Types of Bird Houses

The type of bird house you will use depends on the type of bird or birds that you want to attract to your home.  Bird houses come in many shapes, sizes, colors and materials.  One of the best types of bird houses is the wooden one.  There are several reasons to choose this type of bird house.  Wooden bird houses can breath for ventilation, are durable and have a good insulation quality to them.  Gourds are another good material for bird houses.  They are functional, breathable, and pretty as well.  Properly designed pottery, concrete, and plastic houses will breathe and are also durable. When choosing the bird house that you will use for your feathered friends always check for proper ventilation, drainage, and easy access for maintenance and monitoring.  When considering the type of bird house that you want another thing to think about are safety and maintenance.

Safety and Proper Maintenance

Items to consider once you have chosen the type of bird house that you want are ventilation, drainage, ease of access for maintenance and protection from predators.  You should also make sure that no harmful chemicals where used on the materials used for the building of your bird house.  You would not want your new friends to become sick.  Part of proper maintenance of your new bird house is to check them for unwanted critters, such as fleas, wasp, or flies.  Sometimes mice and others will want to take up residence in your bird house. The main thing to remember if this happens is to remove them.  If insects are the problem, use only pesticides that are not harmful to your feathered friends.  “If wasps are a problem, coat the inside top of the box with bar soap” (US Fish & Wildlife Service “Homes for Birds”).  One of the problems that you may encounter while cleaning the nest and parasites or insects are present, baby birds may also be present.  If one of the baby birds gets out of the nest you can pick it up and put it back where it was.  Birds have a lousy sense of smell and they will not reject the babies because you helped them. 

Don’t let the care and safety be a deterrent in deciding whether you want a bird house or not.  The upkeep and maintenance is part of the joy and can be a wonderful way to learn more about your new birds. You will quickly become a backyard birder with your new bird house or houses. The joy of watching beautiful bird is an immeasurable pleasure. 

Location of the bird bath. It should not be placed near any bushes, big rocks or anything that can make it easy for a predator to access it. Your bird bath should be located in a clear area of your garden where birds can easily watch out for predators while taking a bath or drinking water. If you do not choose the right location for it you could put the birds visiting your garden in eminent danger. If you have a cat, put a bell on his collar so the birds will hear it coming if it decides to attack.

Bird bathing hygiene. Birds depend on this water to take a bath, wet their feathers and take a drink of water. If you don’t replenish the bowl with fresh water on a daily basis, the water can make the birds sick. Collected bird droppings and algae can turn your birth bath into a bacteria infestation. When cleaning it out, avoid using harsh chemicals and detergents. Birds can also fall sick from any cleaning chemicals you use so as much as possible try to rinse it out with just regular water. If you find cleaning out the algae a cumbersome task, try using a bird bath wiggler. A bird bath wiggler is one of the many Bird Bath Accessories you can invest in. It is a unit you place in the bowl to prevent water from lying stagnant. The unit “wiggles” the water and this movement of water keeps it oxygen rich for the birds to drink. This wiggle movement also prevents mosquitoes from using the water to breed.

Water Level. The water level should not be higher than 3 inches so any type of bird, large or small can easily have a strong foothold. Most are made with a textured surface so birds can have a steady grasp while standing in the bowl. But if you find yours doesn’t, don’t worry too much. This can be fixed by placing small flat rocks in the bowl which gives the bird something to stand on. If you live in a colder region of the US, you will have to check regularly during the winter season to check if the water has iced over. If it has iced over you will have to break it so birds can use the water for drinking and bathing. A very useful solution to this problem can be a solar bird bath. Solar bird baths collect energy using solar panels. With this energy it operates the motor that causes the water to circulate and prevents ice from forming.

There are many Bird Bath Fountains you can choose from to enjoy the wildlife within the sanctity of your own garden. Bird baths and bird feeders are a great way to introduce wildlife into your garden without disturbing them from their natural environment.