's, Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, Bluebirds, Sparrows, Titmouse and Nuthatches.

All of which I believe you'd be very welcoming to encourage to nest in your bird house.

Second most popular bird house floor size is 6 by 6 inches, of which can attract: Flycatchers, Barn Swallows, Eastern Phoebes, Starlings, Hairy-headed Woodpecker, Purple Martin and the Red-headed Woodpecker.

Dimensions refer to internal measurements only while taking into consideration lost interior sizing if only measuring externally.

Pro tip: Absolutely can an acceptable margin of error be allowed thus its vital it remains under 4 millimeters to be on the safe side.

Clean out door, secure latch

When owning and operating a bird house to a standard your visiting birds expect, of course you must be able to clean it out and maintained it over the course of its use.

You must retain accessibility to your bird house in order to remove old nesting material, while giving it a good clean with soapy water with an additional sanitization by using a safe homemade vinegar cleaning solution.

How you would clean a bird house is prioritizing the interior, thus manufacturer's will give you the access needed to get inside.

What is often referred to as a clean out door or latch, this is what is opened up fully to place your hand in the box.

Popular location for an opening latch is on the front - with bird house entry hole included - of which all comes down to access the interior without restrictions.

Where else access to the bird house interior is made is via the roof, and while a little more restricting - at least there's no possibility of the latch opening by accident.

Pro tip: Be sure to prioritize use of screws to lock the latch or opening door, which is better than a dowel or something that can be removed by accident, thus exposing the vulnerable occupants.

Elevated mesh floor

I will admit in store-bought bird houses the elevated wire mesh flooring is always a requirement for bird houses made for Bluebirds.

I am not so sure its made available for other species by the same manufacturers, but if it is I would take full advantage of this crucial safety feature.

What a mesh wire floor will look like is just that, its a square piece of wire mesh the size of the base - only its slotted into its on saw out ridge to secure it up to half an inch off the bottom of the bird house base.

Benefit to an elevated mesh floor is any natural nesting material birds will use to craft their own nest internally - wouldn't risk blocking up drainage or air ventilation holes which are always drilled out of the base.

What you can put in a bird house to get a few bird species off to a good start can include wood chips, of which the compaction will resort in holes becoming blocked.

Rather than wood chips or natural material pressing down on the base, the elevated wire cage should allow air to circulate freely.

Pro tip: When only allowing birds to build their own nest while avoiding adding your own, you can avoid a bird house with NO wire mesh as air vent holes won't block up.

Fledgling skerfs or grooves

Come day 13 to 14 will see young fledglings begin to leave your bird house while often occupied by their mother.

Such young birds who haven't found their way yet can be seen to fail even exiting a bird house that can be several inches deep to climb up, to reach the entry hole to escape.

With that in mind its imperative you make sure fledglings can climb up the bird house interior on the front side, and all the way up to the entrance hole.

Store-bought wooden bird houses will edge out fledgling skerfs - which are basically cuts dug into the wood - to allow young birds to get their feet into, to climb up and out.

Fledgling skerfs don't need any care or attention to quickly cut out as they are never seen; though its still vital there's enough grooves cut into the wood to assist fledgling at all climbing abilities.

Investigate your current bird house in ownership, and if there's no skerfs their do cut into the interior - from the bottom of the bird house up to the entrance hole - which will only take a few minutes to do it yourself.

Pro tip: Do use a chisel to cut out your own fledgling skerfs at a depth you see fit, while making sure skerfs don't force a fledgling foot to slide off as they climb.

Fully assembled

Now I do believe this isn't something any of you can worry about as most bird houses you can buy come fully assembled.

And for good reason, bird houses must be built in a specific way to cater to all kinds of bird species - a single margin of error either way can either deter the species intended for the box - or indeed it can keep all common backyard bird house birds away.

Fully assembled bird houses it must be then unless of course you are making your own.

While a bird house really can't be dismantled unless it breaks, as its permanently glued together at the joints - you certainly can make your own adjustments if need be.

For one thing the bird house currently in your possession might have a long perch mounted below the entry hole.

Well, bird houses should NOT have a perch as this made in wood dowel can only assist larger birds or ground predators who wish to do harm or steal the eggs.

Pro tip: Features I've mentioned thus far can be achieved if you do it yourself, as a wooden bird house will allow you to make specific alterations to meet your birds needs.

Insect and rot resistant

Naturally, a made in wood bird house will begin to show signs of aging due to the effects of weathering - of which it can be hard to avoid in due course.

To prevent a rapidly damaging bird house, do only buy a bird house that is promoted as being preserved in insect repellent or rot resistant preserve.

With that it will save you doing it yourself while the clear preserve can still maintain a natural looking wooden, untreated bird house.

I don't believe insect resistant treatment is as important as preventing rot setting in, thus a preserve must be used.

Keep it clear but remember a shade of preserve used to correspond to the environment where the bird house is mounted - to can keep it discreet, which is a positive.

Pro tip: Always consider applying your own preserve you got stored at home because the bird house will need a new coat at least once a year to delay rot or weathering.

Pole or flush mount install options

What is often absent from a store-bought bird house is one that doesn't come with the hardware needed to mount to a wooden post or a wall.

Remember that as a handful of screws may not be enough for your specific needs.

In particularly, you may want to mount your bird house to a tree, thus a way to do that is strapping on rubber to prevent damaging the tree - all while the rubber strap will need to be fastened somehow to the rear of the wooden bird house.

