If you want to buy a birdhouse that will serve as a charming decoration, you don't have to look far. Birdhouses are a very popular ornament for home and garden. But if you want one that will actually be used to house birds, you need some basic information, lest you buy one that won't be used, or worse, might actually harm birds. First you should know what kinds of birds you want to attract. Different birds have different requirements in terms of overall size and shape, and the size, shape and location of entry holes. Check to be sure the birdhouse has openings for drainage and ventilation. You don't want to drown your nestlings or have them succumb to high heat! Thick wood is a good material for insulation. With the exception of purple martins, no birds like to nest in metal houses. (Martins nest in aluminum, which should be painted white to reflect heat.) Check to be certain that the construction material, paint and trim are all non-toxic. The inside of the house should not be stained or painted. Also be sure that you can easily open the birdhouse for seasonal maintenance and cleaning. Despite what we often picture, birdhouses should not be brightly colored, nor should they have a perch outside the entry hole. In the wild, birds choose inconspicuous places for their nests to make them less noticeable to predators. Also, birds don't need a perch to enter the house. It just makes a convenient landing spot for predators, who can then get in to harass or harm the baby birds.
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