Many native cavity-nesters - including this Black-capped Chickadee - will nest in an artificial birdhouse, or nestbox. Look for a nestbox that's plain wood. If the birdhouse comes with a perch, remove it. It just makes it easier for a predator bird to land and go after the eggs or young. Here's the important part: the entrance hole should be 1-1/8 inches. No more, no less, exactly 1-1/8 inches. That size will let native birds in, and keep non-natives out. Now hang the nestbox out of the way of predators. You can buy a nestbox - or build your own!
BirdNote®The Perfect Nestbox
Adapted from scripts by Frances Wood
This is BirdNote!
[Songs of House Wren, Black-capped Chickadee and Red-breasted Nuthatch]
We’re hearing native birds: a House Wren [House Wren song], a Black-capped Chickadee [Black-capped Chickadee song], and Red-breasted Nuthatch [Red-breasted Nuthatch call]. One of these birds might make its home in your yard, if you put up the right kind of birdhouse. They’re all “cavity-nesters,” birds that need a cavity in a tree—or a birdhouse that serves the same purpose—for nesting.
[More medley]
Look for a nestbox that’s plain wood, none of that fancy stuff. Birds prefer their nest sites to be inconspicuous. If the birdhouse comes with a cute little dowel perch, remove it. The nesting birds don’t need the perch. And it just makes it easier for a predator bird to land and go after the eggs or young. Here’s the important part: grab a ruler and measure the entrance hole. It should be 1-1/8 inches. No more, no less, exactly one and one-eighth inches. If the entrance hole is too big, use an adapter to reduce the size. That size will let native birds in, and keep non-natives out. Now hang the box where it’s out of reach of any predator.
[More medley]
We’ll help you find nestboxes just right for the birds you’d like to attract. Or plans for you do-it-yourselfers. Come to our website, BirdNote.org. Come soon, it’s time to put them up. I’m Michael Stein.
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Calls and songs of the birds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Black-capped Chickadee song, House Wren and Red-breasted Nuthatch call recorded by G.A. Keller.
BirdNote's theme music was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
Producer: John Kessler
Executive Producer: Chris Peterson
© 2014 Tune In to Nature.org May 2014/2020/2022 Narrator: Michael Stein
ID#050605box2KPLU box-03-2011-05-02
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