How to make a birdhouse: from boards and logs for different birds. "Building standards" for a birdhouse

Our interest in birdhouses awakens in the spring along with raindrops, bright rays of the sun and the ringing voices of birds. I really want nimble and cheerful birds to settle in our yard. It's nice to watch the family activities of birds and listen to their trills. It’s equally nice to know that birds will help protect your garden from pests.

Birdhouses for birds: what are they?

We have all observed a considerable number of different birdhouses. You may get the impression that these are just small houses with a hole of different shapes and colors. In fact, bird houses can be made from various materials and must have certain parameters for different types of birds. There are certain requirements for their design and placement.

Especially for you, we have grouped the existing options into an easy-to-read form. Of course, before you start assembling a bird house, you need to see what they are like.

Birdhouses made of wood - classics of the genre

There is no doubt that wood is best suited for making a classic birdhouse. The reason is in the whole complex of its characteristics:

• good thermal insulation;
• acceptable sound insulation;
• sufficient strength;
• environmentally friendly;
• well processed;
• affordable.

We have prepared for you photos of 40 types of wooden birdhouses, arranging them in order of increasing complexity and quality of design.

Here are images of the simplest designs. As you can see, they suit the starlings themselves. Unless they suspect that the lifespan of an untreated house is limited. If appearance doesn't matter, choose one of these options.

If you spend a little more time, you can make a much nicer house for the birds. Perhaps you use another type of lumber for this purpose. Definitely, it will take a little more skill and effort.

In these designs main role fantasy played. Moisture-proof impregnation and a tin roof will definitely increase the service life of the crafts. The products are somewhat more complex than ordinary bird houses.

As you can see in the photo, the birdhouse can be decorated by cutting a hole in the shape of a bird’s silhouette. At least the roof can be painted. To assemble a bird house, you can use clapboard treated with a blowtorch.

The photographs above show the application of paints. In principle, one color is enough to decorate a craft. Several bird houses painted in different colors look great.

If you try, paints will help turn a bird's home into a fairy-tale house. The design itself is not complicated. Imagination and diligence are the main tools of the presented success.

A few more options for successful and simple solutions. Small cross-section sticks allow you to complement the craft with a fence, trellis, and so on. Using a jigsaw helped a lot in the bottom two photos. The use of wood of different colors and unusual shapes of the bird house ensured the exclusivity of the work.

The photos presented above say: don’t limit your imagination! Of course, to assemble an airplane and helicopter you will need parts manufactured at lathe. However, the locomotive and the tiger are made from ordinary planks using a simple tool. Can be repeated!

The two elegant bird houses pictured above were crafted with great taste and care. It's not easy to repeat this. To create something similar and your own is even more difficult.

We present four more examples that will decorate a site of any level. Of course, wood carving is not for everyone. Note that the two lower options are quite realistic for copying. It will take a lot of time and effort.

A birdhouse made of logs is a separate topic

A great idea is to use an ordinary log for a birdhouse at the dacha. This is also wood, but untreated. Please note that an old tree trunk with a rotten core is the best option. Such housing for birds resembles a hollow and is called a nest box. As you can see, the design of the product can be very different.

For many, an old log is more affordable than an edged board. Birds don't care what their home looks like. A simple deck or palace made of birch will do. You make the choice.

The nest can be decorated with branches, boards, and mushrooms. Again we are talking about the manifestation of imagination.

In any case, those who decide to make the house more complex and interesting must definitely link its design to the place and environment where the birdhouse will be located.

They also make plywood bird houses.

It is believed that plywood is not the best choice for a bird house, as it has an unpleasant and harmful smell of glue. However, the starling in the picture likes the plywood housing. You probably shouldn't use products with a noticeable glue smell. It can be assumed that the slight odor will subside over time. Plywood is more expensive than edged boards, but it is stronger and will last longer.

Here is a factory kit for assembling a bird house. Its main advantages are its interesting design and high assembly speed. Thin plywood has reduced heat and sound insulation. This type of bird house is best used in warm regions and will not last long.

Several more design options for birdhouses made of plywood demonstrate the wide decorative capabilities of the material. The use of paints will ensure a flawless appearance. It is probably better to use such crafts for decorative purposes.

Here are the simplest plywood bird houses. They are best used in relatively warm regions. They won't last long in this condition.

The use of 20mm thick plywood and paints greatly improves the position of plywood houses. Experiments with the shape of the craft are encouraged.

Birdhouses made of cardboard - it's possible

Birdhouses made of cardboard are difficult to take seriously. As follows from the pictures, such products exist. At the same time, they are made at enterprises producing corrugated packaging.

Of course, such a bird house is inexpensive, assembles quickly and even looks decent. Obviously, they will last one season, and in those areas where it will not be soaked by rain. However, we decided to overcome the identified shortcomings of the material and further in the text we offer a diagram for assembling a fairly reliable bird house made of corrugated cardboard.

Birdhouses made from plastic bottles - a backup option

At first glance, plastic containers are very suitable for a bird’s nest: they cost nothing, are durable, and are not afraid of rain. Note that birds do not like to sit in a transparent room with poor heat and sound insulation. In addition, the slippery surfaces of the bottle make it difficult for the bird to move around in the house.

However, these shortcomings can be combated. Note that the assembly of such a product does not require a hacksaw or drill and can be done by a woman or child. A plastic bottle can be painted, covered with an opaque material and lined with fabric on the inside. It is better to use five-liter eggplants.

To prevent the lightweight structure from being swayed by the wind, it must be securely attached to the tree, for example with tape. Obviously, in this situation there is a wide scope for decor and decorations. Below we offer a practical way to use plastic bottles for a bird house.

Bird houses made from scrap materials

A very interesting house for birds is made from a pumpkin. The internal contents of the plant are cleaned with a spoon through the future entrance. The craft is dried, decorated and hung on a tree.

Options for “decorating the room” outside can be very different. Note that even in its simplest form, the product has a certain decorative value. Often it is for this purpose that such crafts are made.

A wooden barrel or pebbles and cedar cones, as well as beer cans, are suitable for building a bird house. Almost any material will do, from beer cans to shoes.

At the same time, it is important to comply with the conditions for comfortable living of birds, which we discuss further in the text.

An old boot is an excellent home for birds. By the way, the leather version will last quite a long time. The convenience of living in an old snag with a hollow for birds definitely doesn’t need to be explained. Nothing prevents us from adding our human decorations.

An old bucket is perfect for birds. It is especially convenient to use a segment for arranging a bird house plastic pipe. Very simple and durable. The possibilities for decoration are, as always, unlimited.

Multi-family houses or townhouses for birds

Probably, apartment buildings were first developed by birds, and then by people. There are a great many options for execution. Just like people, an apartment building can be beautiful.

These examples look more like townhouses. Probably, next to a “high-rise building” for a large number of birds it will always be possible to observe at least one of them.

At the same time, we must not forget that a cheerful company of birds can harvest your entire garden in one sitting.

Decorative birdhouses

Decorative birdhouses also have a place. They are designed to decorate rooms. Often decorative crafts also placed in the garden.

