Birdhouse: dimensions, drawing and recommendations for creating bird housing

The absence of hollow trees within the city limits prevents birds from settling in this territory. Starlings, tits and other feathered forest dwellers provide many benefits. They get rid of tree pests and delight people with beautiful singing. To settle birds on your site or in front of the house, it is enough to build a reliable birdhouse: dimensions, drawing, overview of building materials, photo examples and detailed descriptions can be found in the article.

Original birdhouse for birds

Examples of do-it-yourself birdhouses from scrap materials

There are several important points that you need to immediately determine before building a birdhouse with your own hands: the size of the future home and the optimal conditions for the birds. It is very important to adhere to the natural elements of the environment so that the feathered inhabitants of the house feel comfortable.

A bird house with a bright and funny design

How to make a birdhouse correctly (general recommendations):

1. These birds usually build nests, but they can also settle in the hollow that remained after the woodpecker. They do not need space, so the inner cavity of the house can be small.
2. Good sound and heat insulation is required for the normal development of chicks. This nuance must be taken into account when choosing a material for walls.
3. The hole (entrance) should be convenient for the inhabitants to enter the birdhouse and not create obstacles for departure.
4. In the drawing, the dimensions of the nesting box for starlings are affixed so that the birds feel comfortable, but at the same time the predators could not get to the chicks or clutch. Cats aren't the only natural enemies. Magpies and other large bird species can also ravage the nest.
5. Safe living conditions also imply the absence of harmful vapors and pungent odors.
6. It is advisable to give preference to drawings of tree houses, in the design of which there are no sharp protrusions. The finished product must be free from defects, otherwise the birds may get hurt.

Important! The absence of drafts is a prerequisite for raising chicks.

Small birdhouse with perch

DIY birdhouses made of wood: how to make the right choice of material

Wood is used more often than other materials for the construction of closed nests. Its parameters are ideal for creating bird housing. However, not every type of wood can be used for this purpose. There are some restrictions. It is not allowed to use chipboards, as well as other artificial materials of a similar type (fiberboard), both with and without lamination. These products are impregnated with formaldehyde and other chemicals that are dangerous to living organisms. When heated, an unpleasant odor and harmful fumes will be released, which will scare away birds.

It is best to make a house from hardwood-based boards:

• beech;
• larch;
• oak;
• Linden.

Natural wood is environmentally friendly. The boards used in the work must be without impregnation. You can use slats and timber. Developing by eye blueprints for birdhouses made of wood with dimensions, many craftsmen manage to create comfortable nesting nests from thick scraps of logs. This type of material is always at hand for those who have recently completed the construction of a house or a bath on the site, and are also preparing firewood for the winter.

Working with soft woods is much easier. On the other hand, oak, larch and beech have a longer service life.

Natural wood is the most suitable material for making birdhouses

Important! In no case should you use conifers. In addition to unpleasant odors, this type of wood gives off resin under the influence of solar heat. The presence of a sticky substance on the surface of the house not only creates inconvenience, but also bears down for birds. Due to the resin, the plumage sticks together, which inevitably leads to their death.

DIY temporary birdhouse made of cardboard

Cardboard is an affordable and easy-to-process material. On its basis, you can create a house for temporary residence of birds. Before making a birdhouse, you need to prepare tools and materials for the project.

For work you will need:

• well sharpened scissors;
• marking tools (ruler and pencil);
• Scotch;
• non-toxic adhesive composition;
• brushes and paints;
• cardboard.

It is better to take corrugated cardboard from which commercial containers are made. This type of material has a sufficient margin of safety and will last longer. When the design and dimensions of the birdhouse are determined, the drawing must be transferred to the surface of the cardboard using a pencil and ruler. In order not to spoil the material, you can pre-practice and fill your hand on plain paper.

Cardboard birdhouses can be made with children

To get a strong and reliable construction, it is advisable to work with a large sheet of cardboard. Large format material allows you to cut a solid workpiece. If this is not possible, individual structural elements are created from smaller cardboard. When working with high density material, office scissors will be ineffective. In this case, experts recommend using a construction knife. It is necessary to assemble the structure and carefully fasten it with glue at the joints. With the help of paints, you can decorate the birdhouse with pictures and patterns. High-quality compounds form an additional protective coating on the surface.

Decorated birdhouses can be created with children. This excellent activity promotes the development of fine motor skills of the fingers, accuracy and dexterity of the hands. In addition, the child will be able to realize his own imagination and creative ideas.

You can find construction cardboard on sale. It has a high density and is able to significantly extend the life of the product. However, the insulating properties of walls made of such material are much worse. Corrugated cardboard retains heat better. For a good fixation of the connections, it is necessary to use high-quality types of glue or special parts for fasteners. So that the walls can withstand the onslaught of bad weather, it is advisable to process them with environmentally friendly impregnations, as well as install additional stiffeners.

