Are you thinking about adding a birdhouse to your country garden landscape design? This is a good thing! Birdhouses are especially important because they offer wild birds shelter as well as protection while they are nesting. Birdhouses also give us a unique opportunity to be able to watch these birds and to listen to them while they are caring for and tending to their little ones.
Whether you are creating your own birdhouse or buying a birdhouse, there are definitely a number of things that you are going to want to consider before you end up with a finished product that is ready to be hung. You are going to want to think about the location of the birdhouse, the materials that the birdhouse is made out of and the maintenance of the birdhouse. Here is a brief run down on these factors and what to do with them:
Location
When you are considering the location of your new birdhouse, you are going to want to think about where the birdhouse is going to go. You can attach it to a tree, but you want to make sure that it is protected from predators such as cats and other larger animals. For this reason, it may be best to hang it from a post or a pole, and at least five feet above the ground to keep animals from bothering the birds inside.
The area surrounding the birdhouse should be open so that the birds can easily come in and out at whim. They will be delivering food to their young, so giving them plenty of flying space is going to be important. Do not let the open face the wind, though, because this could drive cold and rain into your birdhouse, disrupting your birds.
Materials
Many birdhouses are made from wood, and for good reason too. Plastic and metal birdhouses tend to retain more heat, and birds are susceptible to harm from too much heat. Choosing wood for your birdhouse is going to mean choosing a natural material that the birds will be drawn to. Make sure that you are choosing a type of wood that has not been treated or stained using chemicals as these products can be harmful and deadly to many species of birds.
Make sure that there are also some drainage holes present at the bottom of the birdhouse so that water, when present, can drain away. Excessive water can rot or mold the nesting materials, preventing the birds from remaining in the birdhouse. The birdhouse also needs to have ventilation holes because plenty of fresh air is important for birds and their young.
Photo Credits: the1pony
Originally posted 2009-10-16 03:56:36. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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