Now there are many articles telling how to make a birdhouse correctly. But not many people think about how to hang it correctly. Therefore, problems sometimes arise later. In any case, this is very important point, on which the life of birds will depend.

Oddly enough, painting is one of the most important aspects before installation. First of all, it is not of an aesthetic nature. The durability of the product directly depends on the coating. Choose natural paints that do not emit dangerous poisons and are of high quality. Starlings will appreciate your efforts.

Don’t forget about the design solution to the issue. Starlings happily settle into not too bright, soothing houses. But in general, the design of the house is not at all important to them. What's more important is how you intend to install it. Still, the most common coloring for them is green and brown. And it’s clear why - these are the colors of nature. By the way, it is not at all necessary that the coloring be the same on all sides - let your creation be individual, not like the others!

Height

Hanging a birdhouse at the wrong height means preventing birds from accessing it. There are several important advice, which are worth paying attention to:

You can hang a birdhouse in places where there is no access for humans or where it is practically closed, at a fairly low height. It can be approximately 3-4 meters.

Take care of the safety of birds when constructing a birdhouse

It is clear why in residential areas the birdhouse needs to be hung higher. Starlings may be wary of people, voracious cats or hooligans, so they are unlikely to choose your house for living if it is too low. The ideal option is about 5 meters above the ground and no less. If cats are regulars in the area, then starlings will be safe in the swaying house. You can make it easily by securing it with wire.
It is best if the house in a residential area has a neutral coloring. But in a remote area, the coloring may be more vibrant and interesting. This is also a precaution against various pests. It is also not enough to hang the birdhouse correctly once; it must be cleaned and checked annually.

Where and how to install a birdhouse

Birds are undoubtedly tree lovers. But it is not at all necessary to install a birdhouse on a tree. There are other options. Let us consider further classical and non-standard solutions.

You can hang a birdhouse on the wall of a building. To do this correctly, a flat wooden stick is attached to the back of the product to help with installation. If the house is wooden, then a stick is not required for installation. True, starlings are not particularly willing to fly to such a location.
It is allowed to install a birdhouse on a pole. This method, however, has significant disadvantages. For example, during a strong snowstorm, the house may simply break or fall. In this case, it would be correct to use a powerful pole that would not sway from side to side - after all, no one has canceled the rules with height.
And yet, a convenient method from all sides is wood. In this case, birdhouses are installed in several ways. This can be nailing, wrapping with braid or rope. If you use wire, it is best to place something soft under it - this way you will not damage the wood.

Development case study on topic: “Birdhouse”

INTRODUCTION

Spring has come, the streams began to gurgle, and the first grass began to emerge. What to do House master? He will be involved in real estate. And more specifically, the construction of houses for our feathered brothers - birdhouses. Let's join them too.
In addition to taking care of birds, you can give yourself great pleasure and decorate your garden or yard with an unusual birdhouse. You will be able to admire the beautiful birdhouse and the life of your feathered friends in it.
This is a good deed that everyone can do! Give your bird family a new cozy house, and the world will be filled with the flapping of wings and cheerful chirping, and the trees around you will breathe a sigh of relief, having gotten rid of the annoying and voracious worm bugs. Both children and adults simply need such experience of communicating with living nature; it will help them become more responsive, kinder and feel like masters of a large living planet, on which there are so many who need our help.
By the way, April 1 is International Bird Day. You can prepare for this unusual holiday by hanging a birdhouse in your garden or yard. After all, in Russia, since time immemorial, there has been a tradition of attracting migratory birds.
So, if you want to enjoy the singing of birds, it would not be a bad idea to help them find their own house. On these pages we will help you understand the types of bird “real estate”.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE CASE

Target:
You will learn how to make a birdhouse with your own hands
Tasks:
1. Get to know different types of wood
2. Find out what types of birdhouses there are by shape
3. Get acquainted with the sequence of actions for making a birdhouse

CASE TASK

Watch a fragment from a famous cartoon and analyze the actions of the crocodile Gena and Cheburashka. Why didn't they make a birdhouse?

