Birds That Use Birdhouses

Several birds make their home in man-made birdhouses when homes in their natural habitats cannot be found. Birdhouses create a safe place for birds to lay eggs and care for their young during the first moments of their life. Watching birds fly to and from their houses with food for their young can provide hours of fun for people of all ages.

  1. Chickadees

    • Although chickadees often nest in the cavities of dead trees, they also live in birdhouses that have been placed 4 to 15 feet off of the ground. The birdhouse entrance should be 1-1/8 inch in diameter with a total house height of 8 to 10 inches. The nesting season is from April through June. Female chickadees build a nest inside the house using moss, fur and grass. The female then lays about six eggs, which she sits on for 12 days. The male chickadee cares for the female by feeding her insects, seeds and berries. After the eggs hatch, the female cares for them while the male brings food for all of them. After a few days, the female also goes out to collect food for the young until they leave the nest in about two weeks.

    Bluebirds

    • Unlike many birds, bluebirds are unable to create their own homes. Bluebird houses should have a 5-inch square floor and be 8 to 12 inches in height. The entrance should be 1-1/2 inches, approximately 6 to 10 inches above the floor. It also is important to have ventilation holes in the top as well as holes in the bottom for drainage. Homes should be placed on a fence post, utility pole or tree at least 3 to 5 feet off the ground and in close proximity to trees or shrubs. Bluebirds use grass, pine needles, straw and hair to build their nest. The female bluebird lays one egg each day until there is a total of four to six. In 12 to 14 days the baby bluebirds hatch and they leave the nest in 16 to 22 days.

    Wood Duck

    • Wood ducks use tree cavities as well as birdhouses that are placed 5 to 20 feet high in a tree and no less than 200 feet from a lake, river or stream. Birdhouses need to be quite large with at least a 4-inch opening. Wood chips can be added to the bottom of the birdhouse where the female wood duck lays about 14 eggs. One day after the ducklings hatch, the mother leads them outside. Wood ducks raise two broods between the months of April and June.

    White-Breasted Nuthatch

    • The small white-breasted nuthatch inhabits a birdhouse that is mounted 5 to 20 feet high in a wooded area. One inch of wood shavings can be placed in the bottom of the birdhouse for the female to use along with grass, feathers and other soft material to build the nest. The small 5-inch birds form monogamous pairs. The female lays three to 10 light pink eggs one time per year. The female incubates the eggs for two weeks while the male brings food to the nest. Both parents protect the young until they leave the next in 26 days.