Now this isn't the responsibility of the manufacturer but its certainly something to look out for when planning to mount a bird house in a location not mentioned by the manufacturer.

To mount a bird house to post is going to be super easy is comparison, as any screws included will be used to drill in through the rear and into the post the bird house is mounted on.

Pro tip: Avoid drilling directly throw the rear as it can cause leaks, whereby the solution would be to create a hook on the rear exterior only to hook the single screw onto.

Predator guard

I can assure you if you have a predator guard mounted to your bird house already, while you feel it isn't needed - I can assure you it won't do any harm.

In fact to feature a predator guard which will be surrounding your bird house entry hole can give you assurances no predator can do harm to the occupants.

What actually is a predator guard on a bird house is a block of wood that extends the entry hole up to an additional inch or so - thus it can keep predators who would normally reach inside the box, are now far out of reach.

Made in wood predator guards are usually affixed with screws or it can be made permanent with wood adhesive.

Similarly, a predator guard can also be what is essentially a steel plate with a hole cut out that matches the size of your current entry hole on your bird house.

While predators have no chance of getting past metal - the occupants who like to make their own adjustments to their entry hole - are unable too now - thus the bird house is kept in brand new condition.

Design of predator guards can vary with a cage like one even deterring rats, squirrels or snakes.

Pro tip: If you have a choice to remove a predator guard mounted on with screws, please don't - as its will benefit you more in the long run even if predators are not seen.

Premium wood build

I can tell you now the most vital requirement for any bird house is one that is made in cedar as the best wood for bird houses of any kind.

Why that is because cedar wood as the properties to outlast in exterior conditions, thus the wood can withstand a cold or hot climate.

Not without assistance mind you, as cedar wood will still need to be preserved in treatment when its mounted for the first time - then additional coats of preserve would be needed thereafter to prevent the cedar aging.

Cedar can warp, split or weather rapidly without preserve, but despite this cedar is the wood you need your bird house to be crafted in.

What kind of cedar would be the cheap, readily available cedar promoted as premium, with an option to use as sold as red cedar.

Keep your cedar made bird house looking brand new when preserving it in a deep penetrating grain treatment, with an additional coat of paint or stain to keep it looking that way.

Pro tip: Bird houses made in pine or spruce are OK to use providing treatments are used to preserve it in tough outdoor conditions like with cedar.

Rust resistant hardware

Not a critical requirement in a bird house build I grant you, but what use is making or buying a beautifully crafted bird house when rust is seen on hardware.

And it will, none rust resistant screws or hardware used on a bird house can be seen to rust where you unscrew them on the tip - yet in time the rust will bleed into the wood as it sips downwards.

Rust seeping into wood may then not be repairable as it can bleed far to deep in the wood grain.

With that you want to keep an eye on what choice of screws and other hardware - such as latches or hinges - manufacturer's use in their bird houses.

If its made in stainless steel or promoted as powder coated then your OK - whereas screws or hardware finished in cheap coatings will wear off and rust in time.

Pro tip: Its never too late to replace rust prone hardware with stainless steel, along with an option to paint your hardware in an hard-wearing exterior metal paint.

Stain or preserved

What manufacturer's or even Audubon will tell you, which does have its merits of course, is to never paint a bird house.

Reasons being is paint can wear off so can be ingested by fledglings or indeed when adult birds chip away at the paint covered bird house when altering their entry hole size.

I believe a bird house can be painted if only the environment its situated in calls for it.

What this environment can be is a bird house mounted to the post of a fence in a color that is contrasting to the bird house - and in a way can only lead to the bird house standing out like a sore thumb.

And there is why a bird house must only be painted, is to keep it low key; while it blends into its environment that is finished in paint.

You must only use a non toxic, exterior paint which must be brushed deep into the grain to prevent peeling later.

If you want to preserve the beautiful grain on your bird house then favor staining it as you can still finish the bird house in a shade of color that meets your needs.

Pro tip: Apply additional coats of paint or stain to darken the shade while considering using a paint or stain that includes a preserve, so extra expense can be avoided.

Audubon approved specs

Not essential I grant you as most well known bird house manufacturer's know how to build a bird house to specific bird species requirements.

And with that they know all the in's and out's of what goes and what doesn't - while often conveying this advise to their customers on their web site or in a booklet or instructions included with the bird house.

Having said that, if you don't personally know what goes then anything can be said.

With that in mind I will suggest you always prioritize manufacturer's range of bird houses that mention their boxes were built specifically to Audubon approved specification.

Audubon are The National Audubon Society - which is an United States non-profit organization dedicated to conservation of birds.

Rarely do manufacturer's build their bird houses officially in partnership with Audubon, but it can prove they are following strict standards which will be scrutinized by their customers in online reviews.

Pro tip: Audubon recommended specifications on a bird house can still call for your own alterations if need be.

Made in USA

My final bird house requirement is not so critical as many others outlined above, though I always like to encourage American made innovation.

What I mean by that is if the bird house is sold as made in USA, then remember your sale contributes to American jobs.

On top of that an American made bird house range must compete with cheap, far inferior bird houses made in Asia, thus American companies must do their utmost best to prove their range are far superior.

And I do think they are as American companies know what goes and doesn't with their home audience - while being far more intuned with local wild life just outside their windows.

Made in America bird houses isn't a requirement of course, but at least the likelihood of harmful material built into their collection is always going to be a none issue - whereas cheap foreign products can lead to problems in design or built quality.

Share this article: