A well-crafted home for your avian friends

In the US, there are approximately 85 species of birds that nest in cavities—in the wild this usually means holes in hollow or dead trees. Of those 85 species, about 30 will also nest in birdhouses. In our neighborhoods, naturally-occurring dwellings can be few and far between. So why not give your winged neighbors a hand and build them a suitable place to nest and raise a family? They’ll repay you by being enjoyable to watch and may even cut down the mosquito population. The birdhouse presented here was designed with the bluebird in mind, but by modifying a few of the key dimensions, you can easily adapt it for a different species.