CLARIFICATION OF THE TASK

1. What type of wood is best to make a birdhouse from?
2. How to use boards sparingly and correctly cut out the parts of a birdhouse?
3. What diameter should the inlet hole be?
4. Using the drawing and tips, make a birdhouse, tell which birds your birdhouse will be a home for.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Characteristics of the main types of wood and their industrial applications
- Coniferous wood
A special feature of the structure of coniferous wood is resin ducts, which are thin channels filled with resin. Annual layers are visible in all sections. All species, except fir, have a resinous odor; medullary rays are not visible.
- Hardwood
The structure of trees of such species is characterized by the presence of vessels that have a tubular shape and are clearly visible in the cross section of the trunk in the form of small holes. Based on the location of the vessels in the annual layer, they are divided into ring-vascular (a ring of large vessels is located in the early zone of the annual layers) and scattered-vascular (vessels of various sizes are distributed more or less evenly throughout the annual layer, and therefore the boundary between early and late wood is not clearly defined).
Deciduous tree species are also divided into hard and soft, with all ring-vascular trees being hard, and scatter-vascular trees being hard and soft.
Examples of conifers
The pine has a brownish-red core. The yellowish-white sapwood is clearly visible in all sections. The transition from early wood to late wood is sharp. The late wood is reddish-brown in color and well developed. Early wood is light. Numerous resin ducts with a diameter of 0.06-0.13 mm are clearly visible in all sections.
Technical specifications: wood is resinous, durable, resistant to decay; easy to prick and saw.
Industrial application: in shipbuilding, car-building, machine-building, bridge-building, carpentry and furniture production and house-building.

Spruce and fir are coreless mature wood species of white color with a faint yellowish tint. The transition from early wood to late wood is gradual. Late wood of spruce has the appearance of a light brown stripe. The resin passages are faintly visible.
Technical characteristics of spruce: spruce wood is soft, light, splits well and sticks together. Less resinous than the rocks discussed above. Very hard small numerous knots. Retains natural color for a long time.
Industrial use: used along with pine wood, as well as in the manufacture musical instruments.
Technical characteristics of fir: the wood has many hard, small knots, does not contain resin, and has no odor. It has low resistance to rotting.
Industrial use: fir is used to make musical instruments and in construction.

Cedar has a light pink to yellowish-red heartwood. The sapwood is yellowish-white. Late wood is yellowish-pink in color, poorly developed, the transition to early wood is gradual. Resin ducts are numerous and larger than those of other breeds. Cedar can reach an age of about 800 years.
Technical characteristics: the wood is soft, light, beautiful in color and texture; easy to process, particularly on lathes.
Industrial use: used in carpentry and furniture production, for the manufacture of pencils, sleepers and mine stands for mines.

Yew has a brownish-red core, which makes it sharply different from the narrow yellowish-white sapwood. The sinuous annual layers are clearly visible.
Technical characteristics: the wood is beautiful in texture and color, and is well processed.
Industrial use: used for interior decoration, production of small art products and in furniture production. Currently, yew is listed in the Red Book.

Larch is a sound species. The kernel is red-brown. The sapwood is narrow, white with a slight brown tint. The late wood of the annual layers, which is dark brown in color, is highly developed and differs very sharply from the early wood, which is light brown in color. Resin passages are small and few in number.
Technical characteristics: high hardness wood, durable and heavy. Small knots are placed at right angles to the trunk. Resistant to rot, but prone to cracking.
Industrial use: due to its beautiful structure, larch is used in furniture production (production of veneer, bar parts) and in carriage building.

Examples of hardwoods
Birch is a sapwood species of white wood with a reddish tint. It has narrow medullary rays, barely noticeable in a radial section.
Technical characteristics: it is highly durable, especially under shock loads, but is not very durable and quickly rots in a humid environment. It sharpens well.
Industrial Applications: Used to make peel-cut veneer, plywood, skis and furniture.

Aspen is characterized by white wood with a greenish tint.
Technical characteristics: the wood is light and soft. Well processed, prone to rotting.
Industrial use: used in match production, as well as for the manufacture of toys, dishes and shavings.

Alder has a uniform structure. The white color of the wood becomes reddish over time.
Technical characteristics: the wood is soft, light. It is easy to peel, bends well and imitates mahogany.

Linden has low physical and mechanical properties.
Technical characteristics: white wood with a slight pinkish or reddish tint, soft, light. It sharpens well, cracks little and warps slightly.
Industrial use: linden wood is used to make drawing boards, food containers and other products.

