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Part 2: Constructing and installing a bluebird nest box
In this issue of Montana Best Times we present the second and final installment on how to get bluebirds in your backyard. Part I concentrated on evaluating your property for bluebirds, which addressed bluebird habitat requirements and what it takes to lure bluebirds to your property. We discussed evaluating your property for bluebirds and whether or not it qualifies as bluebird habitat. Now let's look at bluebird nest box construction and installation.
Specifications for construction of a nest box
[Terry: Check Dimensions below. Fractions did not come through legibly in e-mail]
- Front with hole: one 8" long, 5" wide, ?" thick board with a 1 9/16" hole (2" down from the top).
- Bottom: one 5" long board.
- Sides: two 6" wide boards 10 inches long, tapering on an angle from 10" to 8".
- Back: one ?" x 7" x 16" board.
- Top: one ?" x 7" x 7 ?" board.
Attach a wire latch, hinge, eye latch, or even a bent nail so that the top can be opened and the contents can be checked or cleaned out periodically.
Box Placement
- Place the hole of the box opposite the prevailing wind. (Do not face the hole into the wind; otherwise it could fill with snow or rain).
- Place the box 4' to 8' above the ground - on either a fence post, a post all by itself, or screwed to a tree. For lower heights, place a 6" band of metal to prevent mammals from climbing into the nest box.
- For best results, place the box on the edge or in the middle of a natural meadow or field where there is an abundance of insects on the ground.
- Plant dead snags in the meadow for bluebird perch and hunting sites.
- Position the nest box where it is away from large groups of trees that may house squirrels.
- Clean out the contents of the box annually - either in September or February.
- Provide either a natural place for the bluebirds to bathe or provide some sort of bird bath on the ground relatively close to the nest box.
Wishing you the best of luck, and if you follow these instructions, within a year you should have bluebirds nesting on your property.
Now the reader has a better understanding of the bluebird identification, food and habitat requirements of bluebirds, all that is left is the placement of nest boxes.
Problem or nuisance birdlife and how to deal with them will be the theme of the Big Sky Birding column in Montana Best Times.
Enjoy! And the Best of Big Sky Birding to you!
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