Birdhouse Hole Size Chart

What size hole for birdhouse should I drill and why use predator guards

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Did you know that more than 24 species of birds, including songbirds and owls, nest in birdhouses? Different bird species are different sizes. Before you build a birdhouse, look which birds are visiting your backyard or bird feeder. According to this, choose right hole size using birdhouse hole size chart (you will find it below). The birdhouse hole size chart show you exactly, what size hole what bird use. For example, a bluebird house hole size should be 1.5″(3,8cm) however, a chickadee birdhouse hole sizes should be 1.25″(3,2cm). One way to ensure the nesting birds stay in your property  for quite a long time is by adding bird feeders and birdbaths in backyard.

Know your backyard birds. Here are the best books to recognize backyard birds.

 

Birdhouse hole size chart help you to protect birds?

Many people are oblivious that the entrance hole is an essential part of a birdhouse. For many bird-keepers, their main focus is most of the design of the bird house. They don’t pay much attention to this vital aspect of the whole nest.

The entrance hole, to a more significant extent, determines what kind of birds will find your birdhouse a favorable home. In essence, some birds will not live in that birdhouse because of how you’ve constructed it.

Further, the hole has a way of preventing the unwanted guest from getting into your birdhouse.

 

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Why you should use Predator Guards

The importance of predator guards is straightforward yet crucial: security. For instance, bluebirds often reuse nest boxes. However, if a predator like an opossum raids a bluebird’s nest, the bird will likely seek a safer location, leaving your birdhouse unused. Here, you’ll find instructions on selecting the right predator guard for your bluebird house.Watch the video below to see how a woodpecker, without a predator guard, can quickly enlarge the birdhouse opening and prey on blue tit chicks.

 

 

 

Effects of a tiny birdhouse hole size.

A standard entrance hole with standard design will probably encourage many songbirds to nest. But on a more positive note, the same size of the entrance hole will scare away predators who may want to gain access to the birdhouse.

When setting up a nesting house, the focus should be more on the interior volume. So necessarily, the size of the interior should be large enough to take in more birds. But more than that, the ample space should accommodate the movement of the adult birds as they feed their young ones.

Wondering about the consequences of a small birdhouse?

A cramped space means adult birds will struggle for room, leading to worn-out feathers. But is a spacious interior better? Not necessarily. Too much room can make birds spend too long gathering nesting materials. Plus, it attracts unwanted guests like squirrels and rodents who might chew the entrance hole larger. So, the best birdhouse has a modest entrance follow birdhouse hole size chart and a reasonably sized interior.

 

 

If you need to resize the birdhouse entrance hole?

It’s not uncommon to come across many birdhouses that come with an already drilled hole. The only shortcoming of such holes is that they may not be of the required standard size for the birds you want to keep in your yard.

If you find out that the hole size is too small for your birds’ needs, you can always use a paddle or a spade drill to increase the size. The paddle will enlarge the hole uniformly.

As you increase the size of the hole, you may require a tiny piece of wood to help the drill bit with uniform movement. You may also use the piece of timber to smoothen any rough edges after drilling.

Sometimes you may need to enlarge the hole only by a small margin. You will need to use a more minor or around drill bit to resize the birdhouse hole size.

Further, you will need to be keen and ensure you increase the birdhouse entrance hole uniformly without interfering much with the initial shape.

To decrease a bird house hole size, however, you will need to fix a piece of wood at the entrance using nails or glue. However, you may also opt for a wooden resizer to reduce the gaping space.