Oak has a dark brown to yellowish brown heartwood. The light yellow sapwood is clearly defined and has 8-10 layers. The annual layers are clearly visible in all sections. In a cross section, due to the sharp difference between early and late wood, they are clearly visible. The medullary rays are highly developed and vary in all sections; vessels are small.
Technical characteristics: oak wood has a beautiful texture and color, high strength against rotting, and good bending ability.
Industrial use: oak wood is used in carpentry, furniture, parquet and plywood production, in car and shipbuilding (In the time of Peter I, about 1,600 oak trunks had to be used for one sixty-gun ship).

Ash has a light brown core. The sapwood is wide, yellowish-white, gradually turning into the core. The annual layers are clearly visible in all sections. The medullary rays are narrow and difficult to distinguish. The cross section shows large vessels in the annual layers.
Technical characteristics: the wood is strong and tough, with a beautiful texture, is easy to process, and almost does not crack when dried.
Industrial applications: used in the same areas as oak wood, as well as in the aircraft and automotive industries. High impact strength and bending ability determine its use for production sports equipment and handles of various tools.

Hornbeam is a kernel-free, sapwood species of wood, grayish-white in color. The annual layers are wavy and clearly visible in the cross section. The vessels and medullary rays are small and invisible.
Technical characteristics: the wood is heavy, hard, resists abrasion well, and cracks when dried.
Industrial application: used for the manufacture of parts for agricultural machines, turning products and textile machines.

Maple (common), like hornbeam, has coreless, sapwood wood. Maple sometimes has a greenish-gray false kernel. Against the background of poorly distinguishable annual layers, the medullary rays are clearly visible, colored brownish and having a strong shine.
Technical characteristics: the wood is dense, heavy and durable, has White color with a yellowish tint.
Industrial use: used in the production of furniture, textile machine parts, musical and carpentry instruments.

The history of the birdhouse
On page 18 of the ancient treatise on the birds of Giovania by Pietro Olin, printed in Rome in 1622, a starling is described, and an engraving is placed against the text. This engraving shows a starling in the foreground, and behind is a clay pot-like vessel with a hole attached to a tree. This appears to be one of the earliest depictions of an artificial starling nest. There are also older images of such birdhouses. A triptych painted by Gerard David around 1500 depicts clay nests hung on the wall: from the entrances of these urns or pots a wide variety of birds fly out.
It can be assumed that birdhouses of this kind were widespread in Holland already in early middle ages. But not in other countries, since the famous “Ornithology” of the Italian Aldrovandi directly states that these birdhouses are an invention of the Flemings. Aldrovandi writes in 1599: “As I heard, the Dutch even arrange artificial nests for starlings, similar to those that we described in the chapter on sparrows, in the local dialect called Spraewe-potten, that is, vessels for starlings.”

