- Bird Houses, Decorative Bird Houses, Dovecote Birdhouse, Uncategorized, Unique Birdhouses, Vinyl with Copper Roof Birdhouses
dovecote birdhouse dream home!
dove.cote (also dove.cot)
noun: a shelter with nest holes for domesticated pigeons.Pigeons? That’s what the dictionary says, but you can bet these dream homes are more than just shelters, and not for pigeons! Chickadees, Titmice, Wrens, Nuthatches and other small cavity-nesting songbirds would be mighty pleased to call any one of the eight compartments their home. Imagine nesting and raising your young in digs like this!
And as for the human host, this fine dovecote birdhouse will grace the landscape with classic and simple elegance for many years to come. Meticulous construction ensures it!
A friend once mentioned these are “sparrow slums” as non-native House Sparrows will nest anywhere. Many folks despise them, especially Bluebird or Martin landlords, because House (or English) Sparrows destroy and decimate our native Bluebirds and Purple Martins. Mostly through competition for nest sites and territory, their behavior is brutally mean to adults, eggs, nestlings, and fledgelings. English House Sparrows? That’s probably where the “pigeons” come from too?
It’s easy to recognize a Sparrow’s nest if you’d prefer them to stay away from your dovecote birdhouses. Trash and a tunnel – yes a tunneled nest filled with a variety of grasses, straw, paper, string, and whatever else they can scavenge best describes their structure. Simply remove the nest to keep them from breeding, and repeat if they return to try again.
On the flip side, some folks have even inquired on how to keep all birds out of their new house? The structures are so pretty they don’t want birds in them at all! Bummer 🙁 Because of the vinyl construction, these houses stay looking brand new for years… and years! Simply wipe clean with a damp cloth, they’ll never need painting, and are guaranteed not to warp, split, crack, or fade – ever!
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innovative birdhouse kits for young & old alike
No worries if this one looks a little too mod for your taste, this company offers traditional, and even church birdhouse kits! Supporting a cottage industry right here in Athens, Georgia, Box for the Birds has created some of the most innovative and sturdy birdhouse kits to last for many seasons of successful broods, with minimalist and cool packaging too!Fantastic projects for all ages, these kits require no nails, screws or glue, yet they’re super sturdy. Safe for nestlings and little kids too, they’re way fun to decorate. Box for the Birds provides a fine nest site and swell roosting spot during the “off-season” as well.
Another fresh and innovative idea are the kits created by Tweet Tweet Homes. Recycled plastic, in the most vibrant colors, these birdhouse kits also fit together sans the the tools, nails or glue. Warning: you may need to refer to their directions when assembling this fun puzzle!
Recycled plastics really do help the environment, and many items let you know just how many milk jugs or containers were used in producing that item. Tweet homes are also available in a traditional house shape, and a newer cone shape version too, delivered flat with barely any packaging waste.
Either with w
ood or plastic – half the fun is putting these kinds of bird house kits together, the other half is watching a family being raised and babies when its time to fledge the box! -
These Vinyl bluebird houses are NABS Approved
It’s so time to get ready, like yesterday… they’re scouting and building nests already in most parts of the country. Yes, Bluebird season 2012 is here!If you haven’t done so already, check for old nests in bluebird houses (and other nest boxes too). Best to wear gloves for this chore, and dispose of the nest away from the birdhouse as old nests will attract predators. Clean the box with a mild bleach/water solution (1:10). Scrub, rinse well with water, and let dry in the sun.
The NABS reference above? It stands for the North American Bluebird Society, who gives their approval on certain bluebird houses. The houses must meet specific criteria that’s beneficial to hosting successful bluebird broods and fledges. This is elementary stuff for serious blue-birders, but so many of us are novices and we all have to start somewhere! If you’ve been unsuccessful in enticing bluebirds to your yard, there are lots of great suggestions, and some fantastic information at www.sialis.org. We would strongly recommend this well organized and informative site for anyone interested in hosting blu
ebirds.Bluebird houses will differ for the Eastern and Mountain/Western Bluebird, although Eastern Bluebirds may use a Mountain Bluebird House. Eastern Blues require a 1-1/2 inch diameter hole, where as Mountain/Western Blues require a 1-9/16 inch entrance. This is where some of NABS Approval comes into play because an entrance that is 1-5/8 inch, will allow Starlings to enter the box, but Starlings can not enter through a 1-9/16 inch hole. Now who would know that? Floor size (4×4 for Eastern Blues, and 5×5 for Western/Mountain Blues) and ventilation are some other criteria for approval by NABS. A predator guard at the entrance of your bluebird house always helps to ensure successful fledges, as does a baffle if the house is pole or post-mounted.
Water, food, and potential nesting spots are key to enticing these fantastic birds! Bluebirds prefer open area for their hunting style (swooping to catch insets), so if your yard is heavily wooded, chance are Bluebirds won’t find it suitable… but other birds will. Chickadees and Nuthatches are already scouting nest boxes and building nests too. We just tried put up one of those side-entry houses supposedly meant for Nuthatches… we’ll see how that goes soon enough.
Spring has sprung early this year, so get in the yard and help local birds thrive!
Birding Tips, Information & News