Guide to making a bird box

This is a simple guide to how you can make a bird box yourself, Bird boxes can be cheap to buy but they are so simple to make that you might as well make one yourself, As well as attracting wildlife to your garden you can recycle old wood making this project very good for the Environment, Not much skill is required and with the right tools it should not take long to make,

You will need: approx 1.5m x 15cm x 1.25cm piece of untreated sawn timber, 2.5cm nails/screws, Wood drill bit 25mm-32mm, Drill, Screw driver, Hammer, Tape measure, Pen/Pencil, Sand paper.

Firstly you will need to measure and mark the timber up in to six pieces using these measurements: Back panel 45cm x 15cm, Base 11cm x 15cm, Roof 21cm x 15cm, Front 20cm x 15cm and 2 side panels cut for a sloping roof 25cm (back) + 20cm (front) x 15cm, See diagram,

Once marked up you can then cut them out and sand down any rough edges

Before you start assembling the panels it is wise to cut an entrance hole in the front panel for the birds to get in, You can wait and drill the hole at the end but once the box has been completed if you wish, The hole should be central and at least 12cm from the bottom, Different sized holes will attract different birds 25cm hole= Blue, Coal and Marsh Tits, 28mm hole= Great Tits and a 32mm hole will attract House and tree sparrows as well as Nuthatches.

You can now start assembling your panels, You can use either screws or nails to do this, Although the pictures show the box screwed together I think that it looks better when they are nailed together, It is recommended that you start by attaching the side panels to the front and then the back panel, The base may need cutting to fit snugly however if their is a gap don't worry as this will aid with drainage of any rain, If the base does fit tightly it is a good idea to drill some small holes for any drainage,

Fit the roof on last and use screws for this section as this will allow you to remove the roof to clean the bird box out, Drill one or two small holes to the top of the back panel so that you can attach the box to a tree or fence with screws, In the picture you can see that a little perch has been added to the front of the bird box but this is optional and not a necessity.

Try to position the bird box in a north-east facing spot that is sheltered from the wind and direct sunlight. Place in a spot away from predators

Do not treat the box or paint it if you wish to attract birds straight away as they will be put off by the strong scents,

You can change and modify the design as you wish to make it more personal to you, You could also try making bird feeders or bird tables easily.