Useful advice! Cardboard structures are designed for one season. To re-make a birdhouse with your own hands, it is better to save the dimensions and all the schemes. A successful drawing can be used to create a whole series of identical products with different designs.

A schematic diagram for making a paper bird house

Birdhouses for birds with their own hands from plastic bottles

Plastic is a fairly durable and practical material. He is able to maintain integrity for several years. The walls of such birdhouses are not afraid of moisture, show resistance to strong mechanical stress that may arise during the operation of the product by birds. However, the transparent walls of the bottles transmit light well. Bright sun rays will disturb the residents in such a nest. The smooth surface of the walls will create inconvenience for moving chicks and adult birds.

How to make a birdhouse (container size from 3 liters):

1. To create comfortable conditions, the inner surface must be trimmed with a coarse fabric. The material will improve the insulating performance of the housing. It will be much easier for birds to move on woven fabric than on smooth plastic surfaces.
2. Using paint from the outside, cover the walls of the container to eliminate transparency. Application in several layers is allowed. This is necessary to darken the home well. The final coat of paint must be weather resistant. It is best to use acrylic compounds.
3. To cut a tap hole in plastic, an ordinary clerical knife is enough. A small incision must be made under the hole for the perch. It can be plastic or wood.

Useful advice! You can make an automatic feeder from a plastic bottle. By their design, such structures are very simple, but at the same time they can perform their functions independently, without electricity, control from people and other devices.

Birdhouse from a plastic bottle wrapped in rope

Plywood birdhouse: drawing with construction dimensions

As a basis for creating a plywood analogue, a classic drawing of a single-pitched birdhouse is suitable, the dimensions of the parts are fully preserved. The design can be improved by adding four “cube” supports to the underside of the cover. These elements enhance the fixation without complicating the dismantling process. Two metal hooks can be installed in the back wall. With their help, it will be much easier to securely fix the structure on the tree. The birdhouse scheme, as well as the process of its creation, does not cause any particular difficulties. In this case, you can be guided by the assembly technology of a similar structure made of wood.

However, there are some nuances when working with plywood. It is advisable to use sheets with a thickness of at least 20 mm. Otherwise, it will not be possible to achieve the required thermal conductivity. You can equip type-setting walls. Since the operation of the product will be carried out in outdoor conditions, only moisture-resistant types of plywood are suitable for work. The cost of such sheets is much higher. But a birdhouse made of moisture-resistant plywood will retain its shape in any weather for a long time. Do not use material that has been treated with poisonous impregnations and glue with a persistent odor.

Birdhouse drawings with dimensions for different birds

Various materials can be used to create a beautiful birdhouse, but wood is more suitable for these purposes. The advantages of using this material:

• affordable price;
• ecological cleanliness;
• high strength characteristics;
• good insulating properties;

Scheme for making a birdhouse from a board

• easy to process, even when using hand tools;
• creates conditions as close as possible to the natural environment.

Each bird species has its own habits and preferences. Therefore, when choosing sizes for creating a birdhouse with your own hands, you need to clearly understand what type of feathered inhabitants will live in it. Usually these houses are designed for small birds. In addition to starlings, tits, sparrows, wagtails, woodpeckers, flycatchers, swifts and other species that prefer to nest in hollows can live there.

Note! There is no one size fits all birdhouse. It all depends on the physiological characteristics and needs of the species that will nest in the house. It is not only the size that matters, but also the shape, as well as the nature of the placement of the main elements.

What should be the optimal birdhouse size for starlings

The starling is a rather large bird. For a comfortable stay, he needs a deep, large enough (but moderately) structure. When creating a birdhouse for starlings with your own hands, the dimensions must be selected based on the standard parameters:

1. The hole (entrance) is about 4.5-5 cm.
2. The height of the structure is from 35 to 40 cm.
3. Width - at least 15 cm.
4. Length - at least 15 cm.

Bird houses are built quite compact in size

Size, like the shape of the hole, matters a lot. It is desirable to make the entrance round. The diameter depends not only on the size of the bird, but also on the size of the structure itself. The inner edges of the hole must be carefully machined. Failure to remove the burrs may cause injury to the bird. A round entrance is made for most birds, with the exception of the half-house. In this case, instead of a hole, a longitudinal slot is formed. It should occupy almost the entire width of the front wall. This is due to the fact that the half-dwelling nestles in the recesses between the branches and may not be fond of the birdhouse.

