HOW TO ENCOURAGE BIRDS TO BREED 



a side entrance near the bottom, at the middle, or 

 close to the top. Nesting boxes may be placed about 

 the homestead, in sheltered places, on outhouses, 

 under the eaves, etc. Care should be taken to affix 

 them in situations out of the reach of rats. It is 

 highly desirable to encourage owls to breed, and 

 suitable nesting boxes should always be provided for 

 them. Rats and mice play appalling havoc to crops, 

 other produce, and young plantations ; and owls are 

 their chief enemies. It is therefore a wise policy 

 to take every possible measure to protect owls and 

 encourage them to breed. The boxes should resemble 

 cavities in the tree trunks, and ought to be placed high 

 up on the stem or at the bases of the large branches. 



Municipal and Government authorities would do 

 well to put an abundance of nesting boxes high up on 

 the trunks of trees in all public plantations to encourage 

 owls, woodpeckers, and other feathered policemen of 

 the forests to come and breed. Swallows and martins 

 are of the utmost possible economic value. They may 

 be encouraged to breed around the homestead by 

 providing suitable covering from rain and wind under 

 which they can build their nests of mud. 



It is advisable to have nesting boxes placed in 

 position a good while in advance of the nesting season. 

 Birds begin building on the advent of spring, so the 

 boxes ought to be put up during the winter to allow 

 the birds to get accustomed to them. Fix the boxes 

 in the most sheltered spot possible away from direct 

 sunlight and strong wind and drifting rain. No 

 nesting material should be put inside the boxes. A 



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