Cavity nesting birds will thank you since development means fewer suitable nesting places for them. With this one simple addition, you can help support the populations of native birds.
But it's not only the birds who'll benefit. You'll enjoy the richness of watching the birds nest and produce young. A simple wren house in our yard was a wonderful source of entertainment when my son was a toddler. Each year we waited to hear the song of the young, the sign that the new brood had hatched. Simple pleasures are always the best. A Nest View Bird House
wouldn've been even better since we could have followed the action inside.
Birdhouses can also function as a design element in your garden as an architectural accent or focal point. The multitude of available styles means you can find one to fit any garden.
From organic...
to classic...
or even a bit of whimsy.
Gardening-for-Wildlife.com suggests that fall or early winter is the best time to put up a new birdhouse since cavity nesters may begin house hunting by mid-winter.
For more information on the benefits and criteria for birdhouses, see the following articles by the Alabama Wildbird Conservation Assoc.: A Birdhouse in Every Garden and Birdhouses and the Birds That Use Them.
This Christmas, think about giving a gift to the birds.
8 comments:
I give birdhouses as gifts quite a bit. My yard never got a bird in a house though. But my lilac tree had a robin's nest this year. i was so pleased. I don't care where they nest, just so they do.
We have quite a few bird nests around; on trees and roofs. We can't see the babies well but the adults visit all the time especially if my dogs do not finish their food.
Great post - bird boxes are a wonderful addition to any garden. I am currently bewitched by the antics of the Blue Tits nesting in our box, though the fact that they are still in situ means I can't clean it out...
Beautiful birdhouses! The brown gourd is especially cool -- it stands out from other gourd type houses I've seen.
Great post. I received a beautiful bird feeder last Christmas and it will give me years of pleasure. :)
I like seeing all the different styles of birdhouses. Hubbie says he'll make a bat house for us this Cheistmas.
GWGT and One: I'm with you - happy for any bird's nest. What I had never realized is that some birds will only nest in a cavity. I learned something new.
Plantaliscious: Good for you, taking such good care of your birds and their houses!
Appalachian Feet: It's a pretty one, isn't it?
perennialgardener: Birdfeeders are another great addition. As a matter of fact, I should be tending to mine right now....
sierrafoothillgarden: Merry Christmas and enjoy your bat house!
Birdhouses add such whimsy and beauty to a garden, whether they are inhabited or not. But it's so rewarding when a bird family does choose one for their home!
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