Bird houses can be made by children from paper, cardboard box, plastic bottles and beer cans. Of course, in this case no dimensions need to be observed. We have selected for you images of the most typical products that are suitable for a child.

Dimensions of birdhouses and other requirements

Exist General requirements for bird housing, regardless of what specific birds they are intended for:

1. The bird house must have sufficient thermal insulation and be protected from noise, moisture and drafts. To do this, a wooden birdhouse is made from boards at least 20mm thick. The seams and cracks of the house are sealed with clay, plasticine or tow.
2. The structure should not have sharp protrusions that could injure feathered inhabitants. The protruding parts are treated with emery cloth.
3. The configuration of the birdhouse should allow birds to easily get in and out. In a birdhouse made of planed boards, the front wall from the inside is roughened using a hacksaw and a drill. A birdhouse made from a plastic bottle is trimmed from the inside with a coarse cloth.
4. The material of the bird housing should not emit unpleasant odors. Laminated chipboard and OSB board contain formaldehyde and are not suitable for birds. For the same reasons, the use of plywood is also discouraged. Inorganic adhesives should not be used to assemble the birdhouse. It is better to paint the product with acrylic paints.
5. You should not use too bright colors to decorate the house. Birds distinguish colors much better than people, and in nature they are not used to showing off their nest to everyone. It is better not to create a tip for birds of prey and cats. Good paint will significantly extend the life of your product.
6. The design and placement of the birdhouse should provide sufficient protection from cats and woodpeckers.
7. The birdhouse should not be too large so as not to provoke the female to lay too many eggs. It is difficult to provide food for a large number of chicks, and they will not survive.

Let us add in more detail a few more significant comments on the “architecture” of bird houses. To protect against feline organized crime groups (organized criminal groups), the birdhouse should be positioned so that it is impossible to climb into it from nearby branches.

It is better not to make a support under the entrance, as the entrance to the bird’s house is called: branches are enough for the bird if the birdhouse is on a tree, and the cats will definitely take advantage of the additional opportunity for criminal purposes. To protect the chicks from attack from above, the overhang of the birdhouse canopy is increased to 70-80mm. The greater the angle of inclination of the roof, the more difficult it is for cats to commit a dirty deed.

To prevent cat gangs from reaching the birdhouse along the support from below or above, it is wrapped in tin in accordance with the image. The cat slides on the metal and will not reach the chicks. To protect against the claims of a woodpecker, the bird entrance is reinforced with a metal or thick wooden overlay, as in the photo. Then he will not be able to expand the entrance and get to the eggs.

Quite often, birdhouses are made from coniferous wood. Resin released from wood can ruin the plumage of birds. It is better to use birch or alder for a bird's nest. As a last resort, you should choose pine boards without knots.

Different birds have their own characteristics and choose their “apartments” according to their needs. When planning to make a house for certain birds, use its standard GOST dimensions from the table below.

The bird house mentioned in the table, called a “half nest,” is intended for birds that are accustomed to nesting not in the hollows of trees, but in the recess between the branches. These birds prefer a certain amount of light, and a slit-shaped entrance is suitable for them.

Please note that it is difficult for a wagtail to move on vertical surfaces, and it is better for it to arrange a comfortable area in front of the entrance 8-12 cm wide. For small birds, like pikas, two entrances located opposite each other are organized. It is believed that starlings do not live in green houses.

Choosing a location and methods of attaching bird houses

Ornithologists recommend placing one birdhouse on an area of ​​20 m2. In practice, one birdhouse in the garden is enough, since a larger number endangers your cherries and even tomato seedlings. If you install several bird houses, ensure a distance of more than 15 meters between them.

Usually the birdhouse is installed at a height of 2.5-3.5 m from the ground. If there are objects nearby where people often appear and will disturb the birds, increase the height to 4.5-5.5 m.

It is necessary to think about the optimal orientation of the bird's house relative to the cardinal directions. If the entrance to the open space faces south, the house may overheat. It is better to place it in the shade. It is also incorrect to point the entrance towards the most frequently blowing winds, since rain will enter through the entrance to the birdhouse. Also, to protect from rain, you should use the wall or roof of a building, tree foliage, etc.

Often the birdhouse has a special bar for attaching to the support. It can be fixed to inanimate objects with nails and screws. Flexible clamps are used for fastening to trees. Reliable and durable cords and ropes are suitable. In this case, the fasteners should not pinch the tree as the trunk thickens. If the birdhouse you installed is not occupied by residents, try moving it to another location. This circumstance will probably influence the birds' decision.

Workshops on making bird houses

Drawings, dimensions and photos of assembling a wooden birdhouse with decorations

We invite you to familiarize yourself with the drawings of three options for the most common birdhouses made of wood. Let us repeat that it is better to make them from deciduous wood or use pine boards without knots with resin. If you check the size table, you will find that for starlings and other birds the house may have different dimensions than in the drawings. Next, we describe a diagram for assembling a bird house with a pitched roof, following which you can carry out any of the three projects yourself.

Here is a drawing of a birdhouse made of boards, which is the simplest. A special feature of this design is the removable lid. In order for it to be securely fixed, a 120x120mm insert is provided, attached to the lid from the inside. If you do not plan to remove the cover, the liner is not needed.

The gable lid looks more interesting, but the design is a little more complicated. Pay attention to the accuracy of the connection of the roof parts with the side walls. Additional compaction with plasticine, clay or hemp may be required in these places. The design does not provide for a removable cover.

This drawing shows a design with an inclined removable cover. You should pay attention to the careful execution of inclined cuts of the side walls. We present a master class on assembling a birdhouse in two stages: first we make a birdhouse according to the description, and then we decorate it at our own discretion.

This is what the finished birdhouse will look like

Let's consider the sequence of actions step by step:

1. To make the birdhouse, I used a pine board with a section of 160x20mm. The knots are very small, so the resin will not interfere with the birds.
2. For parts 120mm wide, I cut the board lengthwise to this width. I used a 40mm wide scrap as a pole for attaching the birdhouse.
   
3. I used a square to mark the parts. Otherwise, cracks in the craft cannot be avoided.
4. I marked the length of the insert under the lid “in place”, it’s more convenient.
5. I carefully marked and made a bevel cut on the front and back walls of the product.
6. First, I drilled the tap hole with a feather drill.
   
7. However, I didn’t have a feather drill of the required diameter, so I finished the job with a jigsaw.
8. I scratched the inside of the front wall with a hacksaw to make it easier for the birds to get out of the house.
   
9. The result was a set of parts shown in the picture.
10. The entrance was cleaned with sandpaper for the convenience of the birds.
11. To assemble the house, I drilled holes with a diameter of 2 mm for screws. On long walls, three screws are enough, on short walls, two.
    
12. I fastened the side walls with 3.5x40mm screws; 3.5x35mm screws were used to assemble the lid.
    
13. The result is a birdhouse without cracks or gaps. For those who want to extend the life of the craft with the help of paints and at the same time make a funny birdhouse, follow below.
14. First, let's turn the canopy over the entrance into the visor of an improvised cap. We carry out the markings using a compass.
    
