Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife

Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary Program
Landscape Design for Wildlife
Nest Boxes for Birds
 
- Materials/Design
- Placement
- Pest Proofing
- Tips on Attracting Birds & Facts about Cavity-nesting Birds
- Nest Box Specifics
- References
Woodworking Projects for Wildlife
Hummingbirds and How to Attract Them
Winter Bird Feeding
Ponds and Birdbaths
Butterflies and How to Attract Them
Book Resource and Sales
Related Links
  The Urban Habitat Campaign
   

 
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Nest Boxes for Birds

Tips on Attracting Birds

  • Plant native trees and shrubs for food and shelter
  • Avoid using insecticide sprays whenever possible
  • Leave grass and bush cuttings for nesting material
  • Provide clean water in a birdbath
  • Plant colorful wildflowers that will attract insects for birds to eat
  • Leave 1-inch to 4-inch lengths of string or yarn for nesting material
  • Set out a feeder or two to entice suet and seed eating birds


Facts About Cavity-nesting Birds

WOOD DUCK Inhabits woodland streams and ponds during summer; not as common in urban areas. Nest is a bare cavity, lined with down. Lays 8-10 white or creamy eggs.
AMERICAN
KESTREL		 Inhabits open areas with scattered trees; not common in urban areas. Nest is a shallow scrape in a cavity. Lays 4-5 mostly-white eggs. Eats rodents and insects.
BARN OWL Uses a variety of habitats. Nest is a shallow hollow in a cavity. Lays 4-7 white eggs. Eats rodents.
SCREECH OWL Widely distributed in forests, parks, orchards and woodlots. Nest is an unlined tree cavity. Lays 4-5 white eggs. Eats rodents.
NORTHERN
FLICKER		 Lives in open or sparsely wooded areas. Nest cavity is usually excavated in live wood. Lays 6-8 glossy white eggs. Eats insects, especially ants. Will visit a suet feeder.
HAIRY
WOODPECKER		 Inhabits mature woodlands, especially deciduous forests; uncommon in urban areas. Nest cavity is usually excavated in live wood. Usually lays 4 glossy white eggs. Eats insects, suet.
DOWNY
WOODPECKER		 Inhabits open woodlands and natural parks; more common than hairy woodpecker in urban areas. Nest cavity is usually in dead wood. Lays 4-5 glossy-white eggs. Eats insects, suet.
VIOLET-GREEN
SWALLOW		 Common in urban areas during the summer. Nest is a cup of dry grasses lined with feathers and fine materials placed in a crevice in buildings, old woodpecker holes or bird houses. Lays 4-5 white eggs. Eats flying insects.
TREE
SWALLOW		 Widely distributed in summer, usually near water. Less common than violet-green swallow in urban areas. Nest is a cup of grasses lined with feathers in a natural cavity, old woodpecker hole or a crevice in a building. Lays 4-6 white eggs. Eats flying insects.
PURPLE MARTIN Widely distributed in summer, in past near human settlements, but now rare in the state due to habitat losses and competition from house sparrows and starlings for nest sites. Nest is placed in crevices in rocks, trees or buildings, or in old woodpecker holes. Lays 4-5 white eggs. Eats flying insects.
CHESTNUT-BACKED
CHICKADEE		 Inhabits coniferous forests. Nest is made of moss, with a cup of fur, feathers and fibers. Lays 6-7 white eggs, sometimes speckled. Eats insects in summer, seeds in winter. Visits feeders.
BLACK-CAPPED
CHICKADEE		 Inhabits open areas with scattered trees; common in urban areas. Nest and diet similar to chestnut-backed chickadee. Lays 6-8 white creamy eggs. Visits suet and seed feeders.
RED-BREASTED
NUTHATCH		 Found in mixed forests; not common in urban areas. Nest is a cavity in dead wood, with a cup of grasses, rootlets and fur. Tree resin is smeared around the entrance hole. Lays 5-6 white or creamy eggs, usually speckled. Eats insects and seeds. Visits suet and seed feeders.
HOUSE WREN Widely distributed in areas with shrubby cover; uncommon summer resident in urban areas. Nests in any cavity, including the pockets of pants hanging on a clothesline. Lays 6-8 white, finely speckled eggs. Eats insects.
BEWICK'S WREN Inhabits open woodlands and thickets. Nest is a bulky cup in any cavity. Lays 5-7 white eggs, often speckled. Eats insects.
WESTERN
BLUEBIRD		 Inhabits woodland clearings and open areas; rare in urban areas. Nest is a slight cup in a cavity, made of dry grasses and a few feathers. Lays 4-6 blue eggs. Suffers from loss of habitat and competition for nest sites from starlings.
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