Where to Put Birdhouses on Your Property

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Have you been thinking of installing birdhouses on your property? This could be a great idea if you want to attract birds to your yard.

Birdhouses give birds a convenient nesting location. They can utilize the birdhouses that you place, and you’ll have an easier time watching them.

Of course, you shouldn’t install birdhouses just anywhere in your yard. You want to pick spots that will give you the most success.

Keep reading to learn where to put birdhouses on your property. This will ensure that you understand everything that you need to know about placing birdhouses wisely.

How High Should a Birdhouse Be?

How high a birdhouse needs to be will depend on the type of bird you’re trying to attract. Different types of birds like to nest at different heights.

Therefore, the best thing to do is to look up information about local birds. You should have an easy time getting information about the nesting heights of the birds in your area.

Generally, you’ll have to install birdhouses so they’re at least five feet off of the ground. Many common types of birds will like birdhouses that are five or six feet off the ground.

It’s still wise to get specific information since things could vary based on the birds that are common in your area. Plus, you might want to attract a particular type of bird to a birdhouse.

Do your best to install the birdhouses at the ideal height. This will give you a much better experience.

If you put the birdhouses too low, it’s unlikely that any birds will think of using them. The height of the birdhouse matters a lot.

When to Put Birdhouses Out

Putting birdhouses up at the right time will make it more likely that you’ll see birds occupy them. You don’t want to place birdhouses out too late since birds won’t have time to locate them and assess them.

Generally, the best time of the year to install birdhouses is the fall. You should install birdhouses in the late days of autumn or the early days of winter.

Birds will have as much time as they need to locate the birdhouses. They’ll be able to choose the birdhouses as nesting locations before the breeding season begins.

You can still find success when placing birdhouses out late. It’s just not as likely that birds will discover the birdhouses.

So there isn’t necessarily a bad time to install birdhouses on your property. Just keep in mind that doing so in the fall or winter is preferable.

Can You Move a Birdhouse?

You should only move birdhouses if you’re certain that there aren’t any birds occupying them. Don’t move birdhouses when the birds are still utilizing them.

Check the birdhouse out to see if there are signs that birds are inside. If you don’t see anything and there don’t appear to be any eggs or babies inside, you can move the birdhouse.

You might find an old nest inside of the birdhouse if the birds have moved on after the breeding season. It’s fine to remove old nesting materials and clean the birdhouse.

Sometimes you might want to move the birdhouse to a new spot. Perhaps you just think it’d look better elsewhere in your yard.

Never attempt to do this if birds are actively nesting in the birdhouse. It might even be illegal to do this depending on where you live.

There could be local laws that prevent you from disturbing nesting birds. Keep this in mind and make good choices that will allow you to avoid getting in trouble.

Placing Birdhouses Safely

When you want to place birdhouses safely, you want to put them in spots that are away from predators. Birds will generally avoid birdhouses that appear to be in unsafe locations.

Many types of predators can be problematic for birds. Snakes, cats, and many other types of predators will try to eat the birds.

If you put the birdhouse too close to a tree, it might be easy for a snake or a cat to reach the birdhouse. Usually, you’re going to want to mount birdhouses in the middle of the yard somewhere.

For the best results, get a pole and mount the birdhouse in the yard. Ensure that the spot you pick is away from trees and other objects that predators could use to reach the birdhouse.

You’ll be hanging the birdhouse up at least five feet in the air. Depending on the type of bird that you’re trying to attract, it might need to be mounted even higher.

There are poles that you can buy that will get the job done. Some people even use old PVC pipes to make their own poles that they can sink into the ground.

No matter what, you want to ensure that the conditions are right for the birds that you’re trying to attract. Some birds might like more sunlight than others and that means you’ll have to consider how shady the area is.

Where to Place a Bluebird House

Bluebirds aren’t likely going to nest in birdhouses if they’re too close to your home. They also don’t like overly shady areas.

To get the best results, you should put bluebird houses out in the open. These birds like large open areas that have short grass.

This allows them to easily see where they’re flying. Pick an open area that’s fairly sunny and it should be appealing to bluebirds.

Also, make sure that the birdhouse isn’t too close to a feeder. This might bother the bluebirds and will keep them from wanting to utilize the birdhouse.

Be sure to mount the birdhouse at least five feet off the ground. The birdhouse can be as high as ten feet in the air when you’re trying to attract bluebirds.

Thankfully, it’s easy to find a bluebird house pole that will suit your needs. You can purchase such poles at various retailers.

What Direction Should Bluebird Houses Face?

