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October 2002

Bird Box Basics - A place to call hole

You've moved in and unpacked and you're all settled. Now it's time to meet your new neighbours and make friends.

There are lots of friendly little animals that would love to come and entertain you in your new home. Birds are the most colourful and they will sing for you too! You can help them out by building them a nest box.

To a bird a nest box is like a hole in a tree. Lots of birds that are "hole-nesters" use them - chickadees, swallows, wrens, bluebirds, even Barn Owls and Wood Ducks. The size of the box and the diameter of the hole will determine what birds you will attract - and what undesirable hole-nesters like Starlings you can keep away.

Most likely, you will want to build a nest box suitable for a chickadee or swallow, birds likely to use your yard.

This requires a 2 foot 1 x 6 board (cedar's best), and a 2 foot 1 x 4. The 1 x 6 makes the 9 inch sides and 7 inch top. If you want to get a fancy sloping roof, cut the sides with a slight angle. The 1 x 4 makes the 8.5 inch back, the 7 3/4 inch front and 3 3/4 inch bottom. The hole in the front should be 1 1/8 inches and closer to the top. Just use two nails to attach the front so it will hinge and make it easy for you to clean out the box each year. Install it about 10 feet above ground.

A bird box is simple to build and cheap (about $1 of materials for the basic, no frills model). A very manageable project the whole family can enjoy.

For more information contact the Douglas College Institute of Urban Ecology at 604-527-5224 or visit our website www.douglas.bc.ca/iue.