DEV Community

Lowery Bach
Lowery Bach

Posted on

How to Build a Wren Nest Box

A plain brown bird with an effervescent song, the Northern House Wren is a common backyard bird across the country and into southern Canada. Wrens are adept at nesting, often finding a spot in an old can or boots, or in tree branches and low shrubbery. When they can't find an ideal location, they are often seen hopping between bushes and low branches with their long, twiggy beaks in search of insects to add to their twig-filled nests.

Wrens don't mind sharing a nest box with other species such as chickadees, bluebirds and tufted titmice if the box is placed in the right habitat. yến chưng hũ in hedges, thickets, brush piles, bushes and overgrown areas, and on balconies.

Because they are so good at hopping about and snatching up insects, wrens often prefer to nest close to the ground in a dense shrub or a small clump of grass or undergrowth. For this reason, a wren box should be situated in the open or in thick undergrowth rather than a taller tree or near other structures. Alternatively, a box can be hung in a sheltered spot such as a tree or fencepost.

A wren nest box can be constructed of cedar, pine or almost any wood. Some builders have had success with boxes made from rough-cut lumber and with ventilation openings in the floor and under the roof. A hinged door on the side provides easy monitoring and cleaning. It is recommended that a predator guard be used with the wren nest box to help protect the eggs and young birds from cats, squirrels, mice and other predators.

If you do use a predator guard, hang it well above the entrance hole (about 3'') and not directly over it. This helps prevent the wren from maneuvering a stick in and out of the door to enter and destroy other birds' eggs or nestlings. Some wrens will even peck at the bottom of a bird's nest to break up its foundation.

Some wren nests are destroyed by a male's pecking to get at the female's eggs and nestlings. To reduce giá tổ yến thô , place a wren nest box at least 30'' away from other wren houses and 50' to 300'' away from other dense wooded areas (thickets, brush piles, etc.). Some researchers have found that a box closer to another wren nest will be attacked by the wren.

During egg-laying, it's important to move the wren nest box if necessary so that the eggs don't become too exposed. Also, it's recommended that dummy nests or used nests be removed regularly from bluebird nest boxes to keep the males occupied. This may help decrease the number of attacks on bluebird eggs by the wrens. (This strategy has not been tested with Bewick's wrens, which are more reluctant to compete for a nest site than House Wrens.) It is recommended that a wren nest box be placed well in advance of the start of the breeding season so the birds have time to get used to the new box before the breeding season begins.giá tổ yến thô

Top comments (0)