| Wooden with Ashphalt Roof |
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| Pros |
Cons |
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Asphalt creates waterproof roof
Entrance hole cannot be made larger by predators with predator guard and extra plywood
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Screwdriver needed to clean
Bird nest disturbed to view interior of birdhouse
Difficult to mount and take down to clean
Asphalt may heat up in summer heat
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| Addional Comments: |
Mounted with two screws in back wall
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| Concrete with Metal Roof |
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| Pros |
Cons |
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Very durable
Entrance hole cannot be made larger by predators
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Metal roof becomes hot in direct sun
Screwdriver needed to clean
Bird nest disturbed to view interior of birdhouse
Difficult to mount and take down to clean
May crack if dropped
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| Addional Comments: |
Mounted with two screws in back wall
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| Wooden Simple-Box |
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| Pros |
Cons |
Wood provides insulation in extreme cold and warm weather
Post (T-bar) makes it difficult for predators to reach the birdhouse
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Screwdriver needed to clean
Bird nest disturbed to view interior of birdhouse
Difficult to mount and take down to clean
Interior dimensions are large and unfavourable for wrens, chickadees and nuthatches
Large openings near roof provide too much ventilation for cool spring weather
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| Addional Comments: |
Mounted by metal bracket on T-bar
Most likely intended for swallows or larger birds
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| All Composite Bluebird |
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| Pros |
Cons |
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Composite recycled plastic will not deteriorate over time
Entrance hole cannot be made larger by predators
Baffle below ensures squirrels are unable to climb to the house
Does not require screwdriver to clean
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Plastic may not be completely non-toxic
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| Addional Comments: |
Size of hole indicates birdhouse is intended for bluebirds
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| Wooden Slanted Roof |
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| Pros |
Cons |
Wood provides insulation in extreme cold and warm weather
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Unable to clean out old nests
Dificult to mount
Hole to large for smaller songbirds
Without the ability to clean the house out and the improper deminsions and hole size, this is more of a decorative birdhouse
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| Addional Comments: |
Mounted 1 m (3 feet) from ground is not ideal
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| Cedar |
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| Pros |
Cons |
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Cedar is rot resistant and deters insects
Entrance hole size can be changed with different insert
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The smell of cedar is overpowering for the birds and should not be used
Difficult to mount
Plyers are needed to clean out old nests
Interior can not be viewed without disturbing the nest
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| Addional Comments: |
Mounted with one screw on the thin back board
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| Wooden Simple Box |
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| Pros |
Cons |
Wood provides insulation in extreme cold and warm weather
Birdhouse has appropiate inner volume for wrens
Does not have a toxic finish
Hole size ideal for wrens
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Single screw on lid must be removed to clean out nest
Difficult to mount and to maintain
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| Addional Comments: |
Mounted with two screws to barn board siding of a shed
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| Decorative Multi-compartment |
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| Pros |
Cons |
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Aesthetically pleasing
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Difficult to clean out nests
Interior volume in comparments too large
Placed on ground
Hole size too large
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| Addional Comments: |
Might work as a Purple Martin house if it was mounted 25' high and could be cleaned out easily
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Summarizing the Best Birdhouse for Small Songbirds
After researching many designs and reading many scientific journal articles it has become apparent that there are many flaws in current birdhouse models on the market. The aim is to provide birdhouses with as many favourable attributes as possible to give the birds a better chance, and make it easier for the care taker.
With these features in mind, we have come up with two birdhouse designs that addresses these strengths and limit these unfavourable weaknesses. Cranmer Earth Design hexagonal birdhouse (below left) and turned birdhouse (below right) are functional, easy to maintain and are aesthetically pleasing.
While many of the birdhouses on the market are said to be the perfect demensions for these birds, only these two designs address the problem of not being able to remove the nest easily.
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| Hexagonal |
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| Pros |
Cons |
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Entire birdhouse comes off bracket without screwdriver
Lid comes off easily to remove nest, clean or view without a screwdriver
Coated with non-toxic PolyWhey urethane
Interior volume is too small for squirrels to try to occupy and perfect for wrens
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Pine will deteriorate faster than hardwoods
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| Addional Comments: |
Made in Canada and sold by Cranmer Earth Design
Read more by clicking here.
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| Turned Hardwood |
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| Pros |
Cons |
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Entire birdhouse comes off bracket without screwdriver
Lid comes off easily to remove nest, clean or view without a screwdriver
Built of hardwoods
Coated with non-toxic PolyWhey urethane
Interior volume is too small for squirrels to try to occupy and perfect for wrens
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Small interior may limit fledgling size for chickadees
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| Addional Comments: |
Made in Canada and sold by Cranmer Earth Design
Read more by clicking here.
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