Wild Bird Nest Box question, please answer?
I am in the student council of my school and I try to make the school better for the environment. One of my ideas is to place nest boxes in some of our trees. The school is in central Ohio, our trees and some hair soft pine and other trees, some deciduous. I was wondering what kind of birds to be able to attract, how to attract, and how to make sure you buy boxes of good quality that is easy to clean and deal with time in most of be good for birds too, of course. I also need to know the distance to space them know that they are all used. Please answer the next meeting of student council is up and I did not very often and I must be ready with ideas and facts, etc. Thanks in advance for the help. I will choose the best answer:)
March 11th, 2010 at 6:44 pm
Why buy boxes?? Your scholl might like the idea better if you and your fellow students either make or ask wood working students to make the boxes for you!! Also,, instead of asking your questions here,, go to the library or google wild bird nesting,, nesting boxes etc,, and you will get a list of houses and the right shape and sizes and the hole diameters!!!
March 11th, 2010 at 6:47 pm
The birds that usually use bird boxes are the smaller seed and insect eaters, and they probably already exist in the school environs, they should be more than willing to take advantage of bird boxes, but to increase your chances of having any boxes used it would help to have bird feeders around to encourage them. If you go to your local parks and gardens you should see bird boxes in place, or try the local hardware store/ pet stores to see if they sell them, and what sizes they do. Make a sketch and get the school woodwork shop to build them up, they are easy once you have the dimensions. They are best placed quite high up in the trees where they can’t be fussed over and touched by all and sundry when the birds are nesting, so maintenance/ cleaning is minimal. If you have a lot of squirrels in the neighbourhood you might have to have a metal plate attached to the birdbox front to stop them gnawing at the hole surround to get at the young birds, a chance for the metal workers at school to get involved.