6 
FARMERS^ BULLETIN 609. 
Phoebes like to nest about buildings, and a simple sbelf under tbe 
roof of a porcb or sbed is all they require. If, however, it is desirable 
to bave tbem stay 
outside, tbe sbelf 
must be provided 
with a roof. Figure 
8 shows a sbelf 
shielded from tbe 
weather by one wall 
and a roof. This 
shelf if placed high 
under tbe eaves of a 
two-story bull ding 
may attract barn 
swallows; phoebes 
and robms also are bkely to build 
upon it if it is not less than 8 feet 
from tbe ground. In some cases 
it will be advisable to leave only 
one side open. 
A nest shelter designed to be placed in shrubbery for catbirds, 
brown thrashers and song sparrows is shown in figxme 10. As it 
requires little lumber or 
labor, one may well be 
placed in every patch of 
weeds or brush fre¬ 
quented by these birds. 
Fastened to a large hor¬ 
izontal branch or in a 
crotch of a tree it is bkely 
to be used by robins. 
The house shown in figures 12 to 15 is de¬ 
signed to be set on a pole or a tree stub for 
the use of swal- 
Fig. 7.—Log split and halves marked to be gouged 
out to form a cavity. Halves to be screwed to¬ 
gether. Top should be covered with tin or zinc. 
lows especially. 
It can be cleaned 
by simply lift¬ 
ing the box from 
<?-/1 
/ . 
a-/ 
1 - /O" - 
- 7" - 
its base. Bluebirds and wrens, as web T 
as swabows, nest in this style of house 
though they prefer a deeper cavity. 
Another pole house is shown in figure 17. 
This is essentially after the woodpecker 
model and is suitable for bluebirds. By 
releasing the hooks which fasten the box to the base, cleaning is easy. 
Figure 19 ibustrates a house to be attached to a tree. It can be 
Fig. 9.- 
-Diagrams for outdoor nest shelf 
shown in figure 8. 
