build a bird house for screech owls, woodpeckers

This bird house should be a good size for screech owls, red headed woodpeckers, red bellied woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, and great crested flycatchers. All are Georgia cavity nesting birds that often use abandoned woodpecker cavities for nesting, so providing them with a man made home could help them. The redheaded woodpecker is on the Audubon WatchList and considered a threatened species in many states. For more information, please visit: Audubon WatchList on Red Headed Woodpeckers.

TIPS

• Use untreated rough cedar, 1 1/4″. Cedar is durable and turns a beautiful natural color as it ages, along with being less appealing to bugs. The rougher texture allows the birds to easily cling to the sides and helps the nestlings climb out of the box when they fledge. Always use untreated wood!!
• The entrance guard is slate and came from Coveside Conservation Products. We used these to test them out against squirrels chewing the wood, however, woodpeckers do like to modify their homes and peck away at the entrance hole. You could also use another piece of wood as a guard over the hole to allow the woodpeckers to peck away and not enlarge the hole. The guard could be replaced easily if damage is done to it.
• We don’t paint bird houses. It’s unnatural to the birds, therefore unnecessary. Paint chips, peels and has chemicals in it.
• Use galvanized wood screws suitable for outdoors. They will not rust as easily.

BASIC DIMENSIONS

These are finished dimensions

Floor: 6×6

Sides: 6″ wide, 12″ tall back, 10″ tall front with 1/4″ gap at top for ventilation

Entrance: 1 1/2″ diameter

Back: 13″, leave extra inch on bottom for mounting

Roof: 6″x7″, extra inch to hang over front to help keep rain out of entrance

Note:

- The side has a 1/4″ gap in the top to allow for ventilation.

- The back has a flat metal strap tie for tree mounting. These are available in hardware store lumber departments.

Note:

- The side opens by using pivot screws in the top, and a locks shut at the bottom with a galvanized screw through the front. Drill the lock screw hole slightly bigger than the screw to allow you to pull the screw out of the hole easily. You will need access to the bird house to clean it out and monitor baby birds if needed.

- The corners of the floor are notched to allow for drainage.

MOUNTING

Since this bird house is designed to attract owls and woodpeckers. it is one that we tree mount. Our suggestion is to hang them as high as you can and still have access to opening the box for monitoring and clean out. Our personal bird houses this size are at about 10′ as it is what we can safely access. They are set a few layers of trees inside the woods, facing away from the direction the weather comes from. Always face bird house entrances away from the weather, wind and rain!

It could be pole mounted using a pipe flange on the bottom and a threaded metal pole. Both are available either at a local hardware store plumbing department or local bird watcher supply shop. Pole mounting allows for the advantage of using a predator baffle.

Make certain there is someplace for the parent birds to perch and view the entry hole nearby as well. This is so parents can check out the area for predators before flying to the bird house as well as giving baby birds a safe crash area when they first fledge. When baby birds first fly it can be a bit graceless and they tend to head for the nearest cover for safety.

Wood chips inside the box are untreated white pine shavings, available at local bird watchers supply shops. We do not use sawdust as it gets wet and clumps, then retains moisture.

You can buy pre-built bird houses at Owl, Woodpecker Bird Houses.