The absence of hollow trees within the city limits prevents birds from settling in this territory. Starlings, tits and other feathered inhabitants of the forests bring a lot of benefits. They get rid of pests on trees and delight people with beautiful singing. To settle birds on your site or in front of the house, it is enough to build a reliable birdhouse: dimensions, drawing, overview of building materials, photo examples and detailed descriptions can be found in the article.

Do-it-yourself birdhouse examples from improvised materials

There are several important points that you need to immediately determine before you build a birdhouse with your own hands: the size of the future home and the optimal conditions for birds. It is very important to adhere to the natural elements of the environment so that the feathered inhabitants of the house feel comfortable.

How to make a birdhouse (general recommendations):

1. These birds usually make nests, but they can also settle in the hollow left by the woodpecker. They do not need space, so the internal cavity of the house may be small.
2. For the normal development of chicks, good sound and heat insulation is required. This nuance must be taken into account when choosing a material for walls.
3. The hole (letok) should be convenient for the inhabitants to enter the birdhouse and not create obstacles for departure.
4. In the drawing, the dimensions of the birdhouse for starlings are affixed so that the birds feel comfortable, but at the same time, predators cannot get to the chicks or masonry. Cats are not the only natural enemies. Magpies and other species of large birds can also ruin nesting sites.
5. Safe living conditions also imply the absence of harmful fumes and strong odors.
6. It is advisable to give preference to the drawings of tree houses, in the design of which there are no sharp protrusions. There must be no defects in the finished product, otherwise the birds may get hurt.

Important! The absence of drafts is a prerequisite for raising chicks.

Do-it-yourself birdhouses made of wood: how to make the right choice of material

Wood is more often than other materials used for the construction of closed nests. Its parameters are ideal for creating bird housing. However, not every type of wood can be used for these purposes. There are some restrictions. It is not allowed to use chipboards, as well as other artificial materials of a similar type (MDF), both with and without lamination. These products are impregnated with formaldehyde and other chemicals that are dangerous to living organisms. When heated, an unpleasant odor and harmful fumes will be released, which will scare away the birds.

It is best to make a house from hardwood-based boards:

• beech;
• larch;
• oak;
• Linden.

Natural wood is environmentally friendly. The boards used in the work must be without impregnation. You can use slats and timber. Developing by eye drawings of birdhouses made of wood with dimensions, many craftsmen manage to create comfortable nesting nests from scraps of thick logs. This type of material is always at hand for those who have recently completed the construction of a house or bath on the site, and also harvest firewood for the winter.

Soft woods are much easier to work with. On the other hand, oak, larch and beech have a longer service life.

Important! In no case should conifers be used. In addition to unpleasant odors, this type of wood emits resin under the influence of solar heat. The presence of a sticky substance on the surface of the house not only creates inconvenience, but also brings danger to birds. Because of the resin, the plumage sticks together, which inevitably leads to their death.

DIY temporary bird house made of cardboard

Cardboard is an affordable and easy-to-handle material. Based on it, you can create a house for the temporary residence of birds. Before making a birdhouse, it is necessary to prepare tools and materials for the project.

For work you will need:

• well-sharpened scissors;
• marking tools (ruler and pencil);
• scotch;
• non-toxic adhesive composition;
• brushes and paints;
• cardboard.

It is better to take corrugated cardboard, from which commercial packaging is made. This type of material has a sufficient margin of safety and will last longer. When the design and dimensions of the birdhouse are determined, the drawing with a pencil and a ruler must be transferred to the surface of the cardboard. In order not to spoil the material, you can pre-train and fill your hand on plain paper.

To get a solid and reliable design, it is desirable to work with a large sheet of cardboard. Large format material allows you to cut a single piece. If this is not possible, separate structural elements are created from smaller cardboard. When working with high-density material, clerical scissors will be ineffective. In this case, experts recommend using a construction knife. It is necessary to assemble the structure and carefully fasten it with glue at the joints. With the help of paints, you can decorate the birdhouse with pictures and patterns. High-quality compositions form an additional protective coating on the surface.

Birdhouses decorated with drawings can be created with children. This great activity promotes the development of fine motor skills of fingers, accuracy and dexterity of hands. In addition, the child will be able to realize their own imagination and creative ideas.

On sale you can find building cardboard. It has a high density and can significantly extend the life of the product. However, the insulating properties of walls made of such material are much worse. Corrugated cardboard retains heat better. For a good fixation of the joints, it is necessary to use high-quality types of glue or special parts for fasteners. In order for the walls to withstand the onslaught of bad weather, it is advisable to treat them with environmentally friendly impregnations, as well as install additional stiffeners.

