Materials
 The best material to build your nest
box from is wood. It's durable, has good
insulating properties, and it breathes.
Cypress, cedar, heart pine and oak work
best. Rough surfaced
wood makes it easier for adults to get
into the box and for the nestlings to
climb out when ready. Make sure the wood
has not been treated with stains or preservatives.
Fumes from
the chemicals could harm the birds.
You
may or may not want to paint the box.
If you are using cypress or cedar,
paint is not needed. Pine and plywood
boxes will last longer with a coat of
water based exterior latex paint only on the
outside. Tan, gray, or dull green
are the best colors, but Purple Martin
houses should be white. Do not paint
the entrance hole.
Nest Box Design and Placement
All nest boxes are not
alike. Entrance hole diameter, height of
entrance above floor, depth of the bird
box, size of the floor and the placement
height differ for different species. Follow
the specifications below to build the right
nest boxes for the wildlife you are trying
to attract.
Eastern Bluebirds
 Mount bluebird boxes on smooth round
pipe, about five feet above the ground.
Boxes should be placed in open
areas, such as an old field. Adults
will perch and hunt for insects from
a nearby tree or fence line, so make
sure these are available.
Avoid bushy and heavily wooded areas,
areas with heavy pesticide use, and
areas with an abundance of House Sparrows.
The most
important measurement on a bluebird
nest box is the hole diameter.
It should
be no
larger
than 1.5
inches. Any larger and European Starlings
will invade the nest box, possibly
killing the adult and nestlings. View
the nest
box dimensions chart for
more specific information.
See also the North
American Bluebird Society for
extensive information about
Eastern Bluebirds.
Black-capped Chickadees
 Put chickadee
houses at eye level. You
can either hang them from
a limb or secure them to a
tree trunk. The entrance
hole size should be 1-1/8" to
attract chickadees yet exclude
house sparrows. Keep your suet
and peanut feeders filled throughout
the summer to encourage the
birds to stay on your property.
View the nest
box dimensions chart for more
specific information.
House Wrens
 House Wrens are known
to nest anywhere, including
old flower pots and even
clothes hanging on a laundry
line. Since House Wrens
build their nests out of
twigs, make the entrance hole to a nest box for House Wrens
a 1" by 2" horizontal
slot instead of a circle. This
makes it easier for the wrens
to get the sticks inside
the box. Since male House
Wrens build many nests,
you may want to put up
more than one house. View
the nest
box dimensions chart for
more specific information.
Tree Swallows
 Tree Swallows tend to
select nest boxes placed in
or along the edges of open fields
or near a lake, pond or river.
Because Tree Swallow and Eastern
Bluebird box dimensions are
similar, swallows and bluebirds will compete for boxes.
To attract both species
you can place two boxes back-to-back
on the same posts about 5 feet
about the ground. Additional
boxes should be placed about
seven feet apart. View
the nest
box dimensions chart for
more specific information.
Purple Martins
 A Purple Martin nest box is
actually a house with a minimum
of four large rooms. Houses can be
handmade or purchased. Make
sure your house is white, for
cooling purposes. Martin houses with
porches, railings, porch dividers,
and supplemental roof perches
are more
appealing
to these
birds. The
house needs
to be placed on the edge of
a pond or river, surrounded by a field
or lawn. When building or purchasing
a Purple Martin house,
it is important to
consider the material the house
is made out of. Light-weight aluminum
houses can be mounted on telescoping
poles, while wooden houses
(which can weigh more than 30 pounds)
need to be mounted on sturdy
metal or wooden poles. Martin houses
need to be between ten and
twenty feet off the ground
and need to be cleaned every year.
View the nest
box dimensions chart for
more specific information.
For extensive information about
Purple Martins visit The
Purple Martin Conservation
Association
Screech Owls and American Kestrels
 These birds are predators
and usually feed on insects
and wild mice. Occasionally they
will kill and eat songbirds,
so if that bothers you,
do not put up boxes for them. Screech
Owl and American Kestrel nest box
dimensions are identical.
Place
Screech Owl boxes along
the edge of a field or
abandoned orchard. These birds will readily take to a
box lined with an inch
or two of wood shavings.
For kestrels, place the
box along the edge of a
woodland or in a tree in
an open field. No wood
shavings are needed. View
the nest
box dimensions chart
for more specific information.
Wood Ducks
 If you have wetlands on
your shoreline property, you should
consider providing nest boxes for
Wood Ducks. These
ducks nest naturally in
tree cavities, but will take to
a nest box when cavities are scarce.
Place Wood Duck nest boxes on posts
in 18-inch to 36-inch deep water
and near potential duck roosting
or loafing sites such as
flooded willows, buttonbush,
downed trees or emergent
vegetation. If wooden posts
are used, they
should be at least 4 inches
in diameter, made of cedar
or treated wood, and must
be protected with a predator
guard. The top of the predator
guard must be at least 3
feet above the high water
line. Make sure the opening
faces water and branches
are not obstructing it. Add
a fresh 3-inch layer of sawdust
or wood shavings every year.
It is important
to place
hardware
cloth
beneath the
entrance on the inside
face of the box so the ducklings
can climb out. View the nest
box dimensions chart
for more specific information.
Squirrels
 Rarely is there a lack of squirrels
along the Lake Ontario shoreline, so
providing nest boxes is really just
for your wildlife viewing
pleasure. Squirrel nest box design
is a little different from bird nest
box design. The hole should be located
on the side of the box to create a side entrance rather than a front one. Boxes should
be placed on living trees at least
10 feet above the ground and
facing away from prevailing winds.
Fill box half full with dead leaves
to make it more enticing.
View
the nest
box dimensions chart for more
specific information.
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