15. The cut along an arc was made with a jigsaw and the sharp edges were treated with emery cloth.
    
16. I also used sandpaper to smooth out all the sharp edges of the craft. When doing this type of work, it is convenient to wrap the sandpaper around a wooden block.
17. Next, I cut out templates for the eyebrows, eyes, lips and ear of the “Cyclops” from paper. I tried them on for a craft project and remade those that didn’t fit the proportions.
    
18. For false ears I used 16mm plywood, for the mouth – 10mm. I pressed the corresponding templates onto the plywood and outlined the outlines with a marker.
19. I cut out all the complex shaped parts with a jigsaw.
    
20. The nose has a geometric shape, so I marked it out using a ruler. I cleaned the cut parts with sandpaper.
21. I painted the ears, nose and lid of the birdhouse with brown paint in two layers. For the lips I used red color.
22. The body of the “Cyclops head” was painted yellow acrylic paint. To mark the whites of the eyes and eyebrows, I attached the corresponding templates to the front wall and outlined them with a marker. I did the eyebrows and eyelashes with a black marker. The white of the eye was painted over with white paint.
23. The ears, nose and mouth were secured with screws. I invited a cheerful bird – a fashion model – especially for photography.

New technologies for assembling a birdhouse from cardboard and bottles for women's and children's hands

Not everyone who wants to build a birdhouse with their own hands has the ability to saw boards, drill and drive screws. On the other hand, plastic bottles and cardboard boxes are available to everyone. Both materials are not suitable for creating a bird house.

We came up with the idea that a wonderful result would be obtained if these available materials were used together: plastic protects from moisture, and corrugated cardboard provides thermal insulation. We bring to your attention an original project of a bird house made from improvised materials, which can be implemented by anyone at home. Look how we did it in the picture.

Here is a presentation of a master class on making an apartment for birds from plastic bottles and corrugated cardboard. In this case, a drawing is not required, since the dimensions are marked on the parts:

1. To start, you will need two identical five-liter bottles. We cut one of them from the bottom along the line marked with a marker. The cut is below the protruding part so that the second container can be inserted into the first.
   
2. Corrugated cardboard is best suited two-layer 6mm thick. The marking should be done in a rectangle. We cut the cardboard with a stationery knife using a metal ruler.
3. First, we cut out one piece 118x118mm and check how it fits inside the cut container. It is ideal if it clings a little to the walls of the jar. If it passes with a large gap or passes into the container with difficulty, you will have to choose other square sizes. In the case when the size of the bottom and roof is changed or cardboard with a thickness other than 6mm is used, the drawings of the parts will be different. The height of 300mm will not change, the width of the front and rear walls is equal to the size of the bottom and roof, the width of the side wall is equal to the width of the front, minus double the thickness of the cardboard.
4. We mark the entrance with a marker in accordance with the image. To obtain a circle, it is convenient to trace the lid of the container with a marker. Cut the hole with a narrow knife.
   
5. We cut out all the details from corrugated cardboard in accordance with the image.
   
6. Using a glue gun, apply glue to the bottom of the back wall.
7. We install the bottom liner on the glue. To ensure proper assembly, temporarily install and hold the side wall with your hand. You need to hold the parts until they are fixed with glue.
8. The result will be an assembly in the shape of the letter “G”.
   
9. Apply glue to the end of the bottom.
10. Apply glue to the edge of the side wall.
11. After installing the side wall and the glue has cured, you will have an assembly of three parts.
12. Apply glue to the upper parts of the side and back walls.
    
13. Once the roof liner is installed and the glue has cured, you will have a four-piece assembly.
14. Apply glue for the second side wall.
15. We install the second side wall and get a box without a lid.
16. Apply glue to the ends of the four parts and install the front wall.
    
17. The base of the craft is ready.
18. At the ends of the craft, remove the exposed glue to glue the bottom and roof.
19. Apply glue to the four ends of the walls and the bottom liner.
20. Install the bottom of the birdhouse.
    
21. Now we have a bird house with an insulated and reinforced bottom.
22. This is what the finished cardboard capsule looks like after gluing the roof.
    
23. Carefully insert the cardboard insert into the bottle and mark the tap hole on the bottle with a marker.
24. We cut out the tap hole in accordance with the markings.
25. We prepare corrugated cardboard parts for insulating the bird house in accordance with the image.
    
26. Everything worked out for us, and the “insulation” is in place.
27. We push the parts into place. If they do not fit well, the parts can be trimmed or the cardboard can be crushed at the edges of the long sides.
28. After adjusting the size of the second bottle and assembling it, mark the holes for the wire staples on the sides of the birdhouse with a marker. We punch holes at a distance of 20mm so as not to perforate the walls of the product.
    
29. We make two brackets from copper wire with a diameter of 0.5-1 mm in accordance with the holes.
30. We move the bottom eggplant down and insert staples into it on both sides. We bend the ends of the staples so that they easily fit into the upper bottle.
31. We move the lower bottle into place and insert the staples into the holes on the upper bottle.
32. We push the bottom part of the plastic container into place.
    
33. We twist the wire and bend the twist.
    
34. This is what an almost finished birdhouse looks like. We received impeccable thermal insulation and protection from moisture of the bird house.
    
35. We painted the top of the house with brown paint, and the bottom with yellow paint. The sharp edge of the plastic can injure the bird. We took a piece of corrugation, cut it lengthwise and put it on the edge of the tap hole. You can color the product at your own discretion. The craft resembles a castle tower, so you can create a pattern of battlements from below.

How to make a birdhouse from a log easier

We have already given examples of arranging an original birdhouse made of logs. Birds will definitely like this project, as it resembles a hollow bird familiar to them: it has no cracks and blends in with the surrounding environment. Now let’s look at a master class on assembling such a bird house yourself.

An interesting observation: there are significantly fewer birds outside the city than in the city. Why is that? It turns out that the city has many secluded places for birds. But the most common refuge is a bird squeezing its way inside through a narrow gap near a lamp. Here, descending along the pipe trunk, she builds her nest on a coil of wires. Can you imagine the conditions in which a bird, a small plant pest fighter, lives? But a person is able to thank his winged helpers, but how? Build which will be larger than the lantern pipe.

Construction materials

To determine how to build a birdhouse for starlings, you need to select the appropriate material. Only wooden boards are best suited for construction. hardwood- birch, alder, aspen. Coniferous wood is not recommended for use. It secretes a resin that makes the surfaces of the birds' homes sticky. Plywood is not suitable for a bird house. It retains heat poorly, making the new building very cold. And it practically does not miss sounds that are very important for birds, especially when danger arises. Compressed wood (fibreboard, chipboard) releases toxins, so it is generally not suitable for a birdhouse.

Birdhouse drawing

A correctly calculated and laid out diagram will greatly simplify the construction process. Therefore, before building a birdhouse, the drawing must be made taking into account all the required dimensions. The optimal height of the house for a starling is 35 cm. For the bottom you will need a blank in the form of a square with a side of 16 cm. The entrance should be 5-6 centimeters in diameter. Important! Before building a birdhouse, the dimensions should be checked several times. If the proposed living space seems cramped to the birds, they will simply bypass your new building. However, you shouldn’t chase large sizes either. Otherwise, offspring raised in too spacious apartments will be sickly and weak.

