Choose a bird and get a box sized for it: the entrance hole, floor, depth and hole height from NestWatch in North America or the BTO and RSPB in the UK, where to put it, and a cut list for a box made from a single board.
One 1×6 board (actual 3⁄4 × 51⁄2 in, 1.9 × 14 cm), 6 ft (72 in) long. The pieces use 601⁄2 in, counting 6 saw cuts of 1⁄8 in; 111⁄2 in is left over.
| Piece | Qty | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Back | 1 | 16 in (40.6 cm) | Runs past the box top and bottom for fixing |
| 2. Front | 1 | 93⁄4 in (24.8 cm) | Drill the entrance hole before assembly |
| 3. Sides | 2 | 11 in (27.9 cm)long edge; 10 in short edge | Cut as a pair with one sloping cut |
| 4. Floor | 1 | 4 in (10.2 cm) | Fits between the sides, set up from the bottom |
| 5. Roof | 1 | 9 in (22.9 cm) | Overhangs the front |
One 150 × 15 mm plank, 1.4 m long (the plank the RSPB suggests). The pieces use 1,286 mm, counting 6 saw cuts of 3 mm; 114 mm is left over.
| Piece | Qty | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Back | 1 | 321 mm (125⁄8 in) | Runs past the box top and bottom for fixing |
| 2. Front | 1 | 190 mm (71⁄2 in) | Drill the entrance hole before assembly |
| 3. Sides | 2 | 221 mm (83⁄4 in)long edge; 196 mm short edge | Cut as a pair with one sloping cut |
| 4. Floor | 1 | 120 mm (43⁄4 in) | Fits between the sides, set up from the bottom |
| 5. Roof | 1 | 220 mm (85⁄8 in) | Overhangs the front |
Each bird gets the box its own guidance describes. In North America the entrance hole, inside depth, mounting height, habitat, facing and spacing come from NestWatch, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s nest-monitoring project; the height of the hole above the floor comes from Purdue and Nebraska extension guides, because NestWatch’s species pages don’t list it. In the UK and Europe the hole sizes, wood, floor and siting come from the BTO and the RSPB.
The plan itself is ours: a simple box from one board, with the front and back at full board width and the two sides fitted between them, a floor set a little way up so it stays dry, and a sloping roof that overhangs the front. The two sides come from one length of board with a single sloping cut. The cut list counts a saw cut between every piece and tells you what is left over.
The entrance is the one measurement to get exactly right. NestWatch notes that House Sparrows can squeeze through a 1 1/4 in (3.2 cm) hole and European Starlings through 1 9/16 in (4 cm), so a smaller hole keeps them out. In the UK, the BTO recommends 25 mm for Blue, Coal and Marsh Tits, 28 mm for Great Tits and Tree Sparrows, and 32 mm for House Sparrows and Nuthatches; a larger hole lets a bigger bird take the box over.
NestWatch asks for walls at least 3/4 in thick, two 5/8 in vent holes near the top of each side, four drainage holes or snipped corners in a floor recessed at least 1/4 in, and a roof that overhangs the front. Leave off the perch: birds don’t need it, and the BTO, RSPB and NestWatch all warn that it helps predators. Use untreated wood; in the UK the BTO suggests a water-based preservative on the outside only.
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Try WebTraceCheckA 1×6 board is only 5 1/2 in wide. With the sides fitted between the front and back, the inside of the box is 4 × 5 1/2 in. NestWatch’s species plans are 5 1/2 in square, which takes wider boards. Purdue Extension lists 4 × 4 in for bluebirds and 4 × 4 to 5 × 5 in for chickadees, House Wrens and Tree Swallows, so the one-board floor is within the sizes extension guides give.
No. Birds that nest in boxes don’t need a perch, and NestWatch, the BTO and the RSPB all point out that it gives predators and intruders something to hold on to.
The RSPB says autumn is best, so birds find the box before spring; many also roost in boxes in winter. In the UK, clean boxes out between 1 September and 31 January, the only time unhatched eggs may be removed (August to January in Scotland). NestWatch advises bluebird hosts to clear out an old nest as soon as a brood fledges, so the box can be used again.
NestWatch recommends untreated, unpainted wood such as cedar, pine or fir. In the UK the BTO suggests a water-based preservative on the outside of the box only, leaving the inside bare, and the RSPB says to avoid pressure-treated timber and keep paint away from the entrance hole.
It depends on the bird: NestWatch gives east for bluebirds, south or east for Tree Swallows and away from the prevailing wind for Black-capped Chickadees. In the UK the BTO and RSPB suggest between north and east, out of strong sun and the worst of the wind and rain.