{"product_id":"2940013950443","title":"Habits For Birds","description":"Homes for Birds\u003cbr\u003eBirds You Can Attract to Nest Boxes\u003cbr\u003eMany of the birds that visit feeders and baths\u003cbr\u003emay stay and nest in nearby trees. Most of them,\u003cbr\u003eincluding cardinals, doves and orioles, don't nest\u003cbr\u003ein boxes. You can still help them by considering\u003cbr\u003etheir food and shelter requirements in your\u003cbr\u003elandscape plans.\u003cbr\u003eMore than two dozen North American birds nest\u003cbr\u003ein bird houses. The following descriptions will\u003cbr\u003ehelp you determine which birds might visit your\u003cbr\u003eneighborhood.\u003cbr\u003eBluebirds\u003cbr\u003eIf you put up a bluebird house near an old field,\u003cbr\u003eorchard, park, cemetery or golf course, you\u003cbr\u003emight have a chance of attracting a pair of\u003cbr\u003ebluebirds. They prefer nest boxes on a tree\u003cbr\u003estump or wooden fence post between three and\u003cbr\u003efive feet high. Bluebirds also nest in abandoned\u003cbr\u003ewoodpecker nest holes.\u003cbr\u003eThe most important measurement is the hole\u003cbr\u003ediameter. An inch and a half is small enough to\u003cbr\u003edeter starlings, which, along with house\u003cbr\u003esparrows, have been known to kill bluebirds, as\u003cbr\u003ewell as adults sitting on the nest. Bluebirds have\u003cbr\u003eproblems with other animals too. Discourage\u003cbr\u003ecats, snakes, raccoons and chipmunks by\u003cbr\u003emounting the house on a metal pole, or use a\u003cbr\u003emetal predator guard on a wood post.\u003cbr\u003eAmerican Robins\u003cbr\u003eThe robin is our largest thrush. They prefer to\u003cbr\u003ebuild their nest in the crotch of a tree. If you don't\u003cbr\u003ehave an appropriate tree, you can offer a nesting\u003cbr\u003eplatform. Pick a spot six feet or higher up on a\u003cbr\u003eshaded tree trunk or under the overhang of a\u003cbr\u003eshed or porch. Creating a \"mud puddle\" nearby\u003cbr\u003eoffers further enticement, as robins use mud to\u003cbr\u003ehold their nests together.\u003cbr\u003eChickadees, Nuthatches and Titmice\u003cbr\u003eChickadees, titmice and nuthatches share the\u003cbr\u003esame food, feeders, and habitat. If you put a\u003cbr\u003eproperly designed nest box in a wooded yard, at\u003cbr\u003eleast one of these species might check it out. Put\u003cbr\u003echickadee houses at eye level. Hang them from\u003cbr\u003elimbs or secure them to tree trunks. The entrance\u003cbr\u003ehole should be 1 1\/8 inches to attract\u003cbr\u003echickadees, yet exclude house sparrows. Anchor\u003cbr\u003ehouses for nuthatches on tree trunks five to six\u003cbr\u003efeet off the ground.\u003cbr\u003eBrowm Creepers and Prothonotary Warblers\u003cbr\u003eLook for brown creepers to nest behind the\u003cbr\u003ecurved bark of tree trunks. In heavily wooded\u003cbr\u003eyards, slab bark houses appeal to creepers.\u003cbr\u003eProthonotary warblers also prefer slab bark\u003cbr\u003ehouses, or bluebird boxes attached to a tree\u003cbr\u003etrunk, but theirs must be placed over water\u003cbr\u003e(lakes, rivers or swamps) with a good canopy of\u003cbr\u003etrees overhead.\u003cbr\u003eWrens\u003cbr\u003eWrens don't seem to be very picky about where\u003cbr\u003ethey nest. Try nest boxes with a 1 inch x 2 inch\u003cbr\u003ehorizontal slot (1½ inch x 2 ½ inch for the larger\u003cbr\u003eCarolina wrens) instead of a circle. These are\u003cbr\u003eeasier for the wrens to use. However, the larger\u003cbr\u003ethe opening, the more likely it is house sparrows\u003cbr\u003ewill occupy the box.\u003cbr\u003eWrens are known for filling a nest cavity with\u003cbr\u003etwigs, regardless of whether they use the nest to\u003cbr\u003eraise their young. Since male house wrens build\u003cbr\u003eseveral nests for the female to choose from,\u003cbr\u003ehang several nest boxes at eye level on partly\u003cbr\u003esunlit tree limbs. Wrens are sociable and will\u003cbr\u003eaccept nest boxes quite close to your house.\u003cbr\u003eTree and Violet--green Swallows\u003cbr\u003eTree swallows prefer nest boxes attached to\u003cbr\u003edead trees. Space the boxes about seven feet\u003cbr\u003eapart for these white-bellied birds with iridescent\u003cbr\u003eblue-green backs and wings. The ideal setting for\u003cbr\u003ethese insect-eaters is on the edge of a large field\u003cbr\u003enear a lake, pond or river.\u003cbr\u003eViolet-green swallows nest in forested mountains\u003cbr\u003eof the West; boxes placed on large trees in a\u003cbr\u003esemi-open woodland will attract them.\u003cbr\u003eBarn Swallows and Phoebes\u003cbr\u003eIf you have the right habitat, like an open barn or\u003cbr\u003eold shed, barn swallows and phoebes are easy to\u003cbr\u003eattract. It's their nesting behavior, not their\u003cbr\u003eplumage or song, that catches your attention.\u003cbr\u003eHowever, these birds tend to nest where you\u003cbr\u003ewould rather not have them: on a ledge right over\u003cbr\u003eyour front door. To avoid a mess by your door,\u003cbr\u003eoffer the birds a nesting shelf nearby where you'd\u003cbr\u003erather have them.\u003cbr\u003ePurple Martins\u003cbr\u003eMany people want martins in their yards\u003cbr\u003ebecause, it's been said, these birds eat 2,000\u003cbr\u003emosquitoes a day. While it's true that they eat\u003cbr\u003eflying insects, don't expect purple martins to\u003cbr\u003eeliminate mosquitoes in your yard completely\u003cbr\u003eMartins prefer dragonflies, which prey on\u003cbr\u003emosquito larvae. If you want to help rid your yard\u003cbr\u003eof mosquitoes, put up a bat roosting box. One\u003cbr\u003ebat can eat thousands of mosquitoes a night.\u003cbr\u003eMartins are entertaining\u003cbr\u003ecreatures, however, and\u003cbr\u003eyou'll enjoy watching their\u003cbr\u003eantics in your backyard.\u003cbr\u003eYou have the best chance\u003cbr\u003eof attracting martins if you\u003cbr\u003eput a house on the edge\u003cbr\u003eof a pond or river,","brand":"Altantic eBooks","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47152701964528,"sku":"2940013950443","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940013950443_p0.jpg?v=1763597727","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940013950443","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}