Typically, you want to position birdhouses away from prevailing winds. This is true when you’re looking for the right direction to have the bluebird houses face, too.

Position the bluebird houses so they’re facing toward the east when living in North America. This should be perfect, and the bluebirds will have the optimal conditions for success.

It’s also fine to position bluebird houses so they’re facing toward the north. This should give you a fine experience and the bluebirds will be okay.

Bluebirds might also choose to nest in birdhouses that are facing toward the south or the west. However, they might abandon the houses at some point if they don’t find that it meets their needs.

It’s certainly wise to face the birdhouses in the best direction possible. Do this and the birds will do well and enjoy the birdhouse that you’ve installed.

Don’t Put Birdhouses Too Close Together

You should never place birdhouses too close together. This is going to make things too crowded in the area and it’ll make the birdhouses less appealing overall.

Birds might not feel safe if other birds are nesting too close to the birdhouse. They don’t want to have to compete with other birds.

To get the best results, you should position birdhouses at least 25 feet apart. This gives the birds ample privacy and keeps them from feeling threatened by other birds that might be nesting in the other birdhouses.

In some cases, you might want to distance the birdhouses even more. It’s fine to install multiple birdhouses on your property, but it’s best not to bunch them together if you want to get good results.

Consider Putting Nesting Materials Nearby

Consider putting nesting materials nearby that the birds can use. This will make it more likely that the birds will build a nest in the birdhouses.

Different birds will use different types of nesting materials. Some might use bits of string or twigs to build nests.

Others might use hay, straw, and other materials. Look up the types of materials that are commonly used by birds in your area.

You can place piles of twigs near the birdhouses that you’ve installed. Some go so far as to put hanging baskets nearby that contain nesting materials.

Never put nesting materials directly in the birdhouses. Birds prefer to pick out their own nesting materials and build nests themselves.

Having Feeders in the Yard Will Help

Having bird feeders in the yard will help to attract birds. Birds won’t choose to occupy your birdhouses if your yard isn’t convenient enough.

Birds need to have access to food, and bird feeders will help with that. You can position feeders away from the birdhouses, and birds will still be able to conveniently use them.

Install them a fair distance from the birdhouses and keep them stocked with seeds that the birds like. This will keep them near your yard, and they’ll be far more likely to want to nest on your property.

Pick feeders that will be easy to use for the birds you’re interested in. You want them to be able to access the feeders without it being a problem.

Installing a Bird Bath Helps Too

Bird baths can help to attract birds to the yard as well. Having a bath installed on your property will give birds a convenient location to get a drink.

Since birds require water, it’ll be good to have a simple bird bath. You don’t have to buy anything fancy to keep the birds happy.

Doing your best to make the yard more appealing to birds will help a lot. You’ll have a better chance of attracting birds to the area.

Buying a bird bath isn’t going to cost a lot of money either. You can get what you need without breaking the bank, and it’ll make a difference.

Is Attaching a Birdhouse to Your House Okay?

You can attach birdhouses to your home if you want to. However, many birds will be unlikely to use birdhouses that are mounted on houses.

It’s also less likely for some birds to use birdhouses that are mounted to trees. Even so, you’ll likely be able to attract certain common types of birds.

Just know that it might not work out for some of the birds that you’re interested in. Generally, the best place to put a birdhouse is on a pole in an open section of the yard.

Try to stick to doing this so you’ll get the best experience. If you must mount a birdhouse on your home, temper your expectations.

Final Thoughts

Knowing where to place a birdhouse is important. Putting a birdhouse in the wrong spot can lead to much worse results.

Often, birds won’t want to use birdhouses that are too close to houses. In some cases, birdhouses mounted on homes will still attract common birds, but the birdhouses could also go unused.

To get good results, it’s recommended to mount a birdhouse on a pole in the middle of the yard. You’ll need to consider many factors when trying to attract specific types of birds, though.

For example, some birds like to have their nests be at a specific height. Typically, you’ll have to mount the birdhouse at least five feet in the air.

You might need to mount the house much higher than that depending on what type of bird you’re trying to attract. Get the information that you need so you can do things right.

It’s also wise to position the birdhouse properly. You usually want the birdhouse to be facing east or north when living in North America.

To get the birds to want to nest in your yard, it’s wise to install bird feeders and bird baths. Install them somewhere that’s a fair distance away from the birdhouse while still being easily accessible.

Don’t install too many birdhouses too close together. You want each birdhouse to be roughly 25 feet apart.

So long as you adhere to this advice, you should have a great experience. Enjoy your birdhouses, and be sure to let your friends and family members know what you learned today.

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