The birdhouse can be rectangular, but it is better if the bottom is square. The roof can be either fixed or removable. The second option is more practical, as it makes it easier to clean the birdhouses after the inhabitants have left. It is desirable that the upper visor protrudes forward by at least 5 cm. Thus, the entrance will be reliably protected from bad weather.

Standard sizes for birdhouses for sparrows and other small species

Sparrows are the most common inhabitants of city streets and gardens. They are unpretentious and can settle in almost anywhere. The optimal sizes of the houses are no different from those made for starlings. As a supplement, you can make a perch 4 cm long and about 1 cm in diameter.

Smaller birds also live in the gardens:

• turn-necks;
• various types of tits (great, blue tit, grenadier, muskrat, gadget);
• pied flycatchers;
• redstarts, etc.

Dimensional drawing of a bird house for small birds

The houses for these birds are called titmouses. They differ from other structures in their size and, first of all, in the diameter of the tap hole. To build a small titmouse with your own hands by all standards, you need to reduce the size of the bottom to 9x9 cm.The total height from the lid to the bottom is 24 cm.The hole diameter is no more than 2.7 cm.Otherwise, the house can be captured by field sparrows. Such designs are suitable for mosquitoes, grenadiers and nuts. They also like pied flycatchers. The optimum distance from the bottom to the taphole is 16 cm.

The diameter of the entrance should be increased to 3 cm for the following bird species:

• great tit;
• wryneck;
• blue tit;
• redstart;
• pied flycatcher.

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This will be enough for the normal movement of these species of birds. At the same time, the size of the entrance will not allow house sparrows to settle in the house. The recommended dimensions of the bottom are 12x12 cm. The height, as well as the distance to the entrance, must also be increased to 25 and 18 cm, respectively.

Useful advice!To enable other birds to calmly settle in a titmouse, you can build a semblance of an apartment house for sparrows. To do this, it is enough to knock down a box with partitions from the boards. A hole must be made for each section. For work, it is better to take boards, the width of which is 10-15 cm. The finished structure should be hung on the fence. The optimum height is 1.5-2 m.

Birdhouse decorated with a chimney

Drawings and dimensions of birdhouses for wagtails and other large birds

Wagtail houses differ from standard birdhouses not only in size. Instead of a round taphole, you need to make a rectangular slot. The maximum width of this loophole should not exceed 4 cm. Wagtails, like redstarts, prefer a semi-open nesting site. Therefore, you should not use drawings of birdhouses with a classic design to create a house with your own hands from wood. It is better to focus on the recommended sizes and design the product taking into account the special requests of these birds. A distinctive feature in such houses is also the presence of a special area of ​​about 10 cm in size. It is placed right in front of the entrance.

Optimum sizes for redstart and wagtail:

• bottom - 15x15 cm;
• the distance between the tap-hole and the bottom is 8 cm;
• height to the lid -15 cm;
• tap hole diameter - from 7 to 15 cm (depending on the design).

For white wagtails, it is recommended to make diamond-shaped houses. Designs in the shape of a "cube" are suitable for redstarts and pied flycatchers. For larger birds, such as jackdaws, woodpeckers, and rollers, checkboxes should be built. The dimensions of the bottom in such structures are 18x18 cm. From the bottom to the taphole there should be at least 30 cm. The total height from the inside is about 40 cm.The standard taphole size is 8 cm.

Schemes for making houses for large birds

How to make a birdhouse correctly: dimensions, drawing and description of technology

In the classic version, the birdhouse looks like a rectangular box. There are designs with a single or gable roof. To create a birdhouse with your own hands from wood, the dimensions can be taken from ready-made schemes, because not everyone has enough experience to develop a drawing on their own. On the Internet, you can find a lot of examples of such designs and choose the right one.

The simplest tool is required for work:

• screwdriver;
• pencil with ruler;
• electric jigsaw.

Note! If an unpolished board is used as a building material, you will also need to prepare sandpaper.

How to make a birdhouse for starlings from a board: drawings, dimensions and instructions

The simplest birdhouse structure can be made from just one board. If you correctly adjust the dimensions and accurately cut the material, you will get a full-fledged housing for birds with comfortable conditions. This will require a 15 cm wide board.The thickness of this blank should be 2.5 cm.

Birdhouse with entrances on four sides

If the cut is done correctly, you should get two parts for each specified length:

• 13 cm;
• 20 cm;
• 23 cm.

In addition, you need to make one piece, the length of which is 10 cm. It will be used as the bottom. The frame (wall) and roof will be assembled from other elements. When finished, the house should have an elongated structure. Install two hinges on the roof.They will be used for hanging. You can decorate such a house at your discretion. However, it is not recommended to use paint in bright colors. This scares away birds. It is best to leave the structure intact or use transparent compounds solely to protect the wood from adverse weather conditions.