Types of birdhouses

Birdhouse
Where there are few orchards and vineyards, the starling is of great benefit by exterminating orthoptera and insect larvae. Starlings, as you know, willingly settle in birdhouses specially arranged for them, no matter whether the birdhouses are placed among fields, or near housing, or even on the roofs of houses, around which there is enough space not occupied by buildings, where starlings could find food for themselves. Optimal size the bottom of the birdhouse should be no larger than the area of ​​the hollow that the great spotted woodpecker usually hollows out in the trees: 10x10 cm, 12x12 cm or 10x12 cm. If the apartments are larger, then 4-5 chicks will survive in them, which the parents will not be able to feed properly. The offspring will grow up frail, sickly and will not survive the difficult flight to warmer climes. In addition, weak individuals are carriers of various epizootics (after all, starlings are active spreaders of many dangerous diseases). In a cramped house, only two or three chicks will grow up, but these will be strong, healthy individuals, less susceptible to diseases and infections, which will maintain the power and strength of the native population. And one more very important point - don’t be overzealous, one birdhouse for ten other artificial nesting boxes for birds (titmouses, flycatchers, wagbirds, etc.) is quite enough. In other words, just a few houses for starlings are quite enough for a small garden community, but there should be ten times more other bird houses.
Titmouse
The tit lives in forests and parks. More often than other birds, the tit settles next to humans. Looks for insects and spiders on branches and trunks. In winter it feeds on seeds and other plant foods. A common visitor to feeders in city parks.
The design of the titmouse is the same as that of the birdhouse. The only difference is the dimensions. For a great tit, a box with a depth of 50 cm is suitable, and for small tits, 25 cm is enough. The diameter of the entrance is 3 cm.
flycatcher
The flycatcher lives in gardens, parks, forests, and forest edges. In green provincial towns it is sometimes found on boulevards and squares.
By exterminating flies, butterflies and horseflies, flycatchers bring great benefits to forestry, horticulture and livestock farming. A common inhabitant of birdhouses hung at the edge of the forest.
A flycatcher will not use the same nesting box as a tit.
The flycatcher, unlike the titmouse, has a slightly larger bottom area with a shallower depth (bottom 12x12 cm or 14x14 cm, depth 8-10 cm, entrance 3x3 cm).
Materials
The board is 1.20 m long and 15 cm wide. Do not take plywood or chipboard. A spruce board 2 cm thick is quite suitable. Cut out the elements from the board.
Nail the walls to the sides of the floor: the dimensions are calculated for this. We drilled four holes on the back panel for attaching the birdhouse. The roof is nailed to the walls and back panel. This way all the parts will be firmly attached. To clean the birdhouse, it is not necessary to remove the top part: the entrance hole is large enough.
The wood does not need to be painted or varnished. Also, do not use any wood preservative. Some of them contain toxic substances and birds may be harmed. But you can soak the birdhouse with waste oil - this will protect them from dampness. If the wood is light, you can darken it with brown paint.
The flycatcher can also house white or mountain wagtail, black redstart, wren, sometimes common redstart or even robin.
wagtail
The wagtail is a very useful bird. Its benefits are especially great in the garden, where it, quickly running through the beds, destroys countless harmful agriculture insects and their larvae.
A wagtail designed for wagtails is distinguished by the fact that it is designed for birds that do not have tenacious paws and prefer to walk “on foot” - it should have a “ladder” in front of the entrance about 10 cm wide. A classic wagtail is very similar to a birdhouse, which is simply laid on its side . The main feature is that the boards serving as the floor and roof must protrude strongly forward (by 10 centimeters). Thus, the birds will have a fit and the same visor. Instead of an inlet hole, you can cut a regular slotted cut 4 cm wide. Approximate parameters of the wagtail “box” itself: length - 25-30 cm, width - 12-14 cm, height - 10 cm. With the width, we did not take into account the ten-centimeter visor and the same fit , therefore, if you make the floor and ceiling from a solid board, then its dimensions will be 25x22 or 30x24 cm, respectively. Another very important detail is a low wall - a partition inside the house that separates the nesting chamber and the hallway. This is necessary to prevent robber birds or cats from getting to the chicks.
The arrival of the wagtail coincides with the opening of the rivers, and therefore people say; “The wagtail breaks the ice on the river with its tail.”
The wagtail likes to make its nest near rivers, ponds and swamps, between firewood, in haylofts, behind wall cladding.
The house must be nailed to a non-residential building (shed, barn) at a height of 3 to 5 meters.
The distance between two birdhouses should be:
30-50 m for gray wagtail
50-60 m for great tit
70-80 m for redstart
100 m for pika
150 m for nuthatch
160-200 m for spotted woodpecker
There is no need to place too many birdhouses nearby. Birds do not always have an easy-going character; they can quarrel while protecting the territory.
The size of the entrance hole depending on the type of bird:
Great tit 25 mm
Blue tit 25 mm
Tree sparrow 26 mm
House sparrow 29 mm
Nuthatch 28-30 mm
Starling 35-50 mm

MAKING A NIGHTBOOK

Tools and materials
Boards 2 cm thick and min. 19 cm wide.
It is important that one side of the board is unplaned
Nails 5 cm with head
Protective impregnation or odorless paint
Hacksaw or jigsaw
Hammer
Electric drill with cutter
Tape measure or ruler
Pencil
Compass
Brush

Safety precautions
Labor protection requirements before starting work
1. Put on overalls and carefully tuck your hair under your beret.
2. Check the serviceability of the tool and put it in its place, remove all unnecessary things from the workplace.

Safety precautions when working with hand carpentry tools
1. Hand tools must be well sharpened, the handles are smoothly sharpened, and the working parts are well secured to the handle.
2. Hand tools impact action must satisfy a number of requirements, namely:
the working ends should not have any damage (potholes, chips), and the side edges where they are clamped by hand should not have burrs or sharp edges;
the back of the instrument must be smooth, without cracks, burrs or chips;
instruments must be tightly fitted onto handles at least 15 cm long;
you must use hammers that have sufficient weight and a comfortable striking surface.
3. When working with a cutting tool, the following requirements must be met:
in all cases, place the tool so that the blade points down;
Do not use a hand saw to cut material laid on your knee, do not guide the saw with your hand;
When working with a saw, guide the saw blade along the line using a stop, and when sawing, place the material on pads or on a workbench; keep your hands away from the cut line when sawing.
4. Use only sharpened cutting tools. It is much easier to injure yourself with a dull tool than with a sharp one, because you have to apply more force to it, and it can slip off the surface being treated. If you miss a cutting tool, do not try to catch it in mid-flight.

