Birdhouses

About WH Birdhouses Caring for Your Birdhouse Fledging Facts

Wren Cottages
(For wrens, but may attract other songbirds)

Saltbox Condos
(For chickadees, nuthatches, titmice, and downy woodpeckers)

PVC Towers
(For chickadees, nuthatches, titmice, and downy woodpeckers)

Whimsies
(Different strokes for different folks)

Model Homes
(Crafted to match a photo of an actual house)

About Wood Havens Birdhouses

I hand craft and hand paint every Wood Havens birdhouse with the goal of building the best havens possible. I use a variety of materials including pine, cedar, molding, cedar shingles, finials, river rocks, and other items. Finishes include exterior paint, craft paint, stain, and textured granite paint. All houses are treated with 1-3 coats of exterior spar urethane (depending on the finish). If you would prefer a birdhouse in a different color, or would like a Model Home crafted for you, I do take custom orders.

To encourage nesting, each house complies with National Wildlife Federation standards. I do not include perches on any of my houses because they attract predators. Each Wood Havens birdhouse has an opening, usually a hinged door, to allow cleaning.

Caring for Your Birdhouse

You should clean your birdhouse once a year, after each brood of chicks has fledged. This should encourage nesting in the following breeding season.

To clean your birdhouse, gently pat the inside and outside of the house with a rag soaked in bleach solution. The solution should be nine parts water to one part bleach. Rinse all surfaces thoroughly (do not immerse), and allow to dry.

To protect against weathering, you may lightly spray the outside of the house with exterior spar urethane, following the product directions. One coat should be sufficient. Exterior spar urethane may be purchased at most hardware stores.

Fledging Facts

Fledging is different between species. Ornithologists consider some types of young birds fledged once they leave the nest, even if they can't fly. For other birds, fledging means the chick has total independence. For information on specific birds, visit the "Bird Guide" at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology web site.