4 
FARMERS^ BULLETIN 609. 
Table 1.— Dimensions of nesting boxes for various species of birds. 
Species. 
Floor 
of 
cavity. 
Depth 
of 
cavity. 
Entrance 
above 
floor. 
Diameter 
of 
entrance. 
; Height 
above 
gipund. 
Bluebird. 
Inches. 
5 by 5 
0 by 8 
4 by 4 
4 by 4 
4 by 4 
4 by 4 
4 by 4 
4 by 4 
6 by 6 
5 by 5 
5 by 5 
6 by 6 
6 by 6 
6 by 6 
6 by 6 
6 by 6 
6 by 6 
7 by 7 
6 by 6 
6 by 6 
6 by 6 
4 by 4 
8 by 8 
8 by 8 
6 by 6 
10 by 18 
10 by 18 
Inches. 
8 
8 
Inches. 
6 
(G 
8 
8 
8 
Inches. 
G) 
U 
U 
U 
Feet. 
5 to 10 
Robin. 
6 to 15 
Chickadee. 
8 to 10 
6 to 15 
Tufted titmouse. 
8 to 10 
6 to 15 
White-breasted nuthatch. 
8 to 10 
12 to 20 
House Wi en. 
6 to 8 
1 to 6 
6 to 10 
Bewick wren. 
6 to 8 
1 to 6 
6 to 10 
Carolina wren. 
6 to 8 
1 to 6 
H 
3 
6 to 10 
Dipper. 
6 
i 
1 to 3 
Viofet-green swallow. 
6 
1 to 6 
li 
10 to 15 
Tree swallow. 
6 
1 to 6 
10 to 15 
Barn swallow. 
6 
0) 
1 
G) 
(2) 
2 
8 to 12 
Maitin. 
6 
15 to 20 
Song sparrow. 
6 
(2) 
4 
1 to 3 
Housefinch. 
6 
8 to 12 
Phoebe. 
G 
G) 
8 
G) 
2 
8 to 12 
Crested flycatcher. 
8 to 10 
8 to 20 
Flicker. . 
16 to 18 
16 
2 
6 to 20 
Red-headed woodpecker. 
12 to 15 
12 
12 to 20 
Golden-fronted woodpecker. 
12 to 15 
12 
2 
12 to 20 
Hairy woodpecker. 
12 to 15 
12 
li 
li 
12 to 20 
Downy woodpecker. 
8 to 10 
8 
6 to 20 
Screech owl. .*. 
12 to 15 
12 
3 
10 to 30 
Sparrow hawk. 
12 to 15 
12 
3 
10 to 30 
Saw-whet owl. 
10 to 12 
10 
12 to 20 
Barn owl. 
15 to 18 
4 
6 
12 to 18 
Wood duck. 
10 to 15 
3 
6 
4 to 20 
1 One or more sides open. 
2 All sides open. 
HOUSE PLANS. 
Possibilities in the way of improvising bird houses with very little 
work are suggested in figures 1 and 2. Ordinary tomato cans treated 
in either of the ways here indicated will 
be tenanted by wrens and bluebirds. 
The cans ought 
always to be 
placed in shaded 
Fig. 1.—Tomato can with circular piece 
of board fitted in one end, to make 
house for bluebirds or wrens. 
Fig. 2.—Tomato can, with 
one end removed, fas¬ 
tened to top of post. Hole 
cut in side for entrance. 
Suitable for bluebirds 
or wrens if put in shady 
place. 
Fig. 3.—Gourd for 
martins. 
places, as the metal becomes 
very hot in the sun. 
Bird houses in the South¬ 
ern States have long been made from gourds. The 
entrance is in the side and a drain hole in the bot¬ 
tom, as shown in figure 3. A piece of wire through 
the neck for mounting it completes the house. A number of gourds 
thus prepared and strung on a pole seems to make a satisfactory tene¬ 
ment house for a colony of martins. Used singly they are equally 
well adapted to wrens and bluebirds. While gourds are not durable 
when exposed to the weather they are easily replaced. 