Safety precautions when using an electric drill
1. When working with hard surfaces and viscous materials, hold the drill with both hands, especially when working with powerful models;
2. Do not overload the drill with strong pressure to prevent jamming;
3. Avoid the presence of nails and other metal objects in the material being processed;
4. Avoid dampness, contamination, shavings and other foreign objects from getting on electrical equipment;
5. Monitor serviceability protective grounding tool;
6. Do not work when the power tool vibrates;
7. When leaving the workplace, be sure to unplug the power tool;
8. Place or place the power tool in a safe position;
9. Work portable power tool, monitor the power cable (avoiding its twisting, blockage and other mechanical influences).

After finishing working with the power tool
1. Unplug the power tool, disconnect the grounding and clean it of dust and dirt. Clean with a broom;
2. Do not let go of the drill until the engine stops completely;
3. Do not touch the equipment for some time, even after a complete stop.

Labor protection requirements upon completion of work
1. Put the tool in order and workplace. Do not blow away shavings and sawdust with your mouth or sweep them away with your hand, but use a brush for this;
2. Carry out a wet cleaning of the workshop;
3. Take off overalls and wash your hands thoroughly with soap.
Sequence of actions when making a birdhouse
Parts for birdhouse
1. Draw a drawing of the parts on paper (See Appendix No. 1).
2. Transfer the outlines of the parts to the boards.
3. Draw a round inlet hole (taphole) on the front wall using a compass.
4. Using a hacksaw or jigsaw, cut out the parts along the contour.
5. Using a drill and cutter, make a hole in the tap hole on the front wall.
Assembling a birdhouse (See Appendix No. 2)
1. Place the fastening strip on the outside of the back wall exactly in the middle and nail it with 2 nails. The nails should protrude outward from the side of the plank, where they should be bent.
2. Nail the resulting workpiece to the side wall with 2 nails from the rear wall.
3. Pin the second side wall in the same way.
4. Take the bottom and, using a hammer, carefully insert it between the three walls so that a flat surface is formed. Nail the bottom to the walls: one nail in the center of the bottom of the side walls and 2 nails on the side of the back wall.
5. Take the front wall, attach it to the resulting workpiece and nail it with 5 nails: 2 in the side walls and 1 in the bottom.
6. Take the lid and inside draw 4 lines: three at a distance of 2 cm from the edge and a fourth at a distance of 5 cm, as shown in the dotted line in the diagram. Then place the sleeve on the resulting square and nail it to the lid with 4 nails - one on each side.
7. Close the birdhouse with a lid so that a canopy is formed above the entrance to the bird’s house. The lid is not nailed to the birdhouse.
8. After the birdhouse is ready, you can coat it with water-based paint.

It is preferable to take boards from deciduous wood, such as birch, aspen, alder. We strongly advise against using laminated or compressed wood (chipboard, fiberboard, plywood, etc.) when building a birdhouse - it is extremely short-lived when placed outdoors, not to mention its toxicity.
- The thickness of the boards should be at least 2 cm, with such a thickness the birdhouse will retain heat well.
- On the outside of the houses, the boards must be planed, and on the inside - either not planed, or have deep transverse notches and scratches, so that it is easier for the bird and chicks to get out.
- Do not try to fit the boards close to each other; the existing cracks will provide the necessary ventilation.
- Make sure you don't have any exposed nails or sharp splintered edges inside the birdhouse, you don't want the birds to get hurt.
- We make the roof of the birdhouse removable so that it can be cleaned after the nesting period in the fall. But the lid must fit tightly so that neither a cat nor a crow, the main enemies of the chicks, can open it.
- You can install a perch in front of the entrance hole to your taste - the birds do not particularly need it.
- Birds prefer nesting sites with a slight forward slope; the slope to the right or left does not matter.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Technology lessons using ICT for grades 5-6: methodological manual with electronic application. – M.: Planeta, 2011. – p. 13-26
2. Simonenko V.D. Technology: textbook for 6th grade of secondary school (option for boys) / P.S. Samorodsky, V.D. Simonenko, A.T. Tishchenko; edited by V.D. Simonenko. – M.: Ventana-Graff, 2003. – p. 8-79 Technology test with answers for schoolchildren: Ribbon embroidery

Those who move to live outside the city, or those who have a summer house, sooner or later may have the desire to hang a birdhouse. We will try to talk a little about how to properly hang a birdhouse in the yard or on your own property.