Step-by-step instruction

Creating a simple birdhouse does not require much skill or experience with wood. The main thing is to use the drawings correctly. If you are building a house for birds for the first time, then the question naturally arises: how to build a birdhouse in stages?

The image shows a diagram of a traditional strong house, known to everyone since childhood.

The sides of the roof are different. One should be longer by the thickness of the board to cover the edge of the first. After all, a birdhouse should not only be practical, but also have an excellent appearance.

After all the blanks are cut from the board, be sure to check whether they form the birdhouse correctly. If all the previous tips were taken into account, then there should be no problems when assembling the house.

It is best not to drive nails, but to drill small holes. The nail may not enter the wood correctly, then the sharp edge will stick out in the birdhouse, making the housing quite unsafe for birds. Or it might even split the wood. To make the drilling process as safe as possible, secure the wood pieces in several C-clamps. Before using nails or screws, be sure to glue the edges of the sides together with good

After assembling the frame, you should work on the round entrance. There is a special drill for such purposes. It drills the hole very quickly and accurately. Such a tap hole will have smooth edges, and therefore does not require additional sanding.

If you don’t have such a drill, drill several holes inside the circle, and then cut out the desired tap hole with a jigsaw. A brace is good for this purpose.

There is another method for making a taphole. But it assumes a frame that has not yet been assembled. The face board can be divided down the center into two halves. Using a chisel, you can cut out the necessary half-holes quite easily. You can connect both halves using spikes - nails with broken heads.

The next stage is installing the roof.

Under the entrance you need to place a stick 1.5 cm thick - a porch. Too much big size the porch will invariably attract crows and jackdaws to the birdhouse.

Types of houses

Any house for birds is usually called a birdhouse, although it is not built just for starlings. Other birds also need housing. How to build a birdhouse for birds depends on the characteristics of the future residents. For example, housing for tits is built with a height of 25-30 cm. The bottom should be a square with a side of 10-12 cm. The entrance for tits is 30-35 mm in diameter.

Wagtail housing requires a completely different design. The bird itself does not have sufficient tenacity of its legs, so it needs a certain ladder in front of the house. And such a house needs to be located under a roof, approximately at a height of three to five meters.

The pika feels more comfortable in a house with two through holes. They are located on the left and right. Such additional entrances allow the bird to escape in time if a predator attacks its home.

Decorative houses

Fans of original solutions can dream up a little. It is enough to decorate the birdhouse just a little, and it will take on a truly fantastic look. The birdhouse, stylized as a country house, looks original. For birds, it doesn't matter what the house looks like from the outside. The main thing is to keep it warm and dry inside. And it will bring a lot of pleasure to the designer to decorate the homes of birds.

If desired, it is not difficult to build even an apartment building. Several families will live in such a birdhouse at once and will greet the rising sun with loud, joyful chirping. In this case, there will be no difficulties in how to build a birdhouse. The photo below illustrates the process quite clearly.

The house can differ significantly in shape. An interesting solution is housing in the shape of a diamond. However, the question arises - is it bird-friendly?

It’s up to you to decide how to build a birdhouse, the size and decor of which completely depend on the intended residents and your skills.

The best housing option for birds is a wooden birdhouse. It is warm, and the birds feel like they are in a hollow tree. However, not everyone has the opportunity to build such housing themselves. In this case, improvised materials will help out.

An excellent birdhouse is made from a log. The core can be selected using a chisel. All that remains is to drill a hole for the entrance and think over the roof.

Housing for birds can be built even from an ordinary plastic bottle. But such a house must be insulated. You should tie the bottle around with warm ropes or even knit a thick cover. And don't forget about the sharp edges of the hole. It is better to paste them around the perimeter with tape.

How to install a birdhouse?

So, in theory, you already know how to build a birdhouse correctly, but an important point in creating housing is correct installation house.

Most often, the birdhouse is nailed to a long pole, which is then screwed with wire to a tree approximately 5-7 meters from the ground. Hang the house slightly tilted forward, then rainwater will not flow into the birds' housing. It is worth considering the direction. The entrance should face south or east.

House protection

Everyone knows that cats are excellent hunters. They are so dexterous that they can catch a bird even in flight. Based on this, it is necessary to protect the birdhouse as much as possible from the teeth and claws of predators. Place a plywood circle in the middle of the pole, parallel to the ground. The diameter of the circle should be 45-50 cm. Cats will not be able to overcome such an obstacle, and the chicks will remain safe and sound.

Before building a birdhouse, be sure to dry the material. Damp wood will dry out very quickly, and the house will become uninhabitable.

It’s a good idea to add a small layer of soil, peat and sawdust to the bottom of the birdhouse. This layer should be no more than 5 cm.

It is very easy to make the roof removable. Then there won’t be any particular difficulties when cleaning the house when the tenants leave their home in the fall. To do this, nail a thick board from the inside of the roof that will fit into the house, like a cork into the neck of a bottle.

Instead of a conclusion

Knowing how to build a birdhouse, the size of the future home is easy to calculate. With the help of such a house you can not only alleviate the plight of birds, but also get rid of plant pests. One brood of starlings is enough to protect plantings from thousands of cockchafers and larvae in just 5 days! And birds will bring the greatest joy to children. After all, what is familiar and understandable to adults is a window into amazing world wildlife!

Taking a family of birds under your wing is a noble and pleasant task. And the first step towards this is the construction of a bird house. You can easily make a birdhouse familiar from childhood with your own hands, but for each type of bird there are design and placement features that must be taken into account before inviting new neighbors to the site.

Classic wooden birdhouse

Birdhouse simplest design consists of a square bottom with a side of 13-15 cm, side blanks 30-35 cm high with a slope in the upper part are cut end-to-end to the size of the bottom, the end and rear parts should be 2-4 cm wider for fastening.

The difference in length between the back and front walls of the birdhouse should be calculated so that the slopes fit tightly to the lid. Another piece is cut to size and attached to the inside of the removable roof, providing a seal and the ability to open the birdhouse for cleaning.

Another option is a house with pitched roof. Two identical blanks are overlapped on the trapezoidal façade and rear wall. Such a roof should not be nailed tightly to ensure access to annual cleaning and disinfection.

A round entrance hole is made with a distance of 5-6 cm from the top edge and a diameter of 4-5 cm. There should be sufficient space (10-15 cm) for the nest in the lower part of the structure, protected from the wind.

The birdhouse parts are fastened together using nails or self-tapping screws and wood glue.

The roof slopes protect from excess moisture; they should protrude slightly from the sides to protect the walls as well. The joints should fit neatly, without gaps, adjacent to each other. It is necessary to avoid unnecessary decorative elements on the walls and facade, which can become a place for moisture accumulation.

Pine boards or deciduous trees thickness from 2 to 4 cm. Fibreboard and chipboard are not recommended, since the smells of chemicals contained in their composition can scare away birds.

For the same reason, the internal surfaces of the birdhouse are not treated with varnishes or paints. The outside can be sanded and made into a waterproof coating.