Helpful advice! Cardboard constructions are designed for one season. To re-make a birdhouse with your own hands, it is better to save the dimensions and all the diagrams. A successful drawing can be used to create a whole series of identical products with different designs.

Do-it-yourself birdhouses for birds from plastic bottles

Plastic is a fairly durable and practical material. It is able to maintain integrity for several years. The walls of such birdhouses are not afraid of moisture, they are resistant to strong mechanical loads that may arise during the operation of the product by birds. However, the transparent walls of the bottles transmit light well. The bright rays of the sun will disturb the residents in such a nesting place. The smooth surface of the walls will create inconvenience for the movement of chicks and adult birds.

How to make a birdhouse (container size from 3 l):

1. To create comfortable conditions, the inner surface must be finished with a coarse cloth. The material will improve the insulating characteristics of housing. It will be much easier for birds to move on woven fabric than on a smooth plastic surface.
2. Using paint from the outside, you need to cover the walls of the container to eliminate transparency. Application in several layers is allowed. This is necessary to darken the home well. The last coat of paint must be resistant to the negative effects of the weather. It is best to use acrylic formulations.
3. To cut a notch in plastic, an ordinary clerical knife is enough. Under the hole you need to make a small incision for the perch. It can be plastic or wooden.

Helpful advice! From a plastic bottle, you can make a feeder with automatic feed. According to their structure, such structures are very simple, but at the same time they can perform their functions independently, without electricity, control by people and other devices.

Plywood birdhouse: drawing with design dimensions

As a basis for creating a plywood analogue, a classic drawing of a single-sided birdhouse is suitable, the dimensions of the parts are completely preserved. You can improve the design by adding four «cube»-shaped supports to the underside of the lid. These elements enhance fixation without complicating the dismantling process. Two metal hooks can be installed in the back wall. With their help, it will be much easier to securely fasten the structure to the tree. The scheme of the birdhouse, as well as the process of its creation, does not cause any particular difficulties. In this case, you can be guided by the assembly technology of a similar structure made of wood.

However, there are some nuances when working with plywood. It is advisable to use sheets with a thickness of at least 20 mm. Otherwise, it will not be possible to achieve the required thermal conductivity. You can equip the typesetting walls. Since the operation of the product will be carried out in outdoor conditions, only moisture-resistant varieties of plywood are suitable for work. The cost of such sheets is much higher. But a bird house made of moisture-resistant plywood will retain its shape in any weather for a long time. Do not use material that has been treated with poisonous impregnations and glue with a persistent odor.

Drawings of birdhouses with sizes for different birds

Various materials can be used to create a beautiful birdhouse, but wood is more suitable for these purposes. Benefits of using this material:

• affordable price;
• ecological cleanliness;
• high strength characteristics;
• good insulating properties;

• easy to process, even when using a hand tool;
• creates conditions as close as possible to the natural environment.

Each type of bird has its own habits and preferences. Therefore, when choosing dimensions for creating a birdhouse with your own hands, you need to clearly understand what type of feathered inhabitants will live in it. Usually such houses are designed for small birds. In addition to starlings, tits, sparrows, wagtails, woodpeckers, flycatchers, swifts and other species that prefer to nest in hollows can live there.

Note! There is no single size birdhouse for birds. It all depends on the physiological characteristics and needs of the species that will nest in the house. Not only the size is important, but also the shape, as well as the nature of the placement of the main elements.

What should be the optimal size of a birdhouse for starlings

The starling is a fairly large bird. For a comfortable stay, he needs a deep, large enough (but in moderation) structure. When creating a birdhouse for starlings with your own hands, the dimensions must be selected based on the standard parameters:

1. Hole (letok) — about 4.5-5 cm.
2. The height of the structure is from 35 to 40 cm.
3. Width — at least 15 cm.
4. Length — at least 15 cm.

Size, like the shape of the hole, is of the utmost importance. Letok desirable to do round. The diameter depends not only on the size of the bird, but also on the size of the structure itself. The inner edges of the hole must be carefully processed. If the burrs are not removed, the bird may be injured. A round notch is made for most birds, with the exception of a half-hollow. In this case, instead of a hole, a longitudinal slot is formed. It should occupy almost the entire width of the front wall. This is due to the fact that the half-hollow settles in the recesses between the branches and may not choose a birdhouse.

The birdhouse can be rectangular, but it is better if the bottom is square. The roof can be either fixed or removable. The second option is more practical, as it facilitates the process of cleaning birdhouses after the inhabitants have left it. It is desirable that the upper visor protrudes at least 5 cm forward. Thus, the entrance will be reliably protected from bad weather.