When

First, about the time when you can already think about installing a birdhouse. The optimal time to install a birdhouse is early April. At this time, birds begin to actively look for nesting places, and your efforts can be rewarded almost instantly.

Where

Birds are looking for safety and comfort, which means you need to hang the birdhouse at a height of about 3-4 meters if it is a quiet and peaceful place (cottage, park, village) and higher if it is a city (that is, noise and traffic). In addition, do not forget that predators (for example cats) begin their hunt for chicks in the spring.
Thus, by installing the birdhouse incorrectly, for example, low or in a place easily accessible to predators, you expose future chicks to great risk!

Before placing a birdhouse low in a tree where a cat can easily reach it, consider safety precautions. For example, you can install a birdhouse on a stick or board.

The cat will not start hunting if it is not easy to get to the birdhouse, and if the birdhouses are made correctly, the risks will be minimal.

How

The entrance (entrance) must be oriented in the direction opposite to the prevailing winds. That is, if northwestern and western winds predominate in your country, then you need to try to hang the birdhouse with its entrance facing east and southeast. As a result, the wind, which in the spring can be accompanied by rain or snow, will annoy the chicks less.

If you do not live in Siberia, then you can think about the shade. Indeed, on some especially hot sunny days, birds may not be comfortable in the sun.

We protect from precipitation: place the birdhouse strictly vertically or with a slight slope forward, but in no case backwards (in addition to the possibility of sediment penetrating inside, this will complicate the chicks’ climbing to the exit).

Also, do not forget that once a year it is advisable to clean the birdhouse and, if necessary, repair it, and for this it will be advisable to remove it. Keep this in mind when installing bird houses.

We do everything right

Most often, the process of installing a birdhouse goes like this:

1. A wooden stick or plank is attached (nailed with nails) to the back wall of the birdhouse. Using this board, the birdhouse is attached to the tree. In order not to damage it, it is better to tie the birdhouse with a rope or braid. If you use wire, it is better to put something under it. Try to secure it so that the entrance to the birdhouse is not easily accessible via large branches. 2. You don’t have to attach the stick if you tie the braid around the birdhouse itself (for convenience, you can screw self-tapping screws into the sides of the birdhouse). Then tie it tightly to the tree trunk. you can simply attach it with self-tapping screws, but you will have to tinker with brick or plastic.

Birdhouses weigh from 2 to 5 kg, including offspring, so there is no need to look for a particularly strong base.

4. Sometimes birdhouses are mounted on high poles. But this is not always safe (wind, sun). If installed on a long pole, it is advisable to provide jibs or braces; this will prevent unwanted swinging and destruction of birdhouses. The lives of the chicks are at stake!

5. It’s up to you to paint or not paint birdhouses. What matters to birds is how the birdhouse is located and whether it is comfortable, not its color.

And a person is most often pleased when a birdhouse is unusual, so why not). It is best to paint with acrylic paints and water-based impregnations.

Not everyone knows how to hang a birdhouse correctly. Although people often catch themselves thinking that it would be nice to arrange a home for birds near their home. The reasons for such a desire can be very diverse. Birds help gardeners and gardeners fight pests. Some people like to listen to them sing. Others simply enjoy watching their feathered friends. Making and installing a birdhouse together with children is a very important stage in raising a child. But often, for some reason, not everyone succeeds even in such a simple task. It seems that the birdhouse is beautifully made and secured securely, and the birds avoid it. What's the matter? How to properly hang a bird house? Let's try to answer this question. It has long been noticed that some birds very easily respond to an invitation from a person to live nearby. This is especially true for those birds that like to make a nest in an enclosed space.

Economic activity people has led to a decrease in the number of shelters suitable for our little friends. Therefore, many birds no longer use only hollows, but also any suitable cavity to build a nest. It’s good that there are caring people trying to make up for the shortage of hollows in nature. By hanging birdhouses, you can not only restore, but often increase the number of certain bird species. These primarily include everyone's favorite starlings and tits. There are birds that need shelter, where they can spend the night, take shelter from bad weather, hide from enemies, and store food supplies for a rainy day. If you also want to see bird offspring, then you can hang houses in early spring, even before the starlings arrive. Usually this is the period from the end of March or from the first days of April.

