Build a Nest Box

Many native birds nest in hollow trees, which are rare in our urban and suburban landscapes. A nest box that is built to just the right dimensions and installed in your garden is a very welcome sight to Chickadees and Wrens. These are two of the easiest-to-attract, cavity-nesting birds, and are very helpful to have living in your garden!

Children as young as 4-5 can help to build a nest box. Make sure to follow plans with the dimensions, entry hole size, and placement that Chickadees and Wrens prefer. This will make the nest box most attractive to them, and will help ensure that (non-native) English Sparrows, Starlings, and Squirrels are kept out. These creatures can prey upon the little nestlings and drive their parents away.

This is also the main reason that you should never put a perch on any birdhouse. Chickadees and Wrens are nimble birds that don't need a perch to get in and out of the nest box easily. A perch will allow predators easy access to the nestlings.

Check the "More Resources" blog entry on this site for the names of two great books that contain all the nesting box plans you will need. Both books are available in most local libraries.

Place the nest box on a 6-10ft tall post or galvanized metal pole, near or within the canopy of a tree. Placing it near a small, flexible branch will help the parents take a quick peek into the box before entering, and help the little nestlings get the courage to take their first flight. Keep the nest box away from any big branches that would make it easy for a squirrel or raccoon to jump on top and try to gnaw through.

To attract the Chickadees and Wrens right away, lay a little blanket of dried moss and/or small wood chips in the bottom of the completed box. It will be very exciting to observe the parents raise their young, and if you're lucky you will get to see the first flight of the little fledgings!

Another reward for your efforts is that a family of Chickadees or Wrens living in your garden will take a big bite out of your aphid problems each and every year!