Part 2

PAGE.

Birds That Live in Nesting Boxes 7

Bluebird--robin--chickadee--wren--house finch--woodpecker--flicker--martin

Construction of Bird Houses 15

Dimensions of nesting boxes--houses of sawed lumber--rustic houses--cement and stucco houses

Placing Houses 36

Feeding Shelves and Shelters 37

Foods

Bird Baths 48

Bird Enemies 51

Men--ants and vermin--English or house sparrow--sparrow traps

Bird House Exhibitions 54

Bibliography 57

Bird and bird house literature

Index 59

BIRDS THAT LIVE IN NESTING BOXES.

Certain varieties of birds will nest in homes built for them if these houses are of the right shape and dimensions. Other birds may be just as desirable but do not build nests and rear their young in boy-made nesting boxes. We are therefore mainly concerned with the first group which select cavities in trees for their homes if nothing better is to be found.

BLUEBIRD.

This bird may be found during the summer months in most of the states east of the Rocky Mountains, Figs. 1 and 59. It spends its winter in the southern states and southward, returning north in March and April. The principal items of food are grasshoppers, caterpillars and beetles. It should have a house measuring about 5" in length and width, inside measurements, and 8" or more in depth. The entrance hole should be 1-1/2" in diameter and placed near the top, so that the young birds cannot get out until strong enough to have some chance of escape from their enemies after they leave the nest. While authorities differ as to the need of cleaning after a season's use, it seems wise to provide the house with some device whereby the bottom may be removed for such purposes. Houses for this species are shown in Figs. 11, 21, 22 and 24.

ROBIN.

Robins usually announce the coming of spring when they return to their breeding grounds in the northern states, where they are general favorites. Figs. 2 and 60. The nest is usually built of mud and lined with grasses; placed in the fork of a tree or on some sheltered ledge. Robins take kindly to nesting shelves put up for them and it is well to put up several since but one brood is reared in each nest built. This old nest should be removed after the young birds have gone. A simple shelf is shown in the lower left hand corner of the photograph, Fig. 24, as well as in Figs. 20 and 49.

CHICKADEE.

The chickadee is one of the brave little spirits who spends the entire winter with us, Fig. 3. We can be of considerable service to him during the cold weather by providing food shelters. During the summer months his home is usually found in some decaying stump, hence nesting boxes of the rustic type placed in some remote spot of the orchard or park are most attractive to him.

WREN.

When all other song birds fail to take advantage of a house built for them, the wren may still be counted on. Almost any sort of home from a tin can or hollow gourd on up is satisfactory if put in a safe place and provided with an opening 1" or slightly less in diameter, so the sparrows must stay out, Figs. 4 and 5. Good homes are shown in Figs. 10, 14, 15, 16 and others.

HOUSE FINCH.

The house finch has made many enemies because of its fondness for cultivated fruits and berries. However, it has some redeeming features in its song and beauty. The nest is usually placed in the fork of a limb--evergreens being favorite nesting places. The house shown in Fig. 51 is suitable for these birds but is also acceptable to wrens.

WOODPECKER.