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What are nest boxes? It's silly to say but nest boxes are
just that: boxes that are used for nesting birds. They are
really important when a bird's habitat has been changed or
destroyed. A nesting box gives the birds a safe place to
lay their eggs and take care of their fledglings. If the
birds lose their habitat and don't have nest boxes, they might
leave the area or it might change the number of birds that live
to be adults.
Here are the steps for building a
small owl nest box: |
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The size of the
nest box and its door (the entrance hole) depend on
which species we want to attract. Little owls need
small boxes while Barned Owls need larger space. |
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Take weatherproof
material such as wood. Cedar is ideal for the
purpose. It should be 1.5 – 2 cm. thick. If we want
to build a nest box for the barn owl, it should be
at least 460 X 460 X 610 mm; for a little owl it may
be 200 X 220 X 750 mm. |
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First cut the
piece of wood for the floor. |
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Then cut the walls
– the upper parts, where the roof will be, should
have a slight slope to the front so that rain can
run down. Use a piece of hardwood for the roof
because all the rain and snow goes to the roof.
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Make a hole, 7-10
cm., in the front wall – this is the door.
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After that cut the
roof. Make sure that there is at least 3 cm. overlap
at the walls. |
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Drill small holes
in the wall in order to provide ventilation and a
small hole on the floor to keep the nest dry. |
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Use brass screws
to fasten everything together. |
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Treat the wood
with some preservative in order to prolong its life.
You can paint it on the outside with some color but
don’t paint it inside. Paint is toxic and birds are
curious, they may try and tap or gnaw the wood with
their beak. |
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When attaching the
box to the tree, make sure that you don’t damage the
tree. |
Put the nest box wherever the bird's
natural habitat is.
Attach nest boxes for
kestrels to trees near roads, or on fences, or old buildings
because that’s where they like living. Attach boxes for
Barred Owls in forests or in bushy areas. Attach a nest box
for little owls to a tree about 3 meters above the ground.
Position the door so that it faces east or south so that it
will be less likely to get a lot of wind and rain inside. It
will be warmer and not have a lot of drafts that will bother the
young owlets. It is also important to put the nest box in
an area where people won't bother the birds. Birds won't
stay anywhere if they are bothered a lot.
Nest boxes are a great way to help birds survive when their
habitat has been changed or eliminated by man.
Works cited:
Conventional nest box.
18 Mar 2008.
<http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/pipexdsl/p/apbz08/garden
%20themes/birds/bird%20boxes/conventional%20nest%20box.htm>.
Schmoker, Bill. “Re: Owl pictures (etc.).”
[nestbox] E-mail to Club Web. 2 Nov. 2007.
Wildlife Conservation.
18 Mar 2008.
<http://www.frontiernet.net/~friendswithfeathers/raptorconservation.html>.
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