As a backyard birder, it is more rewarding to see a bird making the birdhouse you set up in the backyard as its home and a place to raise its babies. Unfortunately, not all birds will be attracted to a birdhouse for various reasons.
So, how to attract birds to bird house? You can do certain things to make the birds interested in the birdhouse you set up. Building a successful birdhouse will depend on several factors, which will be discussed below.
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Learn What Bird Species Uses Bird House
When learning how to get birds to a birdhouse, one must be familiar with all the birds that use a birdhouse for their nest. Unfortunately, not all birds use a birdhouse, but the most popular species that use a birdhouse are listed below:
| Family | Birds’s Name |
| Chickadees and Tits | Blue Tit, Carolina Chickadee, Black-Capped Chickadee, Chestnut-Backed Chickadee, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Marsh Tit, Tufted Titmouse |
| Finches and Sparrows | House Finch, Zebra Finch, House Sparrow |
| Ducks | Common Goldeneye, Wood Duck, Hooded Merganser |
| Nutches and Creepers | Brown Creeper, Red-Breasted Nuthatch, Brown-Headed Nuthatch, White-Breasted Nuthatch |
| Flycatchers and Warblers | Ash-Throated Flycatcher, Great Crested Flycatcher, Black Redstart, Lucy’s Warbler, Pied Flycatcher, Prothonotary Warbler |
| Swifts and Swallows | Tree Swallow, Violet Green Swallow, Purple Martin |
| Woodpeckers | Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Hairy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Red-Headed Woodpecker, Red-Bellied Woodpecker |
| Thruses | Eastern Bluebird, Western Bluebird, European Robin, Mountain Bluebird |
| Birds of Prey | American Kestrel, Eastern Screech Owl, Barn Owl, Lesser Kestrel, Western Screech Owl, Tawny Owl |
| Wrens | Carolina Wren, House Wren |
Choosing the Right Type of Bird House
Not all birds will use a birdhouse just because they want to. They will settle in a particular birdhouse that will fit their needs and requirements. For example, purple martins like to come in large numbers where they want to settle in condo-type birdhouses and gourds. Other bird species also come with other requirements for the specific types of birdhouses.
Choosing the Right Entrance Hole Size
Choosing the correct type of birdhouse for a particular bird is essential because it comes with the proper entrance hole size. So, if the hole is too large for the prospective resident bird, it will give access to the bigger and more aggressive bird to come and take over.
If the entrance hole is too small or tight, it will also limit or even prevent your bird prospect from using it. So, it is essential to install the right type of birdhouse according to a particular bird you want to attract in the backyard.
Choosing the Right Bird House Size
Choosing the right type of birdhouse also means selecting the proper size that a particular bird needs. The most important aspect of a birdhouse in relation to its size is the interior floor spacing and its height.
If the house is too big or the interior floor space is too big, the installation will be a problem, especially for the baby birds. On the other hand, if the birdhouse size is too small, they can be smothered inside in tight floor space.
Choosing the Right Location of the Bird House
Another way to attract birds is to put the birdhouse in the right location preferred by your bird prospect. Each bird species will require a specific location for a birdhouse, and this must be followed to increase the chance of attracting the birds.
A good example is a bluebird who likes open spaces, which means the birdhouse must be installed in a place where they have an open flight path. On the other hand, chickadees like the birdhouse in thickets, small trees, or shrubs.
Choosing the Right Height
The height of the birdhouse with respect to the ground is also very important. Each bird species also comes with a height requirement to be comfortable using the birdhouse. A house wren like the birdhouse 6 to 10 feet from the ground.
Chickadees like their birdhouse 4 to 8 feet from the floor of a thicket. On the other hand, a purple mountain needs it installed 15 to 20 feet above the ground to allow them to fly easily as they like open spaces.
Color of the Bird House
The color will also influence some birds to settle in a birdhouse. If you ask what color attracts birds to birdhouses, it should be the color that will help the birdhouse blend into the environment in your yard.
But in general, colors like gray, dull green, or brown are colors that are perfect for making the birdhouses less visible to possible threats and predators. These colors have the ability to blend in with the natural colors of the surroundings.
Surround the Bird House with All the Essentials Bird Needs
The most practical way to attract birds to settle in birdhouses is to surround them with all the essentials they need. I am talking about food, shelter, and water. Putting these essentials near the birdhouse will make the birds interested immediately.
So, a bird feeder must be within the vicinity of a birdhouse to make the birds confident in the place—the same when putting a birdbath or fountain or any other ware sources. Making your backyard suit best to the birds you want to attract will help make them comfortable in your backyard.
Safety is also essential to birds when using the house to live and breed. A birdhouse that comes with the proper ventilation, drainage holes, and other safety features will surely make the birds stay and settle in the birdhouse.
Conclusion
In learning how to attract birds to bird house, there are many factors to consider to lure the birds to live and breed with them. It is essential to know what type of birds like to use birdhouses and learn to put all the essentials they need to increase the chance of having the birds use the birdhouse, also remember to keep your birdhouses clean for them.