Finch Birdhouse
How to Build a Finch Birdhouse
If you build it correctly, your finch birdhouse is likely to attract the finches in your area. Finches love a good shelter in which to nest and raise their offspring safely. Therefore, if you follow these tips, you could soon have a little finch family living right next to yours.
The Right Wood
The first step in constructing a finch birdhouse is choosing the right wood. (Wood is really the only choice. A finch will not venture near a metallic or a plastic house, no matter how fancy you make it.) When looking for a good tree, you will want to consider what kind of wood works best for the type of finch you are considering. The best kinds are those that mimic the trees with which your particular finch species is familiar. If your species finch runs across many cedar trees, then you should try cedar, for example. When this is not possible then a good, pliable piece will do. (Even plywood can work.)
Whatever kind of wood you choose, make sure that it is at least ½ an inch thick. Any thinner and your finch will not feel safe and calm. In addition, when the walls of your finch birdhouse are thinner, the inside of the house can become too hot for your finches to live in comfortably. The thicker wood will also make your finch birdhouse sturdier and longer lasting.
You should also avoid painting your finch birdhouse. Although paint may look nice to you, both the colors and scents of paint dissuade finches from taking up residence. In addition, some kinds of paints can be toxic to birds and might make them sick. So leave the wood as it is, without adding any varnishes or other chemical elements. (This is yet another reason to choose a kind of wood whose appearance you like and not just settle for the first piece of plywood you come across.)
Dimensions
When it comes to actually building the birdhouse, you will want to have a floor space that is at least half a foot squared. From the middle of your front panel to the apex of the roof, it should probably measure almost a foot high. Make sure the roof slopes so rainwater runs off. You will also want to make small holes at the bottom of the house so that there is adequate drainage.
One of the key features of your finch birdhouse is the entrance. The hole should measure less than 2 inches in diameter. If it is two full inches or more, your finches are likely to be driven from their birdhouse by larger birds and predators.
A second defensive measure for your finches is to have the entrance hole be extra thick. (Add a second layer of wood at this point.) Then when you drill the entrance, make it an upward angle so that predators can only reach up to the ceiling and not down to the nest floor.
Location
Another important consideration is the location of your birdhouse. As much as possible the house should be located in a similar environment to that which your type of finch prefers. Usually, for most species, this means that you want to have your nest raised up a good eight to ten feet.
Make sure that you don’t place you finch home too close to a bird feeder since this will inviting fighting and predation.
Most people like to place their finch birdhouses in trees. This is a good idea, except that many spots in trees open finches up to extra dangers from predators. Animals can climb up the limbs to reach the finches in many tree houses.
An alternative is to place them atop a metal pole. This protects them more but can make for a rather ugly set-up.
My personal opinion is that, with careful planning, you can find a spot in the tree that is difficult for predators to reach.