Wooden birdhouses are a good object for realizing creative abilities. They can be painted and decorated, but it is better not to use glass or other light-reflecting materials. Photos of ready-made birdhouses of different styles will help you choose the most suitable option.

Duplyanka

In order to cut a birdhouse from a wooden block, it is more convenient to use a chainsaw. Brief instructions How to create such a birdhouse looks like this:

To begin work, you need to firmly install the deck in a vertical position. The proposed cut is divided into three equal parts: the upper one for the roof slopes, the middle one for the hollow and perch, and the other third for the nest.

First, the upper slopes for the roof are cut at an angle of 45 degrees. Then, as smoothly as possible, the core is removed along its entire height and an entrance hole is cut. And only after this the birdhouse is cut off from the deck along the bottom line.

Bird houses made from scrap materials

Boots, bags, lamp shades, similar-sized containers with necks, dried pumpkin - can become building material for a bird house.

Before you make a birdhouse with your own hands, you need to remember to maintain the correct proportions to accommodate the nest.

You also need to take into account that the entrance hole should allow the inhabitants to pass through, but not be too large, for the sake of their safety. A homemade house should provide protection from moisture and wind.

Birdhouse installation

The ideal place for a birdhouse is a tree trunk free from branches. A wooden beam or pole of triple length is attached to the back wall, which is fixed by wrapping it with wire.

Then you need to give the birdhouse a slight forward tilt using a small piece of wood placed between the trunk and the house. This will protect the chicks from falling and make it difficult for enemies (cats and crows) to get to them. The entrance, and as it is also called, the entrance, should face south or southeast to avoid cold winds.

Another option is to attach it to the facade of buildings. But you should not hang or place the house on the branches; it must be stable and securely fastened. For comfortable living, you also need shade to protect from direct sunlight.

The bird house needs to be mounted at a height of 2.5 to 5 meters, out of the reach of cats and other hunters. It is worth taking care that there are no steps or branches that will help them get to the nest.

Often, a traditional perch in low-mounted birdhouses becomes a support for unwanted guests to enter.

Photo of a birdhouse with your own hands

In this article we will make birdhouses with our own hands - correct, beautiful (simple and unusual) bird houses. I decided to break down this topic of birdhouses into clear points, this will make it easier to navigate through the article. And before I give specific drawings and diagrams for assembling birdhouses, and tell you how to make a birdhouse, we will talk about important things– the location and method of attaching your birdhouse. After all, the model of the house also depends on what fastening methods you have available, and on whether you will mount your bird house on a tree or on special high structures. And further... before moving on to choosing the design of your future birdhouse, we will deal with the most common mistakes in making birdhouses (in order to avoid them in our homemade house). So here you will find answers to the following questions:

1. How to attach birdhouses on trees (types of fasteners for bird houses)
2. Where can you attach birdhouses ( if there are no trees nearby).
3. Main mistakes when creating a bird house.
4. How to help the birds choose your birdhouse.
5. Drawing and assembly diagram classic birdhouse.
6. Multi-seater, multi-apartment
7. Bird houses non-standard forms.
8. Birdhouses from non-traditional materials(from boots, canisters, teapots, pots, etc.)

More ideas and tips on how to make bird houses in the article

After studying this article, you can make a birdhouse yourself for a competition in kindergarten or school. Or buy a ready-made set of blanks for a birdhouse– assemble it and decorate it according to your own design.

How to attach a birdhouse

on the tree.

Birdhouses are usually tied to a tree with a rope. To do this, a thick long beam is nailed to the back wall of the house. It is leaned against a tree and a rope is wrapped repeatedly around it - wrapping the beam and the tree trunk at the same time.

But in the West, birdhouses are often nailed to a tree (it’s harder to tie, easier to nail, although it’s cruel to an adult tree). To do this, the back wall of the birdhouse is made a little higher in height - so that there is a protrusion of the board on top where nails can be driven in.

In the same way, you can make this upper projection of the back wall even longer. Long enough to drill a hole in it and hang it on a rope or iron hook as in the photo below.

You can also drive a hook into the roof of the house and use it to hang a birdhouse on a chain or rope on a thick and strong tree branch at your dacha.

SUPPORT FOR THE NIGHTBOOK.

In addition to wood, any tall structure made from scrap materials can serve as a support for a birdhouse. This could be a large branch cut from an apple tree. It can be dug into the ground. But you should understand that on such a support the birdhouses will be too low above the ground, and it will be easy for cats to reach the house (this will alarm the bird). This support model is good in cases where there are no cats in the area and you have a quiet nook in the yard where even your “human foot” almost never sets foot.

Therefore, to maintain the bird’s sense of safety, it is necessary to make high structures of supports for wooden birdhouses. For example, such as in the photo of bird houses below.

Also, an original portal in the form of a pergola can serve as a support-pedestal for a bird house. But also for places with infrequent traffic. If people wander back and forth through this portal, the birds will not want to settle. It is better to place such a pergola in a quiet corner of your garden and not visit it often. Birds will appreciate the solitude and wilderness and will choose this place for safe breeding.

But in the photo below we see that holders for simple wooden birdhouses can be very different from beams with decorative carpentry, to ordinary old garden forks stuck into compacted earth.

Also, the support post for your new birdhouse, made by yourself, can be interestingly decorated with fresh flowers. If you plant it near a pole climbing plant, or hang pots of flowers as in the photo with birdhouses below.

MAIN ERRORS

in bird houses.

Very often you can see WRONG birdhouses made with errors. Such beautiful painted bird houses are certainly cute and beautiful, but the birds don’t want to live in them. And the houses just hang empty on the tree - purely for decorative purposes.

Let me tell you what mistakes craftsmen make in making birdhouses. So that the bird house made by your hands is not only beautiful, but also initially correct. Then the birds will like your homemade birdhouse at first sight.

MISTAKE #1

entry hole too low.

The window-door in the birdhouse must be located at a height of at least 30-40 cm. This height is needed so that the bird has the opportunity to create a nest at the bottom of the house.

By the way, the photo above is an example of another fastener - a metal U-shaped bracket is nailed to the roof of the bird house (like an eye for latch bolts).

Look, on the transparent birdhouses from the photo below we can see that the bird is dragging more branches into the house. And if the window is low, the branches will block the exit from the house and it will be impossible for the bird to get out of it. And the bird itself does not want to sit in a nest where its head will be level with the window, it will be so anxious. It is much safer if the window is high - and the wind does not blow on the wet, fledgling chicks, and the mother bird feels safe.

By the way, the photo above shows the original model of the birdhouse, the back wall of which is made of glass with suction cups. Such a house is mounted on a window in a large house and you can watch the birds settling in the nest. You just need to comply with the condition - a window. In the place of the window glass where you plan to mount such a birdhouse on suction cups, you must first seal it with tinting film - so that the birds do not suspect third-party observation.

MISTAKE #2

hole too big.

Starlings will not settle in a house with a door large enough for the cat's head. Cats love to climb trees in search of nests of defenseless chicks. And such a house with a large hole is easy prey for them.

