Getting started
First, you need to identify the type of bird you wish to attract. Take an afternoon and sit outside with your kids. Armed with a bird identification book, jot down the types of birds you see and then hit the Hinterland Who's Who website to find out whether they are cavity-nesting birds and what kind of nesting box is best for them. Once you've settled on a bird to attract, click on the link for Table 2 to find the optimal box and opening dimensions for your bird.
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.
Page 2 of 3 – Learn how easy it is to assemble your bird-nesting box on page 3.
