THE OREGON SPORTSMAN 



43 



HOW TO BUILD BIRD HOUSES. 



The time of the year is at hand for 

 children to build bird homes. It is im- 

 portant that they are built correctly if 

 children wish to attract feathered ten- 

 ants. The door to a bird house is an 

 important feature. This should never 

 be on a level with the floor, but at 

 least six inches above. The house should 

 be eight inches or more high. 



The natural home for bluebirds, 

 wrens, violet-green swallows and chick- 

 adees, is an old deserted woodpecker's 

 house. The nearer one can imitate this 

 bird home the better. A round limb of 



The Right Way. a ^ ree sawe( J } n ^WO an( J ^ nen hollowed 



out and fitted together again, makes a good bird house. 



The door-way may be as small as a fifty cent piece, or even 

 smaller for wrens and swallows. The size of a dollar is good for 

 bluebirds, and a hole from two to three inches in diameter suits 

 a flicker. 



Any spot that is slightly sheltered is a suitable location 

 whether it is on the side of the building or in a tree. Bird homes 

 should be located from at least eight to twenty feet above the 

 ground. 



Especial attention is called to 

 a most useful publication issued 

 by the United States Department 

 of Agriculture, entitled "Bird 

 Houses and How to Build Them" 

 (Farmers' Bulletin No. 609). The 

 pamphlet contains many drawings 

 and specifications for construct- 

 ing bird-houses. Every teacher 

 of a bird study class should pos- 

 sess one, and may procure it by 

 writing to Henry W. Henshaw, 

 Chief of the Biological Survey, 

 Washington, D. C. 



The Wrong- Way. 