The small hole of the birdhouse was not invented in vain. The cat's head and paw should not fit into the hole, but starlings and other birds should calmly climb inside. Therefore, when you make a birdhouse with your own hands, make a small hole in it.

Only if you live near a forest line and are making houses for owls flying in the vicinity, then a large hole will of course be appropriate.

MISTAKE #3

BRIGHT COLORING of a bird house.

If you do not live in a blooming jungle, and if the house you are planning is not designed for parrots with bright plumage, there is no need to paint it in bright colors. Birds trust only natural colors and natural materials. This birdhouse is good to use as a designer piece for your living room or as a piece for a competition for a school or kindergarten. But birds will not live in it.

Mossy, aged houses are much nicer for feathered mothers than sleek, glamorous, smoothly planed apartments.

And if you want your bird house to be original and beautiful, then know: you can make a decorative glamorous design in natural shades. Here in the photo below is just an example of such a house, which at the same time looks chic from an aesthetically human side and does not scare off the birds at all with its bright colors.

But the houses dearest to the feathered heart are dwellings with maximum disguised as an ordinary hollow on the tree. After all, starlings initially settled in hollows. From time immemorial it has been this way - it is embedded in their bird genes: to look for a hollow. So make them an artificial hollow from unhewn bark slab boards(sold as firewood).

Or your house made of planed boards, take and additionally decorate as a living hollow- cover (or cover) it with twigs, branches and pieces of bark.

Birds love houses made of unplaned wood, with elements of bark and rough branches.

MISTAKE #4

There is no bird stand.

It is inconvenient for birds to climb the smooth boards of a wooden house. It's hard for them, their little claws slip off.

This is especially important for the INNER SIDE of the walls of the birdhouse. It is better to line the inner front wall with small slats-ladders (so that the bird inside can climb along them to the exit window).

Or nail a piece of bark, or an old grater, or, in short, any ribbed and rough surface to the inner wall of the birdhouse. Or place a short inclined board inside the birdhouse (from the bottom to the window) so that the bird can climb up this slide to the exit of the house.

Also, if the outside of your birdhouse is made of smooth planed boards, make sure that the bird has a footrest.

These could be simple twigs or branches that you cut while pruning apple trees in the garden.

These can be river pebbles glued with hot glue from a glue gun. Or, instead of pebbles, you can stick on logs of branches (cut them into round saw cuts and paste them over the house).

Any old, rusty thing from the barn is suitable as a stand for the birds' legs - a door hinge, a valve from water pipe, faucet, reel from an old fishing rod, rake, aluminum fork, key. Anything can become a perch-stand in a homemade birdhouse.

Such things will only add originality and creativity to your simple bird house.

WHAT ELSE

we can

HELP THE BIRDS.

In addition to hard branches, to build a nest, birds need soft material - tufts of dry grass, moss, feathers, rag debris, pieces of paper, which they collect everywhere themselves, spending long hours on low-level search flights.

Why not make the bird's work easier and place a construction warehouse next to the bird's home. Housewarming in your birdhouse will come much earlier if everything you need to create comfort is located next to the house.

You can collect bunches of grass yourself, tear the cotton wool into pieces and place it in such a way that it is easy for the bird to pull out pieces of material from this construction warehouse. There is no need to tie the grass into tight bunches with thread - the bird will not be able to pull the grass out of the tight bunch. You need to make storage out of a mesh container.

You can hang a box with rags, cotton wool and moss nearby. To prevent the wind from blowing the material away, the box can be covered with a mesh (metal) or plastic mesh, which we place on the bottom of the kitchen sink.

Or weave and twist balls from flexible branches and insert cotton wool, centipon and pieces of chopped newspaper or toilet paper inside such woven balls.

Even holders for bird fleeces and rags specially made for this purpose are sold. They are installed or hung next to birdhouses.

Material for the construction of birdhouses.

MATERIAL for the house must have the correct thickness and texture characteristics.

THICKNESS. Boards 2 cm thick. This thickness of a wooden board will better retain the heat of the house. After all, nests are built in the spring, when the nights are still quite cold and even frosty.

TEXTURE. As I already said, the boards should be rough (slab boards with unplaned bark are suitable). And if you only have smooth planed boards, you can stuff pieces of bark on them with nails and stick them on liquid nails (thick adhesive from spray cans).

Or create artificial roughness - scratch the inner wall of the birdhouse with a knife - make notches for the bird to cling to. Or nail pieces of bark onto the inner wall, several slats one after another like a ladder, or nail a grater or a piece of insulation (it is made of foam and it will also be convenient for the bird’s claws to climb on it).

IT IS FORBIDDEN make houses from glue boards (plywood, chipboard, fiberboard - these materials contain adhesive resins, they emit toxins that the birds may not like. I don’t know whether it’s true or not, but they say that resin pine boards are also not suitable for a birdhouse, which is because of the warm In the sun, the resinous board heats up and releases stinking resin, and I haven’t tested it, so I can’t say that it’s harmful.

Now I will give diagrams and drawings of simple houses. But I’ll immediately make a reservation that your designs can be completely different in shape and size. You are free not to adhere exactly to the outline from the project below. As you already understood from the photographs above, there are a variety of houses.

But the logic of the sizes must be preserved... And this logic is as follows.

What are the dimensions of a proper birdhouse?

Window hole size(called a tap hole) – no more than 5 cm in diameter. So that the crow cannot stick its head into the birdhouse and eat the chicks. And the cat's head didn't get in there either.

The height of the tap hole-window– at least 20 cm from the bottom of the house. So that the wind from the window does not blow on the nest of the chicks, and that the chicks are not near the entrance - because of the danger of meeting a crow's beak or the clawed paw of a cat.

Birdhouse height - at least 35 cm. You can do it a little higher, but remember that if you make the ceiling too high, then such a high-ceilinged house will be harder for the birds to heat (warm air will go up and the birds below in the nest will freeze).

House width- (that is, the square area of ​​its floor) should also not be very large. A spacious house is not considered cozy and a wide nest requires a longer time to build. The bird will be tortured to fill such a spacious house with twigs. Therefore, we try to stick to the bottom size of 15 x 15 cm (or 20 x 20). That is, if you are making a wide house, then put dry grass there yourself in advance (the bird will only be happy).

As you can see, these dimensions are dictated by the logic of survival in wildlife . And the right birdhouse is the one in which all these features are observed.

Well, now let's move on to the drawings and diagrams.

Here I collected ways to make a birdhouse in the form of diagrams and drawings. You can choose your house model and estimate what parts you can assemble it. And remember, it doesn’t matter if your sizes differ slightly - we make them from available material and therefore the sizes will depend on our availability.

Here is another drawing of a birdhouse, although here the dimensions are given in inches. It will be easier for you to convert inches to centimeters if You ask your wife for a measuring tape for patterns - the one she uses to measure the circumference of her losing weight during a diet. On such a measuring tape, centimeters are written on one side and inches on the other. This way you can always see a quick conversion of any inch size to centimeter.

These drawings do not take into account one more CONDITION. In the Soviet birdhouses of our childhood there was always a clear rule: the front front wall (the one with the hole) should be tilted forward. This was done so that the starling could climb up such an inclined hill to the exit from the house.

