Do you have a lovely birdhouse but your backyard still lacks birds? If that’s the case, you might want to reconsider a couple of things and adjust the birdhouse to attract more birds. There are proven methods to lure more birds into your backyard if you follow them through.
This article will be the perfect starting point for people who want to have more winged friends chirping away in their backyards. Keep reading to learn more about how to attract birds to a birdhouse.
Why Is It Essential to Have an Attractive Birdhouse?
A birdhouse is more than just a decoration in your backyard. Birdhouses provide shelter and warmth to birds and give them a safe spot where they can rest and grow their young ones.
Unfortunately, many birdhouses are not carefully constructed, and they lack the required space for birds which is why birds might not visit your backyard. If your backyard lacks birds, you should try to create an inviting environment for birds and make a space where they can feel safe.
Just because you have a birdhouse in your backyard doesn’t necessarily mean birds will use it. Instead, you should provide the needed necessities that birds need to survive. That will make your backyard alluring and attract birds to use your birdhouses.
- Water. Birds need water for bathing and drinking, so you should provide a source of fresh water near the birdhouse. You could make a birdbath or a fountain that birds enjoy using.
- Food. You should provide food sources and install bird feeders near the birdhouse. That will make your backyard a perfect place to feed, especially during the cold months or nesting time when birds need more food but the natural sources are not as available as before.
- Adequate shelter. Trees, bushes, and shrubs make a perfect shelter for birds, so if you have them in your backyard, birds will be attracted to spend time there. Proper landscaping will give birds a place to hide from predators and bad weather.
- Bird-friendly environment. Avoid using toxic products and pesticides on plants in your backyard, as they can harm birds.
Of course, you won’t attract all birds to your yard, but plenty of bird species love nesting in backyard birdhouses.
Bird Species That Are Attracted to Birdhouses
So, although the backyard birdhouse won’t attract all species of birds, there are species that love visiting these spots in our backyards.
The 8 Ways to Attract Birds to a Birdhouse
There are various ways you can attract birds to your birdhouse. To help you achieve this, we have listed the methods below and provided some tips and tricks to attract more birdies to your backyard.
1. Choose the proper location
The most significant factor in attracting birds to your birdhouse is the location. The birdhouse should be easily noticeable and accessible. Birds can be pretty picky when nesting, so it’s crucial to place the birdhouse in the correct spot in your backyard.
Since this will be a spot where the birds will be until their babies are ready to leave the nest, it needs to be adequately positioned. The location preferences vary per bird species, although most birds need a sheltered space high off the ground and away from predators.
If you’re looking to attract a particular bird species, you should be familiar with the location preferences of that bird species. For example, bluebirds prefer locations surrounded by open spaces and fields, while chickadees prefer birdhouses placed between shrubs.
Before putting up the birdhouse, do your research to find out more about the likes of the bird you want to attract. That will help you to determine the position of the birdhouse quicker.
2. Choose a suitable birdhouse design
Birdhouse design also plays a significant role in attracting birds to your birdhouse. Each bird species likes to live differently, so you should provide a suitable design that will work for the birds you want to attract.
Some birds like Purple Martins like to live near others of the same species, so that’s why apartment-like birdhouses will be the best choice for this bird breed. On the other hand, birds like Wrens prefer living alone with no other birds nearby, and they would need a miniature birdhouse away from other birds.
Again, before thinking the design through, educate yourself more about each bird species you’d like to attract so that you can make a suitable birdhouse.
3. Be familiar with materials and colors
To make the perfect birdhouse that will attract many birds, you need to be familiar with materials and colors. The best material for making birdhouses is wood, although you could try using other materials like metal and plastic. They are not as good for insulation, but if you don’t have wood, they would be a suitable replacement.
Believe it or not, colors are also quite important when attracting birds to your birdhouse. Most birds prefer blue, green, and purple colors, while they also like red, orange, and yellow. Earthy-natural tones are also an excellent option to attract more birds to use your birdhouse.
4. Choose the birdhouse size
The birdhouse should be a suitable size for the bird you want to host. You have to ensure that the birdhouse won’t be too big or too small. If you want to attract smaller birds, make smaller birdhouses, and make bigger birdhouses for larger bird species.
For example, Bluebirds will need a birdhouse around 10 inches long, with a 5.5 x 5.5-inch base. On the other hand, smaller birds like Wrens will be satisfied with a birdhouse that’s 8 inches long and has a 4 x 6-inch base.
Bird size is another thing you should research before building the birdhouse, and then adjust the size to the breed of the bird you want to attract.
5. Measure the size of the entrance hole
If the birdhouse is the right size, but the entrance hole is too small or too large, birds won’t nest in the birdhouse. So, when making the birdhouse, carefully measure the size of the entrance hole and adjust it to the size of the bird that will nest there.
As we said above, Wrens are smaller, so they will need a smaller entrance hole, and it should be just a bit more than one inch around. Bigger birds will need larger entrance holes, but ensure that the gap is not too large, as it can allow predators to reach birds.
6. Consider the timing
Timing is another thing that will affect how many birds you will attract to your birdhouse. Birds do not need shelter during summer and spring as the natural resources are abundant, so if you place your birdhouse during summer, it will likely remain empty.
It’s best to place birdhouses in your backyard during fall or winter because that’s when birds need a place to hide and rest.
Again, we advise doing your research to ensure you will position the birdhouse at the right time to attract the bird species of your preference.
7. Install predator guards
Since predators are the reason why birds need birdhouses in the first place, you should keep them away to ensure birds’ safety while nesting.
- Cats
- Snakes
- Squirrels
- Raccoons
You could install baffles and portals that will protect the entrance holes of the birdhouses. Do not use toxic products to kill these predators because they could also harm birds.
8. Keep humans away at first
Until you have permanent bird residents, it might be best to keep humans away from the birdhouses. Too many people can scare off birds if they haven’t settled down in your birdhouse. Keep that in mind and provide them with the needed privacy.
After the birds are settled, humans shouldn’t be an issue in their environment, as long as they do not bother them. It might be best to keep children away as they might try to play with the birds, which could scare them.
Final words
As you can see, there are various ways to attract more birds to your birdhouse. Always be considerate, and investigate which conditions will work for the bird species you want to attract. If you follow these methods, your backyard will turn into a beautiful oasis filled with birds in no time!
Featured Image Credit: jmrosenberry, Pixabay