Clean or put up birdhouses
Birdhouses construction
Making birdhouses is not difficult. Just know the basic information and pay attention to a few details. And it is a manual activity that will make any event more enjoyable.
Anti-predation barriers
Birds have many enemies. Especially in urbanised environments, i.e. gardens, city parks and forests, they are easy prey for cats and martens. The simplest barrier is a small plate inside the birdhouse, fixed just below the entrance hole – so the cat or marten cannot reach the bottom of the birdhouse.
Other versions of anti-predator barriers always have the same principle – to prevent predators from reaching the bottom of the box to the young. Thus, various double front walls, tunnels, etc. can be constructed.
Manufacturers of ready-made birdhouses usually do not think about anti-predation barriers, so we add them to the birdhouses ourselves. Just cut a piece of board and attach it to the inside of the front wall with two screws. Very often you can find birdhouses with a perch in shops. This is one of the biggest sins we can commit when constructing a birdhouse. This is because the perch mainly helps predators to have easier access to the chicks. The birds don’t need it. That’s why it doesn’t belong on a birdhouse
Putting up birdhouses
In a forest environment, the entrance hole should face a lighted area so that birds can easily fly to the birdhouse. In parks or gardens, the inlet should face the direction of the prevailing rainfall (southeast in our conditions) so that the birds are not drawn in through the inlet.
If the situation permits, the box should be tilted slightly so that the roof overhang covers the inlet as much as possible.
If we hang the box by a wire not a branch, it is okay if the box sways, but we should try to eliminate its movement as much as possible and it must not hit anything in the wind.
Hang the birdhouse as far away as possible from branches from which predators could easily hunt incoming birds.
The box should be in the shade in the midday sun.
For different types of bird boxes, the height at which the box hangs can affect the nesting of a particular bird species. In general, the box should hang 2 to 5 metres above the ground.
Methods of posting
Birdhouses are most commonly hung on trees and there are basically three ways to mount the birdhouse to the required height:
Hanging from a branch
The most elegant way is to hang the birdhouse with a wire from a branch. This way there is no damage to the tree. Metal eyelets must be screwed to the side of the box, where the wire is attached. However, this method can only be implemented in places where there are suitable branches.
Nailing
A very simple way of attaching the box to the tree is to nail the back rail. This is a rather aggressive method for the tree at first glance, however, the penetration of a nail into the tree does not pose a serious injury to the tree. The nail will only disturb one small point in the entire live tree. The tree can soon react to this situation and „preserve“ the damaged area so that the injury does not spread to other parts of the trunk. The nail should ideally be hammered through a pad that ensures that the nail does not dig into the trunk and the box does not fall off.
Taping
The back bar can be strapped around the trunk. This method is clearly not recommended as it causes significant damage to the tree. The straps will gradually grow into the trunk and strangle it all around. Moreover, it is a very demanding method.
Numbering and evidence
Well-marked boxes will be easy to identify with regular maintenance. Numbering can be done by spraying or painting. However, if only a few are being put up, this step can be omitted.
Regular maintenance and cleaning
Putting up the birdhouse is just the beginning. Since we want someone to nest in the boxes every year, we try to maintain and clean them regularly. The nesting success rate decreases by tens of percent each year if the old nest is not cleaned out. So, once we put up a birdhouse, we should think about cleaning it annually. And this can also be used to record nesting success. Autumn is ideal for birdhouses cleaning.
