BIRD HOUSES AND NESTING BOXES. 



EDWARD HOWE FORBUSH, DIRECTOR, DIVISION OF ORNITHOLOGY. 



Introduction. 



Many people fail to put up bird houses or nesting boxes 

 because of the trouble and expense entailed, or because they do 

 not know how to prepare and erect them in such a way as to 

 get the birds. Much that has been written on this subject has 

 been theoretical. Fatal errors in the dimensions of entrances 

 have been disseminated. For want of specific instructions, 

 nesting boxes have been put wrong side up or in places where 

 no bird would use them. 



This circular has been written to encourage people to con- 

 struct easily made, inexpensive nesting boxes, and to tell when, 

 where and how to put them up so that the birds will be sure 

 to take them. Making and putting up such boxes should be 

 looked upon as a pastime. They need cost little or nothing, and 

 he who makes them should feel well rewarded by the joy of 

 seeing the little tenants choose, settle down, build their nests 

 and rear their young, singing their cheery songs meanwhile, 

 and feeding on the insect enemies of crops and trees. We must 

 provide homes for the birds that nest in hollow trees, as there 

 are no longer holes enough for all, while destructive insects have 

 so increased in numbers that the food supply is abundant. 



Numerous nesting boxes properly put up will increase rapidly 

 the number of birds in a locality by multiplying the bird fam- 

 ilies reared. I have known more than 100 young birds of four 

 species to be reared in a single season in nesting boxes on about 

 3 acres, where no birds of these species were raised in previous 

 years, and where none could have been reared previously as 

 they then had no suitable nesting places. Boxes rightly made 

 and situated give much better protection to the young than 

 do most tree cavities. A bird box is serviceable if it furnishes 

 a suitable nesting apartment, shelters nest, eggs and young 

 from sun, wind and storm, and provides security against the 