At the same time, ornithological experts claim that best time for installing birdhouses - not spring at all, but autumn. The fact is that birds are very careful creatures that choose reliable, calm and secluded places for their homes. Therefore, a new house made of fresh boards, often brightly painted, arouses mistrust and suspicion. It is for this reason that birdhouses that are hung in the spring often remain empty in the first year. But in the fall, almost all of them quickly become inhabited by feathered hosts. This is also facilitated by the cold, when any shelter becomes a lifesaver for little birds who are not afraid to stay in our area for the winter.

The answer to the question of how to hang a birdhouse is more complicated. There are some subtleties here that you should definitely pay attention to. The most important thing is that the bird’s home should be at a height of at least 3 m from the ground. If you plan to place a birdhouse on a residential multi-story building, then no higher than the 4th or 5th floor. You need to understand that the birds will inevitably be disturbed by light, noise, temperature changes, and wind. A house installed too high will be dangerous for young chicks. But, of course, it is better to place birdhouses in gardens, parks, and forest belts. The tree must be strong and healthy. The best height is about 7-9 m.

The front part should have a slight slope forward so that rain does not flood the nest through the entrance. It is also important to prevent the bird house from overheating from the direct rays of the midday sun. To do this, the birdhouse must be correctly oriented to the cardinal points. It is best if the entrance is directed to the east or southeast. In the European part of Russia, the entrance should not be directed to the north or northeast, since it is from these directions that the damp cold wind most often blows, often with rain. The branches should not touch the front side, otherwise sooner or later the cat will get to the birds. Of course, never nail a birdhouse to a living tree!

When attaching the bird house to the base, it is easy to do without nails. In the best way The pole on which the birdhouse is fixed will be tied with ordinary soft wire. In this case, it is advisable to place narrow wooden blocks up to 3-4 cm thick under it. Over time, as the tree grows, the wire will grow into the blocks, but not into it. You can also make a hook on the back wall, and install the birdhouse on a thick horizontal branch not far from the main trunk of the tree.

Sometimes there may be no trees on the site required height and strength. The solution is very simple - install a long pole! A birdhouse is fixed at one end, and the other is attached to a solid base. For example, to a fence post. Due to the fact that birds are well aware of the strength of materials, the entire structure must be strong and reliable. No birds will be tempted by rotten wood or a thin and flexible pole that can be broken by the wind.

The birdhouse must be securely strengthened, but it must be possible to remove it for routine inspections and cleaning. It is imperative to protect houses from cats. This must be provided for in the design itself. The small entrance does not allow the cat to get inside, and the significant depth does not allow the cat to reach the bottom with its paw. One of the most reliable means of protection is a circle of plywood with a diameter of 40 cm. It is attached in the middle of a pole, and it is an almost insurmountable barrier for mustachioed and striped predators.

As a general rule, bird nesting boxes should not be placed next to each other. This is due to the fact that many species of birds protect not only their nest, but also a certain territory around it. For example, the radius of the “territorial defense” zone of the pied flycatcher is about 20 m, but the great tit will not tolerate competitors closer than 50, or even 60 m.

Design requirements

Having figured out when to hang a birdhouse, it is impossible to avoid the question of what it should look like. An ordinary bird house is made from a well-dried board with a thickness of 1.5 cm. There should be no cracks in it, and it should not be planed on the inside. The outside of the house may not be painted. True, recently brightly colored birdhouses are appearing more and more often.

Accurate adherence to dimensions is very important, since they determine the future owner of the nest and the conditions of his living there. A classic birdhouse has dimensions of 25-30 x 13-15 x 13-15 cm and a round entrance of 4.7-5 cm. Such a home can be occupied not only by a starling, but also by a large tit, woodpecker, sparrow or swift. Among smaller birds, including songbirds, the titmouse is very popular. Its dimensions: 22-28 x 10-11 x 10-11 cm with a smaller diameter entrance: 3.2-3.5 cm. Such housing will appeal to the pied flycatcher, nuthatch, garden redstart, tits, sparrows and some other birds . The roof should be made pitched. It should fit snugly against the walls of the house, but at the same time be easily removable. This is necessary to clean the bird’s home in the fall, at the end of the summer season and after the birds fly away for the winter to warmer climes. Birds do not need any decorations or bright details at all; they get along just fine without them.

