This shed-roof birdhouse is sized for small birds such as wrens chickadees and bluebirds.
Photo: Noel Barnhurst
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This shed-roof birdhouse, sized for small birds such as wrens, chickadees, and bluebirds, incorporates bird-friendly characteristics: the deep overhang, perchless entry, openings for air circulation, and easy access to the interior for cleaning. It's built from rough-sawn redwood, but you can substitute other woods. The birdhouse is based on a design from Howard Rathlesberger, a member of the California Bluebird Recovery Program: CBRP, 2021 Ptarmigan Dr., Suite 1, Walnut Creek, CA 94595.
TIME: About an hour
COST: About $5
MATERIALS
4 feet of 1-by-6 redwood fencing
25 inches of 1-by-8 fencing
15 1½-inch woodscrews
Two eightpenny nails
TOOLS
You don't have to be a woodworking whiz to build the shell: it requires only straight cuts that you can make with a handsaw, saber saw, circular saw, or table saw. You'll also need:
Electric drill
Drill bits
1¼-inch paddle bit
Tape measure
Straight-edged ruler or combination square
Pencil
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