The following guide will instruct the user on how to create a bird house for specifically the blue bird. They were once an endangered species but have been climbing in population again due to the efforts of organizations and people. Building this type of bird house is a fun afternoon activity that can help educate your community on the importance of conservation.

Supplies

General Materials:

Wood, ¾” or more thick
Redwood or cedar works best(pine is acceptable if weatherproofed)
Do not use pressure-treated wood
Light, neutral colors of paint, stain or clear sealer may be applied on outside of box only, but is not necessary
Nails or wood screws, not staples, should be used to hold box together
Zinc-plated spring-loaded locking gate hook and eye or screw hook with eye hardware
Drill and drill bit

Specific Materials:

16-20 wood screws(+2 if using screws instead of pivot nails) and 2 pivot nails
1 anchor nail or hook and eye locking hardware
Approximately 36” of wood either 6 ½” or 7” wide
Approximately 27” of wood at least 5” wide

Step 1: Measure Out Wood for Cutting

Using the above blueprint you will use a pencil and straight edge such as a square to create straight lines to cut. These lines will be cut using a miter saw. It is important to measure out the wood used beforehand as to not waste any wood in the creation process. We recommend working from bottom to top starting with the base and ending with the roof.

Step 2: Cut Along Marked Lines

In this step you will cut along the lines you made on the wood in step one, make sure to cut accurately and not directly on the line but on the outer edge of it; due to how the miter saw cuts you cut on the outside of the marked line to get a correctly proportioned sized wood piece.

After you have finished with the wood for the piece of the bird house you have prepared you will go back to step 1 as to create the rest of the bird house. Repeat steps 1 and 2 however many times it takes to get all of the wood needed to assemble the bird house.

Step 3: Put the House Together

In this step you must align the wood flush where you will drill in the screws as shown in the diagram. First you should drill pilot holes in the wood; these pilot holes help ensure the screw goes in straight and with little resistance.

Make sure your pilot holes are smaller than the diameter of the screw otherwise your wood in that spot will be ruined.

It is important to keep good pressure on the wood as you use your drill and drill bit to insert the screws. Once you get the first screws in which will be most likely the sides to the base you can then move up to the roof and such. Once everything is screwed together as per the diagram you can move onto step 4.

Step 4: Personalizing Your Birdhouse

Here comes the fun part. After everything is constructed you can then begin to personalize the birdhouse! Make sure to put either paint or stain on your bird house in order to increase the lifespan of the wood outside. Anything you decide to put on is personal choice at this stage.

Only personalize the outside, not only will you rarely see the inside but it can be dangerous to the birds who live inside these houses. As for types of paints we recommend light or neutral colors of paint as too extravagant colors can cause blue birds to not want to nest inside the birdhouse.

After you are finished personalizing your birdhouse you are done with the project and can now feel accomplished knowing you are contributing to conservation.