You need to understand that a bird house should appeal primarily to birds, not people. The best home for them is an unpainted box made of unplaned boards with the smallest possible entrance and a deep bottom.

Even the classic perch in front of the entrance is completely unnecessary for the birds.

The reason is simple - a predator or enemy can sit there, which will find it much more convenient to hunt the owners of the birdhouse.

Necessary afterword

In addition, you need to understand that fulfilling all the above conditions does not guarantee that the birdhouse will definitely be occupied by birds. The occupancy of a house is influenced by many factors, not all of which have been sufficiently studied. Therefore, if you want to attract feathered friends to your home or garden, you should make several copies of bird shelters and hang them in different places.

After placing the birdhouses, you should try to go more often to observe them in order to see exactly where and what kind of birds have settled, how they behave, and whether there are any threats to them. When hatching chicks, you should not get too close to the bird’s nest, much less inspect it. It is best to do this from a distance from cover and not disturb the owners. Modern technology allows this without much effort. The information that will be collected during observations will allow us to next year improve the design of nests and choose places where it is better to hang birdhouses.

It is very interesting to watch how birds live. When a person manages to build a house suitable for them and place it successfully, this will not only benefit the garden or vegetable garden, significantly reducing the number of pests, but will also give the whole family wonderful moments while contemplating the lives of our little hardworking neighbors and helpers.

Don’t lose the opportunity to do a good and useful deed - hang your birdhouse for the birds!

Good afternoon, dear subscribers! Today we’ll talk about a lively spring topic - how to make a simple birdhouse for the garden and how to properly hang it on a tree. Attract birds to country cottage area it is necessary, if only because starlings, tits, redstarts and wagtails are capable of destroying a lot of pests, and therefore saving your plantings from damage.

Even if you hang only one birdhouse, a pair of starlings who have chosen it as their home can ensure the absence of any harmful insects within a radius of 25-30 meters. Therefore, if you don’t already have a birdhouse on your property, be sure to get one! It’s a joy for the children, and it helps you too.

Birdhouses are made from inch boards, 150 mm wide. It is advisable to take boards that are already dried, but not sanded, so that the birds can hold on to them with their paws without any problems. If the boards are made of damp wood and not dried, then over time they will dry out and the wind will blow through the cracks, and this can harm the little chicks.

By the way, birdhouses are not made from plywood! Keep this in mind. Firstly, this material will quickly become unusable from moisture, and secondly, plywood is smooth and it will be inconvenient for birds to hold onto it with their claws.

The standard dimensions recommended by biologists for a birdhouse are height 400 mm, width 150 mm. Size is very important, since starlings have certain “ideas” about the size of their home. The diameter of the tap hole is about 60 mm. Be sure to make the entrance round in shape - the birds like it.

You can cut the tap hole either by drilling a hole or by cutting it out with a chisel. There are special furniture cutters and drill attachments of just the right diameter. It’s very convenient to make holes for birdhouses, if you have such cutters, of course... If not, then it’s probably better to use a chisel.

Nail a 15 mm strip under the taphole - a porch. The father of the family will hold on to her when he brings food for his female while hatching eggs. There is no need to make a porch that is too wide, otherwise jackdaws and crows can get caught on it, which can destroy the nest and kill the starlings.

The roof of the house can be made to open so that at the end of the season you can clean the inside of the birdhouse. The lid can be made on a hinge or nailed to it from the inside, according to the size of the internal area, a square board. Such a lid will hold tightly and will not come off in the wind.

It is not recommended to paint or treat the birdhouse, as birds love everything natural. Even untreated wood is perfectly worth three or four seasons. Place a five-centimeter layer of a mixture of peat and soil on the bottom of a freshly built birdhouse. For birds, this layer will be the basis on which they will lay hay on top and build a nest.

Where to hang a birdhouse

Hang the birdhouse in a quiet part of the garden away from the house. Choose a tree that is branchy and tall. Orient the entrance so that it “looks” to the southwest. The height to which the birdhouse needs to be raised should be about 4 meters. It is best to first secure the poultry house on the ground to a wooden pole, and then mount it to the tree.

To protect against cats, it is recommended to cover the pole near the birdhouse with tin or plastic from bottles. If you want to place several poultry houses on the site, then maintain a distance of 30 m between them. Each bird family settles at a distance from each other. This is due to the food supply and the fact that birds love privacy.