BIRD HOUSES AND KITES 
ILLUSTRATED 
Published by SUCCESSFUL FARMING, Des Moines, Iowa 
10 CENTS PER COPY 
Copyrighted. H. W. CARMICHAEL, Author 
I N T R O D 
The purpose of this book is to give to boys and girls who live in the 
country, where most of the birds make their homes, some definite informa¬ 
tion about building these birds a house, that is easy to make, and suitable 
for birds to live in. 
In most localities the birds come back in the spring, and are unable to 
find a suitable nesting place due to the fact that much of the timber and 
brush have been cleared away to make room for a greater cultivation of 
the soil. 
The native birds are not so plentiful as they used to be due to the above 
facts and unless some artificial means is provided the farmer is going to lose 
one of his best friends and assistants. 
It is the author’s hope that this little book will inspire some boy 
to try his skill at bird house building, regardless of the scarcity of tools, 
and lumber. After you have built one house try and build several others, 
you can’t put up too many, and the birds will surely appreciate them. 
Every farm yard ought to be full of bird houses, and at least two feeding 
shelters should be provided, where the birds can be fed on cold early spring 
mornings, and in the winter. Many of the birds will stay with you the year 
around if they are given food, and a protected house in which to live. 
Birds are the only sure means of keeping down the steadily increasing 
growth of insect life that destroy crops and orchards. We must begin to 
realize that no birds mean no crops. 
Bird houses must be built to suit each particular kind of bird and should 
have dimensions to correspond with the original nests these birds are in the 
habit of building where no houses are provided. The table printed here is 
the same as the one published by the U. S. Department of Agriculture and 
should be followed when building a house for each of the different birds. 
Your bird houses can be as elaborate or as plain as you wish to make 
them. This book contains a few houses which are easy to make, serviceable, 
and according to government measurements. 
U C T O R Y 
Beginners should not attempt to build a large or fancy house. Try to 
make one of the small houses first and follow directions carefully. 
DIMENSIONS OF NESTING BOXES FOR VARIOUS SPECIES OF BIRDS 
Species 
Floor 
Qf 
cavity 
Dep th 
°f. 
cavity 
Entrance 
abpve 
floor 
Diameter 
of 
entrance 
Height 
above 
ground 
Bluebird.. 
5 by 5 
8 
6 
IX 
5 to 10 
Robin. 
6 by 8 
8 
* 
* 
6 to 15 
Chickadee. 
4 by 4 
8 to 10 
8 
IX 
6 to 15 
Tufted titmouse. 
4 by 4 
8 to 10 
8 
IX 
6 to 15 
White-breasted nuthatch . . . 
4 by 4 
8 to 10 
8 
1M 
12 to 20 
House wren. 
4 by 4 
6 to 8 
1 to 6 
X 
6 to 10 
Bewick wreD. 
4 by 4 
6 to 8 
1 to 6 
5 
6 to 10 
Carolina wren. 
4 by 4 
6 to 8 
1 to 6 
m 
6 to 10 
Dipper. . 
6 by 6 
6 
1 
3 
1 to 3 
Violet-green swallow. 
5 by 5 
6 
1 to 6 
1 Vz 
10 to 15 
Tree swallow. 
5 by 5 
6 
1 to 6 
ix 
10 to 15 
Barn sw allow. 
6 by 6 
6 
* 
* 
8 to 12 
Marlin. 
6 by 0 
6 
1 
2K 
15 to 20 
Song sparrow.. .... 
6 by 6 
6 
t 
1 to 3 
House finch. 
6 by 6 
6 
4 
2 
8 to 12 
Phoebe. 
6 by 6 
6 
* 
* 
8 to 12 
Crested flycatcher. 
6 by 6 
8 to 10 
8 
2 
8 to 20 
Flicker. 
7 by 7 
16 to 18 
16 
2H 
6 to 20 
Red-headed woodpecker.. 
6 by 6 
12 to 15 
12 
2 
12 to 20 
Golden-fronted woodpecker. . 
6 by 6 
12 to 15 
12 
2 
12 to 20 
Hairy woodpecker. 
6 by 6 
12 to 15 
12 
ix 
12 tev 20 
Downy woodpecker. 
4 by 4 
8 to 10 
8 
ix 
6 tc-20 
Screech owl.. 
8 by 8 
12 to 15 
12 
3 
10 ter 30 
Sparrow hawk. 
8 by 8 
12 to 15 
12 
3 
10 tc 30 
Saw-whet owl. 
6 by 6 
10 to 12 
10 
2H 
12 to, 20 
Barn owl . 
10 by 18 
15 to IS 
4 
6 
12 td 18 
Wood duck. 
10 by 18 
10 to 15 
3 
6 
4 to' 20 
*One or more sides open. tAll sides open. 
2 — 
To replace lost oo^f 
APR s 'Uezd 
/ 
