Nesting season is coming up. Even if it's still snowing in some areas, it's just about time to start thinking about getting birdhouses.
When buying a birdhouse, don't buy one with paint. A painted birdhouse may look nice, but paint isn't good for birds. Plain, wooden birdhouses are the best. If you are putting up an owl house, don't put it only a few feet above the ground, or you'll never get any owls. Put it high up in a tall tree. Also, when placing a birdhouse, try to keep it out of the reach of cats and other creatures that might catch the birds as they fly in and out. Don't place it in some place that's often disturbed either, like near a door. The birds will likely abandon it if you do.
In the United States there are some non-native birds that may try to invade your birdhouse, preventing native species like bluebirds and wrens from nesting. Two are house sparrows and European starlings. To prevent these birds from stealing the birdhouses, buy birdhouses without a perch below the hole, or cut the perch off. I'm not sure why, but house sparrows and starlings need perches. Native birds do not. I don't know why, but it's true.
Below is one of the non-native birds- a European starling.
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| European Starling |
Below is a Bewick's wren.
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| Bewick's Wren |
Below are a male and female house finch. I'm guessing they are a pair, because they weren't in a flock.
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| House Finches |
Below is an orange-crowned warbler in one of its favorite flower bushes.
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| Orange-Crowned Warbler |
Below is a black phoebe. It landed on a pole right in front of me.
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| Black Phoebe |
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