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Why Go USA made on this copper roof birdhouse?
In the spirit of the Labor Day holiday, we say go USA.
Most times it’s true, you really do get what you pay for from a quality perspective. Although these two stunning birdhouses appear identical, they are not. Looks can be so deceiving!
One is proudly crafted in the USA (in a mom & pop shop-supporting American jobs and our own economy) while the other is a mass produced knock-off from overseas. Can you tell the difference? Barley noticeable just by looking at the images, right?
Both seem to have identical features, from the finial down to the decorative brackets… great knock-off, huh? The main feature that sets this copper roof birdhouse apart is the basic material: vinyl versus wood. Bet you still can’t really see the difference! That’s because the vinyl one made in the USA is such superb quality… it looks like wood! We’ve even had a customer or two over the years call us with concerns that their order was for a vinyl house – but they received a wooden one!
Sure the price tag is higher for the vinyl version, but it’s guaranteed to last because it’s impervious to weather and insects. In fact it’s even guaranteed to look new 5 or 10 years down the road! How many manufacturers can give that kind of assurance on their products? Actually very few come to our minds. The wooden house will absolutely fall prey to the elements, it may take a year or two, but down the road cracks, splits and warping are inevitable. And heaven forbid a pesky squirrel decides he likes the house enough to chew on it! We’re not knocking the wood version because it really is a great copy, it’s just a well know fact that with any wooden item left outdoors over time-Mother Nature and the elements will take their toll.
Making an investment in your landscape, be it for curb appeal, the birds, or both shouldn’t cause heartache down the road. Know what you’re purchasing, where it’s made, and any guarantees that come with it… regardless of the item. Please support USA made and keep small business in business.
Oh yeah, which is which? The one on the right is durable vinyl and proudly made in the USA 🙂
- Bird Houses, Copper Roof Birdhouse, Decorative Bird Houses, Dovecote Birdhouse, Uncategorized, Vinyl with Copper Roof Birdhouses
dovecote birdhouse for major curb appeal
A repeat customer phoned the other day asking about some more birdhouses for his beach residence. Frank had ordered four of these stunning birdhouses and feeders in the past, and was so pleased with the quality he wanted to replace some wooden houses that had seen better days and deteriorated over the years. Thing is… Frank doesn’t really like birds!
Learning this the first go-round, the standing joke became “have you filled those feeders yet?” Frank even asked how to keep the birds OUT of the dovecote birdhouse. After my initial disbelief had settled, I soon realized that not everyone’s into birds – folks were ordering these houses and feeders simply for the curb appeal factor. And that’s okay because it’s a product made in the USA with a lifetime guarantee.
These houses look new years after installation, in fact, the textured PVC looks so much like wood, we’ve had customers phone to say they’d received a wooden house – instead of the vinyl one they ordered! A testament to the beauty and quality of these architectural structures.
So, to each his own, if you like a dovecote birdhouse enough to keep as a lawn ornament, then why not? It’s guaranteed to grace the landscape with elegance for many years to come… birds or not!
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Attracting the right birds takes research (pertaining to bluebird houses)
This letter to the editor appeared in The Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne, IN., a few days ago. We thought it might be of interest to those who are newer to backyard birding and so fascinated with all their feathered visitors. Because all songs are not always good ones, we believed this post was in order, especially when adding bluebird houses around your yard.
“Attracting the right birds takes research, effort
Eight years ago, when my husband and I moved to the Spencerville-Leo country area, I decided to put out a birdhouse. Soon our birdhouse was occupied by a pair of bluebirds and five blue eggs. I thought how easy and why was attracting bluebirds thought to be such a hard task? Unfortunately, I discovered the answer. The main problems for bluebirds are house sparrows.
House sparrows are extremely destructive to American species of birds. House sparrows make a point of taking over nesting sites. Sparrows often and viciously take over nesting boxes inhabited by our American species. They trap adult birds in their nesting boxes and kill adult birds by pecking the skulls. Sadly, sparrows most notoriously attack the baby birds also. Sadly, in one summer I have lost as many as 11 bluebirds, mostly attributable to the sparrow and another non-native American bird, the starling.
If you are thinking about feeding birds or housing birds in your backyard, please be aware of what types of birds you bring into your area. Monitor your nesting boxes often to make sure you are attracting the birds you desire.
Now I feel like I’m starting over attracting bluebirds, but they are well worth the effort. As for my personal opinion toward house sparrows, they are nothing but trouble.
LAURA McCANN Spencerville”
Not all sparrows are bad, so it’s best to familiarize yourself with their identification by their song and plumage. Simply do a search for the ill-willed, non-native bird, and images with tons of resources will appear. Note the differences in male, female and juvenile birds as well. If you are serious about attracting bluebirds to your place, this information will serve you and the birds very well!