With the ever growing bird club movement that has spread throughout the country, there is little need to try to sell the idea of bird protection to the average person. Most of us believe in it already.

If you would like to make friends with the birds that live in your section of the country, first of all provide a good home for them and then supply food and water for their needs.

All birds will not nest in the same type house. The robin for example, will not enter a closed house; he prefers an open shelf type for his home. The martin prefers to live in colonies, the wren is particular about the size of the entrance to his abode and so on. So for that reason, before you decide to make a birdhouse, it will be well to read up a little about the habits of the bird you wish to make a shelter for. There are many good books on the market that you can borrow from your local library; they will furnish you with just the information you are seeking. Space does not permit me to give here all the needed help one should have in order to proceed with intelligence.

Method Of Procedure

Step No. 1: First decide on the kind of a bird you wish to build a shelter for so that you will know the size to make his home.

Step No. 2: Build the house first out of an old discarded box that is made of 1/2" thick lumber. The reason for doing this is that you can then make the house water tight.

Step No. 3: Obtain some branches of trees that have bark on. Saw them in two, keeping the bark on these pieces.

Step No. 4: Nail the rough pieces on the box you made, completely covering this house.

Step No. 5: The nest part is made out of a large ball of twine; unwind the center portion to form the inside of the house. A small distance under the nest, erect a perch for the birds to alight on before entering the house.

Step No. 6: Securely fasten this birdhouse to a tree or against a building, according to the habits of the bird you wish to offer shelter to and be sure that the family cat cannot reach it.

It is a great mistake to build a birdhouse that is too conspicuous; attempt to keep the appearance rustic and in keeping with the surroundings.

In place of the ball of twine, you can build a simple box type nest section for the bird.