Large deforestation and the increasing urbanization of the city reduce the chances of birds nesting in holes, as there are fewer and fewer older trees, and thus cavities in them. For this reason, houses are often made for them, which are an excellent replacement for the original and natural conditions.
Yet, though with the best of intentions, people often make mistakes when making cottages. The most common mistakes are made when positioning the opening as well as its size. You can often see very colorful houses, so they are aesthetically beautiful but completely unusable for feathered neighbors.
Below you can find some guidelines with which you will make a great house for birds and thus make their nesting successful!
- To begin with, it is important to find out which bird it is and whether it nests in your environment. Keep in mind that not only houses are enough, but also adequate habitats for a certain type of bird, and these can be: trees, meadows, parks, etc.
- When making a house, it is important that they have an opening whose size will depend on the size of the species. It is also important that they do not leak.
- Do not coat them with toxic paints.
- The opening must not be turned in direct sunlight or in the direction of the most frequent winds.
- The houses must be placed at a safe height, so that the birds are out of the reach of predators, like cats.
- The material with which you make houses should be made of soft and light door, such as fir, spruce, poplar, willow. If you make them from plastic, metal or similar materials, the houses will not be suitable for birds.
- When building a house, try to find dry wood, ie material that is well dried. Thus, the house will have a longer shelf life, and there is little chance that they will be distorted and cracked.
- It is important to coat the house because that way you protect the wood from decay, but it is applied only on the outside, so that the birds do not come into contact with the paint. For a longer shelf life, apply a second coat after drying.
- Never use bright colors, because they draw the attention of predators and thus pose a direct danger to birds.
- It is best to set up the houses from October to March. In addition to nesting, a number of birds use them as a shelter during the winter.
- The size and width of the house will depend on the type of bird.
If you want to make a house for one of the birds, and you are not sure how or you need more advice, feel free to write to us at czip@czip.me and we will be more than happy to meet you!
