How to Make a Wren Round House

A wren is a cavity dwelling wild bird that nests in the shade and cover of dense bushes and low-growing trees. Attracting a pair of wrens to nest in your garden is straightforward using the correct method for the requirements of its habitat and nesting behavior. Making a round house nest box mimics the cavity dwelling instinct to find a hollow and round-sided nesting area, such as a hollow in a tree trunk. A simple method of reproducing a natural round house environment uses a large tin can, and Purdue University in their publication "North Central Regional Extension" verifies the design.

Things You'll Need

  • 7-inch high by 6-inch diameter tin can
  • Cloth
  • Vinegar
  • Electric drill
  • Fine metal file
  • Sandpaper
  • Two screw-eyes
  • 1/2-inch exterior plywood, 8-by-10-inch piece
  • Nontoxic pet-friendly exterior primer
  • Nontoxic pet-friendly exterior paint
  • Stove-pipe wire
  • 11-gauge wire
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Instructions

    • 1

      Remove the lid from a can measuring 7 inches high with a 6-inch diameter. Wash the inside and outside of the can with hot water and a cloth to remove any visible residue such as food stuffs or paper labeling. Rinse the can in vinegar and allow it to dry.

    • 2

      Drill a 1-1/8-inch entry hole for the wren two-thirds of the way up the can, using an electric drill. Drill a 5/8-inch vent hole to each side of the can's diameter just below the open end. Drill a 1/4-inch roof assembly hole to each side of the diameter and near to the top of the can.

    • 3

      Drill five holes, 1/4-inch in diameter, for drainage through the bottom of the can; drill the holes in a square-shaped pattern with a center hole. Drill two fastening holes, 1/4-inch in diameter, to the back of the can, two-thirds of the way up the can and 3/4 inch apart.

    • 4

      Use a fine metal file and sandpaper to remove all sharp edges from the drilled holes. Make sure that the wren's entry hole is smooth in both directions so that the wren enters and exits safely. Spend plenty of time filing the entry hole to smooth and dull the edge.

    • 5

      Rinse the can under running water to remove any sanded metal particles, and allow it to dry. Fasten a screw-eye halfway along the 10-inch underside of the 1/2-inch-thick piece of 8-by-10-inch exterior plywood, and inset by 3/4 inch from the edge. Repeat with the other screw-eye on the opposing 10-inch length.

    • 6

      Paint the interior and exterior of the wren round house with a nontoxic pet-friendly exterior primer and paint. Paint one coat of primer before painting one to two coats of light brown colored paint, and allow each coat to separately dry.

    • 7

      Thread a length of stove-pipe wire through the fastening holes so that the wire ends are outside the can. Make sure the wire is long enough to wrap around a sturdy central branch in a woody shrub or around a tree branch.

    • 8

      Center the plywood lid on the can so that the longer length overhangs the wren entry hole. Thread the 11-gauge wire through the roof assembly hole and through both eye-hooks and out through the opposing roof assembly hole. Bend each end of the wire down by 1 inch to the outside of the round house.

    • 9

      Fasten the wren round house 6 feet above the ground to the north side (shady side) of a bushy tree or shrub.