How to build a bird-nesting box for your yard

Materials
• Wood: Choose a weather-resistant variety -- pine works well and doesn't split too much when nails are driven into it. Make sure to avoid less durable types like poplar and basswood. Run-of-the-mill 1-inch (2.5 cm) lumber stock is fine and can be found at hardware stores or lumber yards.

• Paint: If you want to paint your box, use natural-coloured browns or greens, not bright colours. Don't varnish or paint the inside of the box -- the interior walls should be rough, which helps the birds to climb up to the entrance hole.

• Adhesives: You can increase the longevity of your box if you use bond-fast glue before nailing it together with 5-cm coated nails.

Building your box
There is a number of elaborate ways to build a nesting box, but when involving the kids, it's best to keep it simple. These directions can be found at the Hinterland Who's Who website, which has more information as well as diagrams to help your endeavour.

Cutting out the pieces of your box:
• Cut two squares of board the same size (according the recommended dimensions for your bird) to make the floor and the lid.
• Cut the back panel to the same width, and make it the height specific to your bird.
• Cut two pieces for the side panels. Calculate their width by adding the length of the floor to the thickness of the back panel. The height is the same as for the back panel.
• Cut the front panel. Calculate its width by adding the width of the floor to the thickness of the two side panels. The height should be the same as the back and sides.

Assembling the box:
• Drill holes before nailing to avoid splitting the wood.
• Nail the back panel to one edge of the floor panel.
• Nail the side panels to the floor and the back panel, keeping the front edges flush with the front of the floor panel.
• Before nailing on the front panel, drill the birds' entrance hole -- it should be the recommended size for your bird and about 5 cm from the top of the panel. Then nail the front panel to the floor and both sides.

To make the lid:
• Cut out a board a bit larger than the dimensions of the top of the box. Make a groove along the bottom of the lid (about 1 cm from the edge). This notch will fit over the top edge of the front panel to help it stay in place, and the overhang will prevent rain from falling into the entrance hole.
• Drill holes in the centre of the top edges of the panels of the box and nail the lid to the box.
• Put a screw through the back of the box (or use square brackets) to attach the box to its support.

The most important item you will need is patience. Nature is a fickle lady and rarely takes our wants and needs into consideration. You'll need to warn your kids in advance that a bird may not take up residency; however, some species also nest at the end of the summer, so don't give up!

Page 2 of 2