DIED HOUSES AND HOW TO BUILD THEM. 3 



The number of house birds may be still further augmented as time 

 goes on. All of the commoner woodpeckers are likely to be included, 

 as are several of the small owls and wrens, and a few of the wild 

 ducks, as the golden-eye. The wood duck is already known to use 

 nesting boxes. Houses set close to streams in the western mountains 

 will probably be occupied by ousels or dippers. Florida grackles 

 sometimes breed in flicker holes and may be expected to occupy 

 houses now and then. In every locality having trees there is a group 

 of birds ready to appropriate houses when they have the opportunity. 



SUGGESTIONS FOR CONSTRUCTING HOUSES. 



House birds differ decidedly in their requirements. For those 

 which usually excavate homes, for themselves, the diameter of the 

 entrance and the depth and diameter of the cavity must be in accord 

 with their specific standards. Some birds are satisfied with almost 

 any sort of a lodging. Bluebirds and wrens, for example, are con- 

 tent to build in tomato cans, although chickadees and nuthatches 

 disdain them. Wood is a better building material than metal or 

 earthenware. Entrance holes should be countersunk from the out- 

 side to exclude rain. Heads of nails and screws should be set rather 

 deeply and covered with putty. All houses should be easy to open 

 for cleaning. A perch at the entrance is unnecessary and may even 

 be an objection, as it is frequently used by English sparrows while 

 they twitter exasperatingly to more desirable occupants. To provide 

 for proper ventilation a row of small holes is sometimes bored just 

 beneath the eaves, but there should never be a ventilating hole 

 lower than the entrance, and joints should be made tight, as drafts 

 of air are dangerous. In case there is danger that rain may be 

 driven in through the door, a small drainage hole, which will be 

 covered by the nest, may be made in the middle of the floor. 



The appearance and durability of houses are improved 'by a coat 

 of paint. A neutral shade of green or gray is suitable for houses 

 mounted in trees, while those on poles, being conspicuously placed, 

 lend themselves harmoniously to the landscape when painted white. 



The dimensions of nesting boxes shown in Table 1 are taken from 

 the experience of successful builders and from measurements of 

 woodpecker holes. 