To maintain this slope, you need to make 2 side walls from the rear edge straight vertical– and from the front edge obliquely(we see a similar principle of oblique side walls in the photo below). Only in this example does the birdhouse have a triangular side section. And in Soviet birdhouses there was such a slope, but at the same time there was also a normal bottom, so that there was enough space for the nest.

Below we see a drawing of real Soviet birdhouses from our childhood. True, the dimensions here are given in inches.

But if your house does not have a bevel on the sides, then to make it easier for the bird to escape, you can put an inclined board on the front wall on the inside of the house (it will perform the same function as a ladder).

Now let's look at birdhouses of another unusual shape - a rhombus. Here he is in the photo. The idea is certainly beautiful, the house turned out elegant and decorative. But from a practical point of view, it would be better for the birds if the window was located closer to the left or right edge - then the inclined plane of the wall would serve as a support for the bird to comfortably climb out.

And also in this house that drawback what a window too low- there is no place for a nest - it turns out that when the bird puts grass and twigs there, the height of the chicks will coincide with the height of the window - and they will look straight out and any crow will pull it out with its beak and devour it without a twinge of conscience.

An intelligent feathered mother would never choose such a dangerous house for housing - and it will just hang in your garden, and you will wonder why the birds do not move into the birdhouse.

Here is a drawing of a similar house, but here the entrance hole itself is located much higher - it’s better this way. Or better yet, raise it right under the roof of the birdhouse. The bird will approve of this option.

MULTIPLE APARTMENT

bird houses.

And here are the options for simple multi-place birdhouses. You will see a variety of options. Only here not all apartments will be inhabited; the side houses in the photo below have a too low entrance. If only it were the same design - but with higher side turrets (or higher entrance holes).

And in this photo too, the central house will be inhabited - but there is no side wall (the entrance hole is too low). Therefore, you can make this design, but know that the side parts of the house will only serve a decorative function. And the bird family will occupy only the middle apartment.

And here (in the photo below) is a multi-person version, where all three houses are made according to the rules for the height of the entrance and the height of the house. Such birdhouses will be completely populated.

Here is a beautiful option - the houses look in different directions of the world. By the way, it is recommended to mount the house so that the window faces the south or east. The main thing is not to the north, the birds also need the sun.

It just seems that such a house is difficult to make. In fact, once you start drawing a drawing of a house, you will realize how simple it is. No more complicated than those designs that you made in your childhood from a construction set.

You can design simple cell houses. In a row, like mailboxes in the entrance. Here on the left photo a good option. But in the right photo it’s not very good – the entrance is low. Not suitable for starlings, maybe for some other birds, I don’t know...

And here is another project for a multi-seat birdhouse. Here, each cell (except for the middle one) is a separate house with an exit in its own direction. If this drawing is changed and the height of the house is made larger and the opening of the entrance is raised to a height of 20 cm, then the starlings will appreciate such a communal apartment.

And here are more options for beautiful and lived-in birdhouses for several bird families at once.

Or you can make a very light and simple model - a birdhouse in the form of a shelf, with holes for entrances, as in the photo below. Only one drawback needs to be eliminated - here in the model below the houses are not large enough in height - it is necessary. It is necessary to make the height of the shelves at least 35 cm, and raise the entrance 20 cm from the bottom of each shelf-flat. Then the house will be inhabited.

DECORATION OF NIGHTBOOKS.

Decorative stylized birdhouses look very beautiful and can serve as decoration for any spring garden.

Bottle caps can serve as a decorative material (and at the same time as an insulating material). Any available material can become a decorative and finishing material when building a house for starlings.

Pieces of laminate or linoleum left after repairs can serve as material for a layered “tiled” roof of a house.

Just never stop thinking about the birds. And if, for example, you chose a sheet of tin to create the roof of a house, think about how such a roof will rattle when it rains. The bird will go crazy with fear as the drum drops echo loudly in the house. Then you need to add a sheet of sound-insulating material (foam or foam rubber) to such a roof.

You can also create a whole green garden on the roof of the house. If you cut holes in parts of the house, put black soil there and plant plants. Pieces of moss or lawn take root well.

As well as special plants related to ground cover. That is, those that grow like a carpet covering the soil, in the same way they will grow on your house not upward, but outward like a carpet. This will add thermal insulation to the house. And most importantly, it will allow the birdhouse to merge with nature - and the birds will feel safe in such a cozy shelter, disguised as a natural dugout.

WHERE TO BUY A NIGHTBOOK.

Birdhouses are often sold in hardware stores, construction stores also have them, and everything for the garden is in the department.

They can also be purchased from individual artisans. There is such a well-known site called “Fair of Craftsmen” - we go to the site and in the old “site search” we enter the word “birdhouse” and immediately all the pictures of birdhouses with prices and addresses of the craftsmen pop up. You place an order and receive it by delivery or mail.

Here I have highlighted original creative works for myself Masters Dmitry(you can see his profile below).

And the same master also has works like these on sale. Do you want to buy such an exclusive birdhouse for your dacha. You are welcome to Masters Fair to the author Dmitry (tik-kem).

But the works Sergei from the same Masters Fair. Also cozy pictures of antiquity, brought to life in the form of birdhouses.

And on the same site there are a lot of options for ready-made kits for self-assembly of houses. It’s nice to buy such sets, assemble them – AND THEN CONCEIVE YOUR OWN INDIVIDUAL DECOR (cover them with twigs, cover them with moss, turn them into a toy house, or a fishing shed, or a cartoon character.

Company Workshop No. 13 on the website of the Fair of Masters offers a lot of kits for assembling birdhouses, as well as paints and painting schemes for such houses.

If the house kits of this company are expensive for you, then there are other craftsmen who sell the bases for birdhouses at a much more reasonable price. For example Master Cat– holds good price. You get an excellent, solid house and use your decorating imagination to the fullest.

DIY birdhouses

from NON-STANDARD MATERIALS.

Any available material can be adapted into a house for starlings. Previously, before human intervention in bird affairs, starlings found any holes in the natural environment to build a nest there. Therefore, they still do not pay attention to the external shape and material - as long as it is safe. Boots are just boots, you don’t have to choose. Moreover, it is very warm there.

There’s this picture floating around the Internet – maybe it’s photoshopped, or maybe in a deep forest such a nest turned out to be safe enough for the bird. If the tree is tall and inconvenient for cats to climb, then the bird will find this a good place to breed.

You can try to design any item in your dacha as a house for starlings and titmice. What if he likes it? The ceramic pot holds heat well and does not drum in the rain.

But an iron kettle cools down quickly on a cold night, and when it rains it rattles like a drum, so it is not suitable.

Houses can be made from old cans. But just cover them with thick wooden boards to avoid the roar of rain.

Old wicker baskets with a hole in the side can be turned into an original house for birds - just make the entrance higher and so that the walls are not blown through, do not be too lazy to insert a tab sewn from heat-insulating material inside.

HOUSES for WINTERING birds.