Standard birdhouse sizes for sparrows and other small species

Sparrows are the most common inhabitants of city streets and gardens. They are unpretentious and can settle in almost anywhere. The optimal sizes of houses are no different from those made for starlings. As an addition, you can make a perch 4 cm long and about 1 cm in diameter.

Smaller birds also live in the gardens:

• turnips;
• various types of tits (large, blue tit, grenadiers, Muscovites, Gadgets);
• pied flycatchers;
• redstarts, etc.

Houses for these birds are called titmouses. They differ from other designs in their size and, first of all, in the diameter of the notch. To build a small titmouse with your own hands according to all standards, you need to reduce the size of the bottom to 9×9 cm. The total height from the lid to the bottom is 24 cm. The diameter of the hole is no more than 2.7 cm. Otherwise, field sparrows can capture the house. Such designs are suitable for Muscovites, grenadiers and Gadgets. Pied flycatchers also like them. The optimal distance from the bottom to the notch is 16 cm.

The diameter of the notch should be increased to 3 cm for the following types of birds:

• great tit;
• wryneck;
• blue tit;
• redstart;
• flycatcher.

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This will be enough for the normal movement of these species of birds. At the same time, the size of the notch will not allow house sparrows to settle in the house. The recommended bottom dimensions are 12×12 cm. The height, as well as the distance to the notch, also needs to be increased to 25 and 18 cm, respectively.

Helpful advice!To enable other birds to calmly settle in a titmouse, you can build a semblance of an apartment building for sparrows. To do this, it is enough to knock down a box with partitions from the boards. Under each section you need to make a hole. For work, it is better to take boards whose width is 10-15 cm. The finished structure should be hung on a fence. The optimal height is 1.5-2 m.

Drawings and dimensions of birdhouses for wagtails and other large birds

Houses for wagtails differ from standard birdhouses not only in size. Instead of a round notch, you need to make a rectangular slot. The maximum width of this loophole should not exceed 4 cm. Wagtails, like redstarts, prefer semi-open nesting. Therefore, you should not use drawings of birdhouses with a classic design to create a house with your own hands from wood. It is better to focus on the recommended sizes and design the product taking into account the special requests of these birds. A distinctive feature in such houses is also the presence of a special platform about 10 cm in size. It is placed right in front of the entrance.

Optimal sizes for redstart and wagtail:

• bottom — 15×15 cm;
• the distance between the notch and the bottom is 8 cm;
• height to cover -15 cm;
• notch diameter — from 7 to 15 cm (depending on the design).

For white wagtails, it is recommended to make diamond-shaped houses. Designs in the form of a «cube» are suitable for redstarts, as well as pied flycatchers. For larger birds, such as jackdaws, woodpeckers and rollers, it is necessary to build checkboxes. The dimensions of the bottom in such structures are 18×18 cm. From the bottom to the tap hole there should be at least 30 cm. The total height from the inside is about 40 cm. The standard size of the tap hole is 8 cm.

How to make a birdhouse: dimensions, drawing and description of technology

In the classic version, the birdhouse looks like a rectangular box. There are designs with a single or double-pitched roof. To create a birdhouse with your own hands from wood, dimensions can be taken from ready-made schemes, because not every person has enough experience to independently develop a drawing. On the Internet you can find a lot of examples of such designs and choose the right one.

To work, you need a simple tool:

• screwdriver;
• a pencil with a ruler;
• electric jigsaw.

Note! If an unpolished board is used as a building material, sandpaper will also need to be prepared.

How to make a birdhouse for starlings from a board: drawings, dimensions and instructions

The simplest design of a bird house can be made from just one board. If you correctly adjust the dimensions and accurately cut the material, you will get a full-fledged housing for birds with comfortable conditions. This will require a board 15 cm wide. The thickness of this blank should be 2.5 cm.

If the cutting is done correctly, you should get two parts for each specified length:

• 13 cm;
• 20 cm;
• 23 cm

In addition, you need to make one part, the length of which is 10 cm. It will be used as the bottom. From other elements, the frame (wall) and roof will be assembled. When finished, the house should have an elongated structure. Two hinges should be installed on the roof. They will be used for hanging. You can decorate such a house at your discretion. However, bright colors are not recommended. This scares away the birds. It is best to leave the structure in its original form or use transparent compounds solely to protect the wood from adverse weather conditions.

Note! Do not paint the structure green. Starlings will not settle in such a house.

