Should birdhouses have a perch
When one thinks of a birdhouse being used by wild birds, you can't help but think of a perch being present just below the entry hole, but you'd be wrong to include one.
Birdhouses should never have a perch present as it simply acts as a way for predatory birds, snakes or even squirrels to kill or steel eggs with assistance of a foothold. Do remove the perch if its featured on your birdhouse with a saw. Perches can be a sign of a poorly built birdhouse, so stay well away.
Under certain circumstances a birdhouse can indeed have a perch, but to be certain, not all birdhouses need a perch, especially those for the most common backyard birds.
For that reason, a box belonging to an Owl would need not so much a perch, but a platform outside the entry hole. Whereas a Wren birdhouse does not need a perch, nor does similar, smaller birdhouse nesting birds.
Birdhouses featuring a perch act as decoration only, thus can lead to more trouble than its worth.
Major requirement of a birdhouse build is one with no perch; it can only exist to help unwanted pests or predators to access the box with ease.
Don't waste time then as you'd need to remove the perch with no questions asked.
Cheap to buy birdhouses are commonly made with a perch, as no real research has been put into building a practical birdhouse, over something that only appears nice.
Birdhouses should not have a perch then, with other issues likely to extend beyond that.
With any birdhouse featuring a useful to predators perch placement, it would be as bad, if not worse, than painting a bird house in a vibrant color that is guaranteed to attract all kinds of nasty animals within the vicinity.
Birdhouses should NOT have perch
To put it bluntly, birdhouses of any kind should not have a perch, perches are a menace in birdhouse construction, and a tell-tale sign of a poor build.
Or to be more specific, birdhouses designed for Wrens or Bluebirds don't need a perch, whereas a perch - or more of a platform - is a requirement on a Owl box.
Why perches should not be present on a birdhouse is that the perch, while quite useful for birds nesting in the box, it can become a foothold for predators wishing to do harm to the occupants.
Perches act as a handle for snakes or predatory birds to enter the birdhouse, so why assist these pests to attack and kill nesting birds and their young.
Birdhouses should not have a perch then because its only going to contribute to birds getting hurt. In some ways it can also allow nuisance birds to disturb the birdhouse occupants by perching right outside the entry hole.
Presence of a perch may seem fine to most people, as its what people think of what a birdhouse must feature for birds to use - but never feel the need to add your own perch if there's one currently not featured.
Remember, birds that use birdhouses are fully capable of using a birdhouse without the assistance of a perch, so must not be available to benefit them or intrusive animals.
Remove perch if present
In asking if a birdhouse should have a perch, in order to understand if your current box should or shouldn't have a perch, its not the end if it does have a perch mounted to it.
In fact, you'd be fully within your right to remove the perch as you see fit. Its not possible to remove the perch with nesting birds present, but to remove the perch before occupants move in is a race against time.
How you remove a perch on a birdhouse can be with a tenon saw, a metal filer or indeed a sharp knife.
What else you can remove the up to half-inch thick perch with is a sharp knife out of your utensil drawer in the kitchen - but it would take time to cut all the way through.
Perches tend to always be made in a wooden, sometimes birch - dowel so it shouldn't be too difficult to get rid off.
If its a metal perch then it could be simply pulled off, or removed by unscrewing screws located internally in the birdhouse on the opposite side.
Perch sign of problematic boxes
What is going to be a sign of a poorly built birdhouse is certainly one that features a perch, fixed right below the entry hole.
Manufacturer's and producers of birdhouses, including other backyard birding products should know better than adding a perch.
With a perch included you can guarantee the designers have never consulted experts, such as Audubon - or indeed brought in their own advisers.
If a birdhouse by a certain, often less known manufacturer, features a perch - this can be a sign of more problems, in more ways than one.
Perch exists so who's to say there's no holes in the base for drainage and ventilation, or indeed the birdhouse box size is incorrect for the bird species its intended for.
What else can be a major flaw is the existence of an incorrect entrance hole size; without the correct entry hole you'd be hard pressed attracting Bluebirds or Wrens to nest, among many other hole size specific bird needs.
Only time perch can be used
Of course the existence of a perch mounted to a birdhouse for practical uses, for use by nesting birds - can be included if the backyard environment allows it.
If no squirrels, snakes or predatory birds occupy your yard, so therefore can't disturb your birdhouse, then a perch can be present. It won't matter how short or long the perch is, just hope no predators would be drawn to it in due course.
Certain countries don't have to worry about this, but depending on the State where you reside - do be extra vigilant when mounting a birdhouse with a perch fixed to it.
Predators may not exist at first, but could be drawn to a new birdhouse with birds coming and going - through noise created throughout the day and their busy activity.
When making use of a birdhouse for decorative purposes outdoors, be sure the birds can't access it, so do block off the entry hole.
Similarly, if the birdhouse is an indoor decorative hanging, then of course a perch can be featured.
To summarize
Forget about a perch being available on a birdhouse, because if there is indeed one featured, then it must be removed right away.
Practical birdhouses intended to attract genuine nesting birds shouldn't have a perch.
It may seem like a perch must be mounted below the entrance hole to assist the parents, but remember that means the perch can indeed assist predators wishing to do harm.
Birds are fully capable of accessing a birdhouse without the need of a perch.
Remove the perch if there is currently one mounted to your birdhouse, as its not needed so can become more of a burden. Occupants can in turn be disturbed by noisy, nasty birds wishing to rest on the perch, outside their entry hole.
No perch mounted to a birdhouse is a sign of a quality built birdhouse, rather than the manufacturer adding it for decorative reasons only.
In fact, a perch present can be a sign of a manufacturer not knowing the requirements of even a basic birdhouse.
Birdhouses should not have a perch ever, and if your one has then its time to take saw to it, too cut it off.
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