Attracting Birds: Building a Bird House

You can attract different kinds of birds by building different bird houses. Different birds need houses of different sizes and shapes. You should place your bird houses near where birds can find food, water, and not too many predators. There are many diffrent kinds of bird houses to attract many different kinds of birds. You can build special houses for Flycatchers, Tree Swallows, Robins, Wrens, Bluebirds, Screech-Owls, Wood Ducks, Purple Martins, Chickadees, American Kestrels, Woodpeckers and many more.

Here are the materials to make a woodpecker's house.

Lumber
Piece	No. of pieces	Thickness	Width	Length
End Blanks	2	3/4"	8"	8"
Outer Top Blank	1	3/4"	9 1/4"	9 1/4"
Side Slots	14	3/4"	1 7/16"	14"
Mounting Board	1	3/4"	1 7/16"	18"

Hardware and Miscellaneous
Item	Quantity	Size	Description
Finishing Nails	70	1 1/2"	Galvanized or Aluminum
Common Nails	2	12d	Galvanized
Sand Paper	1 sheet	80-120 grit	Medium
Finish	1 pint		Exterior oil stain
Screws	12	1 1/2" X #6	Brass, Roundhead

Here are the directions for making a woodpecker's house.

Building Steps

1. Start by cutting out the 8-inch square blanks for the two barrel ends. Then cut the 9 1/4-inch square outer top. Temporarily join the two blanks for the end pieces for gang-sawing. Lay out a 7-inch diameter circle from the blank of the outer top.

2. With the barrel-end pieces still temporarily joined, mark off 15 flat 1 7/16-inch edges around the circumference against which each of the side slats and the mounting board will be fastened. Use a stationary disk sander or felt sander to cut off the flats. If these tools are not available, use a wood rasp. Separate the pieces. With pencil, mark both pieces in a way that will allow you to reunite them.

3. Now for the side slats: Rip 14 slats, using the table saw, if one is available. Then rip the mounting board.

4. Give all parts a light sanding, removing "fuzz" and slightly grinding edges. Sand down the roughest saw marks on the outer top.

5. Two of the slats will be screwed onto the barrel ends to allow access for cleaning. To prevent the slat end from splitting, predrill the screw holes, 3/8-inches from the slat end; use a 5/32-inch drill bit. Also predrill the mounting board, 2 3/8-inches in from each end.

6. Rematch the flats that you marked in step 2. Attach the mounting board first, fastening it to the two circular barrel ends with 1/2-inch screws. The mounting board should have a 2-inch overlap beyond the ends. Using the finishing nails, fasten two slats to the barrel ends, one on each side of the mounting board. Use a framing square to check and adjust the slats, which should be perpendicular to the barrel ends. Use four finishing nails for each slat.

7. Fasten 3 more slats to each side. Check that the pieces are square. With screws, fasten the clean-out-acces slates to the barrel ends. Attach the rest of the slats with the finishing nails.

8. It may be necessary to add a thin filler slat if a gap remains in the barrel. Measure any remining gap, and rip a 14-inch piece to fit. Fasten it into place.

9. Take the outer top, already sawn, and place it in position. A slot, 3/4-inches by 1 7/16-inches, will have to be cut in the outer edge for the top to fit the mounting board. Mark the slot and saw it, using a jigsaw or band saw. Now, using the finishing nails, fasten the outer top into place on top of one of the barrel ends.

10. The last step is to cut the 2 1/2-inch diameter entrance. Refer to the illustration to learn size and placement. Draw the circle with a compass. Predrill a saw-access hole. Using a hole saw or jigsaw with a narrow blade, cut the hole. Smooth it with the round side of a rasp.

11. Give the woodpecker home a final sanding, and finish the outside with an oil stain. Predrill the mounting board to avoid splitting. Using the common nails, mount the birdhouse on a tree; the house must be at least 12 feet high.

Source: Rae, Norman, Building Birdhouses & Feeders, Ortho Books, New York, 1990.

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