Do-it-yourself birdhouse: drawings and dimensions for making a classic model

The classic model is a wooden box. To create such a design, boards are required. Since the roof will have two slopes, two of the four facade parts must be sawn down strictly at an angle of 90 °. One of them needs to be marked and cut a hole 5 cm in size. Departing from this window by about 5 cm down, it is necessary to make another hole, but smaller. It will be used to install the perch. This small perch can be made from a tree branch.

During assembly, all parts are fixed with self-tapping screws. To prevent the material from cracking during this procedure, you must first drill holes for fasteners. Assembly is best to start from the bottom. To the bottom you need to attach the side walls. When the structure is assembled and securely fixed, the roof is installed last. Its details must be adjusted so that the skate is symmetrical. The boards should fit very tightly together so that rainwater does not leak into the bird’s dwelling through the roof.

In order to protect the wood, it can be additionally processed from the outside, for this it is used:

• muted paint;
• drying oil;
• non-toxic varnish.

The design can be decorated with patterns. An ideal decoration for a birdhouse will be drawings of plants, leaves, birds.

Helpful advice! A decorative chimney (“chimney”) on the roof will give a special charm to the bird house.

How to make a birdhouse: drawings and dimensions of a structure with a shed roof

Houses with a gable roof are considered the standard and the most successful solution for nesting birds. Flat roof structures are also widely used by summer residents. And to make such birdhouses is much easier.

How to make a birdhouse with one slope out of wood:

1. First you need to choose a suitable scheme and take care of the availability of the necessary tools and materials.
2. Boards are suitable for making a house. In accordance with the drawing, the material is cut into rectangular blanks, taking into account the dimensions indicated there.
3. It is very important to strictly adhere to the indicated values, otherwise the structure will be skewed during assembly or there will be gaps between the parts. In such conditions, the birds will not feel comfortable and simply will not stay.
4. During assembly, the structural parts are fixed with self-tapping screws.
5. Most often, the roof is installed in a horizontal position. However, experts recommend placing it at a slight slope. Thus, precipitation and morning moisture will not accumulate on the surface and destroy the wood.

When the house is fully assembled, its surface must be sanded with sandpaper and treated with a protective impregnation against decay. A wooden plank is nailed to the back wall. It will be used to fix the birdhouse on the tree.

How to decorate and fix the house: beautiful photos of birdhouses and recommendations

External design depends on the purpose for which the structure will be used. If the birdhouse is intended for birds, you should stick to a neutral color scheme, such as brown, gray or green. These shades serve as an excellent disguise for the house. They will not attract the attention of predators, which may well ruin the nest.

Some summer residents use structures for decorative purposes to decorate the site and make it more comfortable. Such birdhouses can be painted as you like, stick various trinkets on the house. Such structures can be located not only outside, but also inside the house, decorating the interior. In this case, the material for manufacturing can be any. Decorative ones are even made from paper or cardboard boxes, because they will not be used by birds.

Helpful advice! You can decorate bird nesting houses with natural materials, for example, branches, moss, wood cuts. With their help, you can create a natural design and excellent disguise. It is only undesirable to use pebbles. The glare of the sun, which will be reflected from the stones, will frighten the birds.

How to hang a birdhouse correctly

Pikas and tits stay for the winter, so already in the fall you can start equipping housing for them. In the cold season, birds use nesting boxes for overnight stays to hide from the frost. After that, they can stay in habitable houses for breeding. For birds arriving from the south at the end of spring, birdhouses are hung out in March. Maybe a little earlier. The optimal height for hanging birdhouses is in the range from 2 to 10 m.

Recommended height on different types of terrain:

Terrain character	Recommended height, m
Young plantings, garden areas	2
Fruit orchards, deciduous forests	4-6
Deciduous forests with good density	6-8
Forests (parameters for titmouses)	4-8
Park areas, old forests	8-10

At the same time, tree branches should not pass near the front wall where the notch is located. Otherwise, the cat can easily destroy the nest. In order to prevent ground predators from approaching the house, the tree trunk should be wrapped with thin branches. Protection is placed at a height of 2-2.5 m from the ground. In this case, the branches should be directed with their tips down.

You can fix the birdhouse in different ways. The main thing is not to injure the tree. For these purposes, soft wire, tarred hemp, and an electric cord are suitable. The selected type of material must be wrapped around the trunk, passed through the loops that were specially provided in the upper part of the structure, and tightly tied over the roof.

In general, making an artificial nest is not difficult. The network has a lot of ready-made diagrams and drawings with already calculated dimensions. All you need is to follow the instructions and show a little patience. A well-made house will last for many years, providing birds with reliable and safe housing.