When a bird house is fastened to a support by the “toe-nail” method (by driving nails at a slant through the sides and bottom), it is a good point first to drill holes of the right diameter to fit the nails tightly; otherwise splitting of the sides or bottom of the house may result. Use flat-headed nails.
Slabs
When slabs are used in house-building, the upright pieces may be fastened to each other, at intervals of several inches, with a wire staple having ¾-inch prongs one inch apart. These should be on the outside of the house, where rust will color them to conform with the rustic wood.
Facilities for House Cleaning
For inspecting the nest and, at the end of the season, for cleaning out the old nest material, the top or some other section of the house should always be easily removable. Exceptions to this rule are houses for ducks and other larger birds, for which the entrance may be large enough and the depth not too great for all such purposes. Do not open a house in the owner’s presence. The more brief and infrequent your inspections, the less they will disturb the birds.
Position of Boxes
Bird houses erected on poles are safer from predators than those placed in trees. Houses for Purple Martins, in particular, need to be at a distance from trees and buildings, and if possible near water.
Place your bird house where the sun will reach it during part of the day, and turn the entrance away from the prevailing winds.
It seems hardly necessary to emphasize that, if possible, the bird house, as well as the bird bath and feeding station, should be placed in full view of a convenient window. To watch birds in their building and other activities will prove a fascinating pleasure.