This Summer Let's Build a Birdhouse

Building a birdhouse is truly timeless and fascinating. Also known as nest boxes, bird houses were earlier made from clay, wood, thin aluminum and other natural materials. Birdhouses ensure that your feathery friends never leave your garden and stay protected from the harsh weather conditions. In this blog, we will explore:

1. Benefits of a birdhouse

2. Birdhouse anatomy

3. Crafting a birdhouse with Children

4. Crafting a birdhouse with Teens

5. Crafting a birdhouse for Adults

Benefits of a birdhouse:

1. Pest Control:

Birds feed on garden pests like aphids, mosquitoes, spiders and other bugs that may be harmful for your green zone. Birdhouses will attract birds; these birds will eliminate the insects and the need for harsh insecticides. Read about how to attract birds in your garden.

2. Flower Pollination:

Birds like Hummingbirds and other species that feed on nectar are efficient garden flower pollinators. Their presence in the garden can keep the flowerbeds blooming forever.

3. Weed Control:

Finches, towhees and sparrows consume weed seeds, making them useful in controlling pesky plants. Read about how to control weeds.

4. Education:

Observing backyard birds will teach you a lot about local wildlife, and attracting birds all year round gives backyard birders the chance to see seasonal plumage changes, migration, courtship behavior and nesting. It's a great way to teach children about wildlife enjoyment and appreciation.

5. Wildlife Conservation:

Backyard birdhouses will act as an oasis for bird and wildlife conservation, both for local and migrating species.

6. Stress Relief:

Watching birds, interacting with them, listening to their chirps and taking the time to work outdoors improving their habitat is a great way to relieve stress. Time outdoors will also ensure that as birders you receive an adequate supply of vitamin D and detoxify your body through the fresh air.

Anatomy of a birdhouse:

Birdhouses essentially have -

• A small entrance hole

• Perch

• Slanted roof

• Nesting cavity

Crafting a birdhouse with Children:

Kids between 4 to 10 years of age are always brimming with creativity. By building a birdhouse with them, you can help these young minds use their imagination, learn fine motor skills and try their hands at the craft. Opt for recycling old stuff like soda bottles, milk cartons, coffee cans and tins while working with kids. You could also go for readymade birdhouses and paint or decorate them.

• The best material for crafting a birdhouse with children is milk carton.

• Clean and dry the carton before use.

• The top of the carton will serve as the slanted roof.

• Draw the entrance hole on the front of the carton about 1.5 to 2 inches from the base.

• Cut out the hole with a sharp knife. Do the drawing and cutting by yourself or let your kids do it only under supervision.

• Allow your kids to paint the birdhouse with patterns of their choice. Let them enjoy painting and colouring.

• Embellish the roof with matchsticks or broomsticks.

• Make a small incision about 1-2 inches below the entrance hole to create a perch and insert a stick. Punch a couple of holes close to the roof to hang it from a tree.

• To use it as a bird feeder, fill your birdhouse with bird seeds.

Crafting a birdhouse with Teens:

For kids above 10-12 years, you could go for ready-made birdhouses constructed from wood. These unfinished houses work well for teenagers as they could combine 2-3 birdhouses to make a bird condo. They could then decorate the houses with polished stones, wine corks, or sticks using an industrial -strength adhesive.

• Let your kid select 2-3 birdhouses of height and style.

• Attach these houses with glue and let all the entrance holes are facing outwards.

• As the glue dries out, let them paint each house with different vibrant colours.

• Use a stencil to create an elaborate roof design.

• Use a sponge to apply the paint, and avoid bleeding.

• Once the bird condo is dry, you can dispense it from a pole or directly mount it up.

This is how you can turn your birdhouse into a piece of art.

Crafting a birdhouse for Adults:

• For adults, the options of building a birdhouse are umpteen. You could use number plates, spoons, wine bottles, teapots, or clay pots as houses. As adults, you could make the birdhouses as functional as you can.

• Do not miss elements such as an overhang above the entrance hole or drainage holes to prevent water clogging.

• Research the appropriate size of the entrance hole, size of the house that will attract different types of birds.

• Placement is the key. Mount or hang your birdhouse away from harsh sunlight and shelter from the rain. You can also mount it on a pole at a comfortable height.

• Clean your birdhouse at least once in two months. For convenient cleaning, create a hinged opening on top.