CavityNesters| Cavity Nesting Birds Resource Page

The right way for a bluebird house to face is to be oriented away from prevailing winds. Birds typically don't have an instinctive directional preference. In this picture a male bluebird is on the lookout for his female mate who looks out of the nest hole before exiting.

The Right Bluebird House Direction – Preference and Wind Information

It is best to point your bluebird nest box entry hole in the opposite direction of prevailing winds, usually southeast. However, prevailing winds differ based on your region. Scholarly evidence also suggests birds have no preference and may excavate a hole in other directions due to sun, shade or acoustics.

DIY Temporary Chickadee hole reducer hole guard 1 1/8-inch hole reducer guide - this tutorial uses plastic butter or sour cream tub lids and a template from this article to make a very temporary hole reducer for chickadees that can buy you time until your metal hole guard comes in.

Easy Guide To Make a Temporary Chickadee Hole Reducer / Guard To Buy You Time

You’ve noticed chickadees nesting in your nest box, but oh no! You don’t have a hole reducer / hole guard for them. Maybe the store is closed, or you have …

Once the blink camera is clipped to the mount, begin positioning it inside the nest box in such a way that allows you the best view. You'll want to use the live view mode of the blink app as you do this.

How to Install a Blink Camera in a Nest Box or Birdhouse

Installing a blink camera into your nest box is as easy as screwing the mount into the birdhouse and then clipping the camera onto the mount. Additionally, you’ll want to use the Live View mode of the app to position the camera, and be sure to have the necessary supplies on hand.

Carolina chickadee perched on a pole just above a birdhouse preparing to feed young nestlings a bug.

How Far Apart to Put Chickadee Houses – For 5 chickadee species

Space black-capped chickadee houses 650 feet apart, boreal chickadee houses 730 feet apart, Carolina chickadee houses 30 feet apart, chestnut-backed chickadee houses 160 feet apart, and mountain chickadee houses 1 per 10 acres.

It is not too late to set up a bluebird house

It’s Not Too Late to Set Up A Bluebird House

Even in late spring or early summer, it’s not too late to set up a bluebird house. Spending on the species, bluebirds have multiple broods a year between March and August. Furthermore, nest boxes give bluebirds an important roosting haven at winter time.

safe bird nest monitoring infographic - The best way to monitor a birdhouse or nest box is with a wireless security camera to minimize disturbance. Making a cell phone slot is a second good option. Physical monitoring is tolerated well by some cavity nesting species, and not so well by others. Follow best practices when monitoring your nest boxes.

The Best Ways To Monitor Your Birdhouse or Nest Box

The best way to monitor your birdhouse with next to no disturbance is with a wireless nest camera as they give you full view of the nest without needing to open the box.

bluebird predators / predators of bluebirds include raccoons, snakes, cats, squirrels, chipmunks, possums and other animals pictured in these tiles

8 Eastern Bluebird Predators and How to Protect Them

Eastern bluebird predators include raccoons, cats, squirrels, snakes, chipmunks, falcons and hawks, opossums, bears, other birds and mammals.

picture of bird eggs for article about whether bird eggs will survive in freezing temperatures

Songbird Eggs May Survive Short Periods of Freezing Weather – Here is Why

There are many systems in place that ensure the survival of bird eggs survival during short snaps of freezing weather. These systems include the mother bird’s ability to detect egg temperature with her brood patch, the ability for older embryos to produce heat, and the insulative nature of the nest.

Best baffle for a bluebird house is a stovepipe baffle featured in this picture with 8"x24" dimensions

Best Baffle System for Your Birdhouse: Stovepipe Baffles

Our experience has shown that stovepipe baffles at least 8 inches by 24 inches or longer is the best at protecting your birdhouse. Taller baffles at 60 inches offer great protection. But it is important to understand why and know about other protective accessories.

Monofilament Line Kind of Deters Sparrows – Observations Included

In our experience observing multiple nest boxes, monofilament won’t keep sparrows from harassing the nest; however, there is still some reasons to use it.