Note! Do not paint the structure green. Starlings will not settle in such a house.

DIY birdhouse: drawings and dimensions for making a classic model

The classic model is a wooden box. To create such a structure, boards will be required. Since the roof will have two slopes, two of the four facade parts must be sawed strictly at an angle of 90 °. On one of them, you need to mark and cut a hole 5 cm in size. Having stepped back from this window about 5 cm down, you need to make another hole, but smaller. It will be used to set the perch. This small perch can be crafted from a tree twig.

Three houses located one above the other in the form of a traffic light

During assembly, all parts are fixed with self-tapping screws. To prevent the material from splitting during this procedure, you must first drill the holes for the fasteners. It is better to start assembly from the bottom. The side walls must be attached to the bottom. When the structure is assembled and securely fixed, the roof is installed last. Its details need to be adjusted so that the ridge is symmetrical. The boards should fit very tightly together so that rainwater does not flow into the bird's dwelling through the roof.

In order to protect the wood, it can be additionally processed outside, for this it is used:

• muted paint;
• drying oil;
• non-toxic varnish.

The design can be decorated with patterns. Pictures of plants, leaves, birds will be an ideal decoration for a birdhouse.

Helpful advice! A decorative chimney ("chimney") on the roof will add special charm to the bird house.

How to make a birdhouse: drawings and dimensions of a structure with a pitched roof

Houses with a gable roof are considered the standard and the most successful solution for bird nesting. Flat roof structures are also widely used by summer residents. Moreover, making such birdhouses is much easier.

Dimensions of a birdhouse with a pitched roof

How to make a birdhouse out of wood with one slope:

1. First you need to choose a suitable scheme and take care of the availability of the necessary tools and materials.
2. Planks are suitable for making a house. In accordance with the drawing, the material is cut into rectangular blanks, taking into account the dimensions that are indicated there.
3. It is very important to adhere to the indicated values ​​exactly, otherwise during assembly the structure will be skewed or there will be gaps between the parts. In such conditions, the birds will not feel comfortable and simply will not stay.
4. During assembly, structural parts are fixed with self-tapping screws.
5. Most often, the roof is installed in a horizontal position. However, experts recommend placing it on a slight slope. Thus, precipitation and morning moisture will not accumulate on the surface and destroy the wood.

When the house is fully assembled, its surface must be sanded with sandpaper and treated with a protective impregnation against decay. A wooden plank is nailed on the back wall. It will be used to fix the bird's treehouse.

How to decorate and fix a house: beautiful photos of birdhouses and recommendations

The external design depends on the purpose for which the structure will be used. If the nesting box is intended for birds, it is worth sticking to neutral colors, such as brown, gray or green. These shades serve as a great disguise for the house. They will not attract the attention of predators, which may well ruin the nest.

Bird house with decoration

Some summer residents use structures for decorative purposes to decorate the site and make it more comfortable. Such birdhouses can be painted as you like, you can stick various trinkets on the house. Such structures can be located not only outside, but also inside the house, decorating the interior. In this case, the material for production can be anything. Decorative ones are even made from paper or cardboard boxes, because they will not be used by birds.

Helpful advice! You can decorate nesting houses with natural materials such as branches, moss, wood cuts. They can be used to create a natural design and excellent disguise. It is only undesirable to use pebbles. The glare of the sun, which will reflect off the stones, will frighten the birds.

How to hang a birdhouse correctly

Pikas and tits remain for the winter, so in the fall you can begin to equip housing for them. During the cold season, birds use overnight nesting boxes to hide from the frost. After that, they can stay in habitable houses for breeding. For birds arriving from the south in late spring, birdhouses are hung out in March. Maybe a little earlier. The optimal height for hanging birdhouses is in the range from 2 to 10 m.

Recommended height for different types of terrain:

In this case, tree branches should not pass near the front wall, where the entrance is located. Otherwise, the cat can easily destroy the nest. To prevent ground predators from reaching the house, the tree trunk should be wrapped in thin branches. The protection is placed at a height of 2-2.5 m from the ground. In this case, the branches should be directed with their tips down.

There are different ways to fix the birdhouse. The main thing is not to injure the tree. For these purposes, soft wire, tarred hemp, and an electric cord are suitable. The selected type of material must be wrapped around the trunk, passed through the loops that were specially provided at the top of the structure, and tightly tied over the roof.

In general, making an artificial nest is not difficult. The network has a lot of ready-made diagrams and drawings with already calculated dimensions. All you need to do is follow the instructions and show some patience. A well-made house will last for many years, providing birds with reliable and safe housing.