Nesting Bird Box Tips

 

Not all birds use nesting boxes, and sizes vary.  If you want a barn owl, you use a much larger box.  Freezing temps, fires/smoke, drought, are all stressors for birds.  This beautiful handmade bluebird nesting box is at Island Seed & Feed in Goleta. 

 

Here’s how you can help:

 

1.  Water.  Running, dripping, or just in a shallow cup or bowl.  If you water your plants, trying drip watering, a slow drip 3 or 4 feet above ground, or higher, above the plant.  The birds will find this water and love it.  We bought our fountain at Terra Sol Nursery in Goleta. The birds love it.  You can use bird baths, but keep the water depth 2 inches or less.  Song birds don’t swim, so they like shallow water.

 

2.  Food.  Nuts, sunflower seeds, black-oiled sunflower seeds, millet, thistle, crushed corn.

 

3.  Nesting support:  Nesting box (see photo) for bluebirds.  Also, human hair (take out of your brush), dog hair, feathers,  spider webs, twine/string, natural fibers such as cotton and burlap. Yard debris such as pine or wheat straw, tiny twigs. Leave grass clippings on ground.  Put in hanging basket or as hanging ornament, or just throw on ground, or in shallow basket on deck.

 

NO DRYER LINT, no synthetic material, no synthetic string – no fishing line or nylon twine.