Many of you will go to Google to look for more interesting drawings for birdhouses, in which case I want to warn you right away. DON'T BE CONFUSED NESTING HOUSES (designed for nesting and hatching chicks WITH HOUSES FOR WINTERING BIRDS (the purpose of which is to provide temporary overnight accommodation for birds during the cold winter season).

Winter houses are distinguished by the fact that…

1. The inlet hole is located in them at the bottom(so that warm air rises and remains in the upper part of the house).
2. In such houses they cram perches, on which the birds can sleep on a harsh winter night, protected from the wind and cold.

And in winter, in addition to houses for cold weather, birds need feeders. I already have the same voluminous and detailed article on making a wide variety of bird feeders with your own hands

Now, you know everything (or almost everything) about birdhouses and houses for hatching chicks. A bird house is basically simple craft. Anyone can do it.

And if you didn’t find your birdhouse design here, then I have another article on the same topic. Perhaps your future birdhouse is located right there -

Good luck with your work. And let the birds celebrate their feathered housewarming this spring. After all, it’s so nice to feel like the one WHO BUILT THE HOUSE.

In our country, with our salaries, not everyone can afford to build houses. But even if you cannot yet build a house for your family, you have already done a real job if you have built it at least for a family of birds. More will be added to this little. After all, the magic of a house made by your own hands is already working to ensure that your family also celebrates a housewarming.

Magic begins when we begin to do a good deed, with our own hands.

Olga Klishevska, especially for the site

Birds are indispensable helpers in the fight against pests of green spaces. The best way call on them for help and attract them to your site - make a birdhouse with your own hands. By giving the birds comfortable houses, the owner of a country plot provides himself with peace of mind about the harvest and an excellent mood from a pleasant neighborhood. The birdhouse will be in demand in any case: swifts, nigellas, flycatchers, tits and sparrows are also happy to settle in comfortable apartments.

When thinking about how to make a birdhouse with your own hands, you should first of all worry about procuring the material for building the house.

The material for making a birdhouse can be hardwood boards, for example: aspen, maple, oak, birch, alder

Coniferous wood is absolutely not suitable for building a birdhouse, since it can secrete resin, which makes the inside surface of the birdhouse sticky.

To build a birdhouse, it is also not advisable to use chipboard and fiberboard, which emit toxins harmful to birds. Plywood is far from the best choice: the material does not transmit sounds well, the sufficient audibility of which is necessary for birds in case of danger, and does not retain heat well, making it difficult for birds to nurse their helpless chicks. The inner surface of the wooden boards should be slightly rough. You can add unevenness to a smooth surface by applying horizontal notches with a chisel, which will make it easier for the birds and their chicks to get out of the house.

Before making a birdhouse, you should decide on the dimensions of the future structure. Standard birdhouse dimensions: 13-15 cm bottom width and 30 cm birdhouse height, and the diameter of the entrance is 3.8-5 cm. Spacious apartments are not always good: in big house You can shelter more chicks, but will their feathered parents be able to do this?!

Numerous offspring are much more difficult to go out and feed. The chicks, weakened by insufficient food, grow up sick and unable to withstand long-distance flights in the fall to warmer climes. In a compact house, capable of accommodating only two or three chicks, the offspring grow up healthy, capable of further maintaining the strength of the species population.

Ornithologists say that the interior space of bird houses should not be too spacious, but at the same time too cramped

The simplest version of a wooden bird house

The configuration of the birdhouse depends on where it will be attached. If the house will be suspended under the roof of the house, to a balcony or pole, then the design should include additional perches in the form of a thin stick or a triangular shelf, necessary for the “walk” of the feathered owners.

When deciding how to make a birdhouse from wood, which will be placed in natural conditions and suspended on a tree, you can do without arranging a “walking” perch. On the branches adjacent to the nesting site, the starling will rest, delighting others with the pleasant tints of its singing.

When making the simplest bird house, you can use the given drawing of a birdhouse with dimensions, which even a schoolchild can figure out

To build a compact and convenient house for the bird family you will need:

• edged unplaned boards;
• two blocks (for hanging the birdhouse on a tree);
• screws or nails;
• steel wire d=1mm (for hanging the house);
• wood glue.

Tools you will need:

• a simple pencil with a ruler;
• (with middle tooth);
• drill, wood drill;
• hammer;
• chisel.

The work is carried out in several stages:

Stage #1 – preparation of wooden elements

Using a simple pencil on the boards according to the drawing, the dimensions of all wooden elements are noted: bottom, walls, roof and perches.

As a result, you should get 7 blanks

The bottom is made in the shape of a square with a side of 13 cm. The difference in the heights of the front and rear walls is 4 cm, this allows you to create an angle of inclination of the roof. For the same purpose, bevels are provided on the upper cut of the side walls. To arrange the roof, two parts should be prepared different sizes: the first part is shaped like the bottom of a house, the second is a large rectangle to create a canopy.

Some craftsmen believe that a more successful option in arranging a house is a roof tilted forward, which is formed by a shorter front wall.

Stage #2 – cutting out structural parts

Sawing off elements should be done sequentially so that paired parts have the same dimensions. To add beauty to the product, the outer surface of the boards can be additionally planed.

Using a drill or chisel, a hole is made for the flight of birds d = 3.8 cm (can be increased to 5 cm)

A round hole for the entrance to a house is more preferable than a rectangular one, since in nature birds prefer a round hollow, and they are more likely to settle in a house with a round entrance. The location of the hole 5 cm from the top edge allows you to protect the chicks from the grasping paws of cats.

Stage #3 – assembling the birdhouse

The side walls and front façade of the structure are first fastened with wood glue. As the glue dries, the parts are fixed with nails or screws. Using the same principle, the side ends of the bottom are connected to the front and side walls. Lastly, the back wall of the birdhouse is glued and hammered. There should be no gaps.

The roof parts are fastened together. There is no need to attach a roof to the house itself.

Stage #4 – installation of a bird “apartment”

The finished birdhouse can be nailed or tied with wire. For additional protection and to make it easier for the chicks to exit along the surface at a slight angle to the outside, the structure should be tilted slightly forward.

When placing a birdhouse on a tree, it is preferable to use wire to hang the structure, which, unlike nails, will not damage the tree. Additional protection for the tree bark can be provided by wooden blocks, which will act as a kind of lining that absorbs the tension force of the wire.

The house should “look” towards the east or southeast. The optimal placement height is from 3 to 5 meters

Decorative birdhouses

When planning how to build a birdhouse with your own hands, you want to get not only a functional design that is convenient for birds, but an attractive house that will become a bright touch in the design of the site.

There is a misconception that starlings do not occupy houses painted with bright oil paint. But as practice shows, the bird family feels very comfortable in such colorful apartments.

Material on how to build a decorative windmill for the garden may also be useful:

Houses decorated with decorative details look interesting. Some craftsmen create real palaces for birds with balconies and fences

Fantasizing about how to build a birdhouse that will become a real decoration landscape design, the basic design can be based on the simplest version of the house, which is only complemented by original decorative elements and played up with color schemes.

Birds may not immediately inhabit the “apartment” they have prepared. It can take a year or even more to settle into new housing. Don’t worry and be patient: your good deeds will definitely be rewarded over time.