Build a bird house yourself

Birdhouse or bird feeder? - Options

There are different types of bird feeders. The best known are the nest box and the bird feeder.

• Feeding materials can be hung on the nest box, from which the birds can feed. It serves various purposes: it is a safe haven in winter, it helps with reproduction and it also provides food. However, a nest box is only used by a pair of birds.
• Bird feeders offer space for many birds and are not limited to just one couple. Nevertheless, they do not offer the full scope of a nesting box, because they do not serve as a hibernation or reproduction aid.

Having both types of these bird houses in the garden therefore makes great sense for bird lovers. Although the building instructions below are supposed to be about a feeding place for several birds, you will find detailed tips for both types of houses.

The right dimensions for the birdhouse and feeding place

To a Bird house To build that the birds also use, deal in advance with the requirements and demands of different bird species. Not every bird feeder is suitable for every bird species. Birdhouses usually consist of a box, the inside of which the birds reach through an entrance hole. The box dimensions do not play a decisive role. There is no such thing as too big, for example, as the birds will lay nesting materials in the cavities anyway. The size of your "front door" is important, however, and depends on the species of bird.

• White wagtails, black redstart or gray flycatchers nest in half-open boxes. The same is true of wrens, robins, and blackbirds.
• Smaller tit species, such as the fir or blue tit, feel most comfortable in closed birdhouses with 28 millimeter round entry holes.
• The next larger entry variant is offered by houses with round holes of 32 millimeters. Larger tits, such as crested tits, like to move into such domiciles.
• Sparrow species, redstart and nuthatch prefer oval entry holes that are around 34 millimeters in size.
• For larger bird species, such as starlings or great spotted woodpeckers, front doors with 45 millimeter flight paths are better.
• Pigeons or jackdaws even need holes of 80 millimeters. The voluminous tawny owl only moves into domiciles with a flight of 130 millimeters.
• A minimum of 30 by 15 centimeters is necessary for a feeding place. Otherwise, many species of birds will not find enough space on the feeding station. There are no flight paths here, as feeding stations are usually open all around. Nevertheless, you should provide shelter from the wind. A roof as weather protection should also not be missing.
• If your feeding place is to stand free, concrete it into a foundation on the ground so that it neither wobbles nor falls over. Caution: lay this foundation in sheltered places. Also, measure the post that supports the house to be at least two meters. Only in this way are the birds safe from predators.

Safety first - materials for bird houses

Your house should be a refuge for birds and contribute to their well-being. Feeding places should also be a place where the animals feel safe. When planning the materials for both variants, you should therefore always consider the safety of the birds.

• Only use materials that can take on a heat insulating function. Pumice concrete, wood and wood concrete are equally suitable in this regard.
• Paying attention to suitable building material is sufficient as protection against the cold even with nesting boxes. Additional insulation of the walls is not required. Nor should you fill the house with materials after construction. That scares off the birds. The birds want to fill it themselves.
• Do not use impregnated wood. Nor do you resort to lacquered or glazed variants. You yourself provide weather protection by oiling durable wood such as spruce wood. This is done with linseed oil and prevents the birds from coming into contact with toxic substances from paint and wood preservatives.
• Use galvanized nails and screws to attach the approximately 20 millimeter thick wooden parts. This prevents rust, which benefits the animals and your house.
• Do not use perches outside of the nest box and bird feeder. Such perches put birds at risk of falling prey to enemies. In addition, you should provide both the nest box and the bird feeder with a canopy to prevent predators from entering.

How to build a bird feeder yourself

For a free-standing bird house, first lay a point foundation at a depth of 40 centimeters with a reinforcement cage and concrete, into which you set the two-meter-long wooden beam. For hanging feeders, you can ignore this step. Instead, use a jigsaw to cut the spruce panels to size. You will need a floor, a roof, a partition, a back wall and side panels. Leave the front open so that a half-open shape is created.

1. Cut the base plate to about 25 x 25 centimeters.
2. For the three side parts, cut three wooden parts to 10 x 14 centimeters.
3. For the roof, cut six panels measuring 14 x 11 centimeters. Caution: 14 centimeters corresponds to the upper edge measurement. The lower edges should each be only three centimeters wide.
4. Also prepare ten pieces of wood measuring 1.5 x 4.5 x 1 centimeters.
5. To put up fences to protect the animals, you also need four pieces of wood ten by one by one centimeter.
6. Cut two strips of wood to the dimensions 2 x 13 centimeters.
7. You saw the base plate into a hexagon, the individual sides of which correspond to the dimensions of your side panels.
8. Carefully saw out a hole seven centimeters in diameter from the side parts.
9. Sand all the edges neatly with sandpaper to prevent the birds from injuring themselves.
10. To build the fence, lay the ten centimeter long pieces of wood parallel on top of each other in front of you and hammer five of the ten small pieces of wood evenly onto both pieces of wood to connect them together.
11. Now assemble the individual parts by attaching the side parts and fences to the base plate with a wooden stapler and nails.
12. Tack the six roof parts together and place the roof on the substructure, where you nail it on the sides of the six lower edges.
13. Staple one of the cut out circles from step eight onto the open space in the roof.
14. Staple the remaining wooden strips as roof struts at the points where the six roof panels meet.
15. Treat the wood with a brush and linseed oil to protect it from the weather. Let it dry before you set it up.

Put in the feed or the feed dispenser and your self-built house is ready. You can now hang it in a safe place two meters above the ground. Use a wire hanger covered with a garden hose so as not to damage the tree. For the free-standing form, of course, you have to cut a hole the thickness of your wooden pole in the ground so that you can put the house on. But now have fun feeding and bird watching.