birdsoup

^{For millions of years, since they evolved from the dinosaurs, birds have done just fine without any human intervention or assistance. No human-provided bird houses, bird baths or bird feeders. Not only have birds survived without us, they prospered. Year after year they have continued to raise new generations. They evolved and adapted to bad weather and changes to their environment. They don’t need us.}

^{When early European settlers first arrived in the new world they were surprised to see a few Native American tribes hanging hollowed-out gourds from trees around their villages hoping that birds would nest in them. The first bird houses. This was not an altruistic effort to help the local birds survive. Rather, they were trying to attract birds to their village. Living closer to nature than modern villagers, Native Americans noticed that certain species of birds consumed lots and lots of flying bugs and insects. They reasoned if they provided good nesting sites maybe more of these beneficial birds would be attracted to their neighborhood. More birds would eat more pesky insects and life would be better.}

^{Settlers emulated the native’s practice and adapted it for their homesteads. Over time the practice of hanging a bird house in your backyard that began for a practical reason now morphed into the need for a cute little bird house in every suburban backyard. Even though most of the species that utilize these cute houses do not devour enormous quantities of pesky bugs. Today the main purpose of a backyard bird house is for entertainment, and as a modest way to reconnect with nature and be environmentally correct. It is also wonderful education experience for youngsters.}     

^{A House is Not a Home}

^{The popularity of bird houses has led to some common questions and misconceptions. The first misconception is that a bird house is a home. It isn’t. Birds don’t actually live in a bird house. Birds use a bird house for only one purpose – to build a nest, lay eggs and make sure their kids grow up healthy. Once the kids are old enough to leave home and live on their own, the bird house is abandoned. That’s it. They no longer use it. Ornithologists, for years, have tried to promote the term “nesting box” instead of “bird house” but it has never caught on with the public even though it is technically accurate. I think a more descriptive term might be a “bird nursery” but I doubt that term will catch on either.}

^{What Makes a Good House?}

^{Choosing a new bird house or nesting box always raises questions. What features should you look for? Which design is best? A cutesy design will have what a realtor would call curb appeal. But that appeal is intended for the human landlords. Birds do not really care what it looks like. They are primarily looking for shelter and safety for their family.}

^{There are a few key elements to consider in selecting the ideal house. The first is the construction material. Wood is good. Avoid metal houses which can become dangerously warm and oven-like on hot, sunny days. Quality construction techniques ensure long life. Choose a house that is assembled with screws instead of glue, nails or staples. It will last much longer. The design of the house should provide some ventilation allowing hot air to escape on warm days. A roof that projects beyond the entrance hole provides some protection preventing rain from entering and creating a soggy nest. An easily accessible “clean-out” hole should allow removal of the old nest at the end of the year.}

^{And, finally, my pet peeve in bird house design – the perch. Get rid of it. Sure, the classic image of a cutesy bird house includes a proud parent sitting on the perch about to enter the house. But birds do not need it. A perch just gives a potential predatory something to hold onto while it reaching into the entrance hole to grab an egg or nestling. So, no perch.}

^{What Kind of Tenants}

^{Shopping for a bird house in a nature store can be confusing. There are a variety of houses available.   One might be labelled as a bluebird house. A sign on the house next to it may identify a chickadee house. Birds can’t read. So how does a chickadee know which is the correct one to use? The answer is simple. It is all about the size of the circular entrance hole. Chickadees are small birds. So the chickadee house has a very small hole. A chickadee can enter easily through the small opening, but a larger bird such as a bluebird or a starling is too large to fit. Of course, any bird smaller in size than a chickadee would also fit through the small entrance hole. Or the opposite can happen. A small chickadee might use a house with a larger hole. In fact, a larger hole makes the house accessible to a wider variety and size of birds.   You never can be sure who will move in. Hopefully someone will.}

^{What Kind of Tenants}

^{Not every species of bird will use a bird house. A robin won’t use a house, nor will a mockingbird or a hummingbird. They build their nests on branches. The types of birds that use a human-provided house are known as cavity nesters. In the wild, they build their in any cavity they find – a hole caused by lightning strike or decay, a broken limb or an old woodpecker hole. A bird house simulates a natural cavity.}

^{No Vacancy}

^{Occasionally a family will hang a house in their backyard but no birds actually use it. How can you insure that a bird will use a house? You can’t. Birds, like people, can be finicky. I know. My wife and I must have looked at over a hundred houses before she found one she liked. You may hang up the absolutely loveliest bird house, and the birds will build their nest on the lamppost next to it.}

^{My uncle, a successful realtor, always believed that advertising was essential to attracting the greatest number of potential new tenants.   He created this ad for our house.  It can’t hurt.}

^{For Rent}

• ^{Lovely One Bedroom Apartment}
• ^{Clean and Spacious}
• ^{Nice Neighborhood}
• ^{Good Landlord}
• ^{Ideal for Growing Family}

 

^{To Clean or Not to Clean}

^{Once the nestlings have fledged and the family has left the house what should you do? It hangs there unused but full of old sticks, grasses and stuff. Should you clean it out and get it ready for new tenants next year? For years the recommended practice has been to clean out the house each fall. There is concern that some parasites remaining in the old nest might survive the cold winter and would be harmful next spring when the new fledglings and young and vulnerable. However, recently some bright young ornithologist realized that in the wild bird use natural cavities.  No one cleans out the old remnants from those nests in natural cavities. Yet birds have survived for millions of years. So maybe a cleaning is not absolutely necessary.}

^{Birds are not dependent on human-provided housing for survival. However, the need for human housing grows and cities expand. Formerly undeveloped land is being destroyed to make room for housing developments and shopping malls. As a result, the number of natural cavities available is shrinking. A bird house provides a ready substitute.}

^{You may want to consider becoming a housing developer or landlord by putting a second house in your backyard. Mortgage rates are low. And birds need housing. So put up a bird house, nesting box or bird nursery. If you hang it they will come.}