70birds
That Nest in Birdhouses70birds
That Nest in BirdhousesMore than 70 North American bird species live in nest boxes or on platforms.
See which birds live near you. Learn about those birds and how to make birdhouses for them.
See the right birdhouse to build for each bird species at the Bird House Pages.
See which birds live near you and where they nest at the Bird Pages.
Print Birdhouse Plans with clear drawings and dimensions for each bird species.
Feeding birds will not attract birds to nest and raise a family in a bird house.
Nesting, egg laying birds need seclusion and are unlikely to nest in a bird house near throngs of birds flocking to bird feeders.
Even cities have large bird populations that live in birdhouses.
See City Birds
Blue Jay
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Corvidae
Genus: Cyanocitta
Species: cristata
La. passer sparrow, small bird
La. forma form, kind, species
La. corvus raven
La. -idae appearance, resemblance
Gr. kuaneos dark blue
La cristata crested
About twelve inches long. Purplish blue above with a conspicuous crest. Black forehead and some black around the neck joining some black on the back. Wings and tail bright blue barred with black. Grayer underneath and lighter on the throat & tail coverts.
Blue jays are intelligent, inquisitive and mischievous. They exhibit forethought and reasoning. They amuse, trick, wreck, rob and hide.
Blue jays inhabit coniferous and mixed forests throughout most of North America from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic Coast from the Gulf states to Newfoundland. They move but do not migrate.
They eat various fruits and larger insects, bark and wood borers, grasshoppers and caterpillars and occasionally a mouse, small fish or snail.
Blue jays bury hoards of grain, nuts and acorns, or hide them in knot holes and behind loose bark many of which are forgotten and left to the mice and squirrels or to replant the forest.
The warning call of alarm that gives blue jays their name alerts the whole forest, sometimes arousing flocks to harass owls.
They have another common note that sounds like a barn door squeak.
Blue jays are quite talented at imitating other birds like the red-shouldered and red-tail hawks, and other odd noises, even machinery.
They are bullies at feeders. Blue jays regularly strike dogs and cats and sometimes take a swipe at the top of someone’s head as they walk by.
Bluejays build nests of twigs, leaves, roots and odd rubbish usually in pine trees up to twenty feet high deep in forests, in groves and they have a special liking for wooded towns and even major cities where they are quite accustomed to people.
The female lays three to six pale olive speckled eggs which hatch after about two weeks incubation and young leave the nest in about another three weeks.
Occasionally blue jays nest on ledges formed by building molding, cornices and sills and sometimes on nesting platforms. Platforms will more likely attract robins than blue jays or mourning doves, but either of these bird families are usually welcome.
The Mourning Dove Platform has extra room under a gable roof for the larger back yard platform nesters: mourning doves, robins and blue jays. It has an 8″ by 8″ base, is about 8″ floor to ceiling and has an open front and partially open sides.
Assemble with corrosion resistant screws fit to pre-drilled countersunk pilot holes to reduce splitting wood.
Install a platform on the side of a garage, shed or porch under open shelter or an eave over looking both open spaces and foliage in your back yard from seven to twelve feet high.
Never install in a tree or near objects that cats and squirrels can climb. Squirrels can leap 8′ horizontally!
Platform nesting birds claim platforms that best simulate ledges on cliff faces which are difficult for predators to scale. They can also scan the surrounding area and below.
The Robin Nesting Platform has an 8″ by 8″ base, measures approximately 8″ floor to ceiling, has an open front and partially open sides.
If the location is under a roof, porch or eave, consider installing this Open Platform.
Robins, mourning doves and phoebes also may use these platforms.
Blue Jay
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Corvidae
Genus: Cyanocitta
Species: cristata
La. passer sparrow, small bird
La. forma form, kind, species
iLa. corvus raven
La. -idae appearance, resemblance
Gr. kuaneos dark blue
La cristata crested
About twelve inches long. Purplish blue above with a conspicuous crest. Black forehead and some black around the neck joining some black on the back. Wings and tail bright blue barred with black. Grayer underneath and lighter on the throat & tail coverts.
Blue jays are intelligent, inquisitive and mischievous. They exhibit forethought and reasoning. They amuse, trick, wreck, rob and hide.
Blue jays inhabit coniferous and mixed forests throughout most of North America from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic Coast from the Gulf states to Newfoundland. They move but do not migrate.
They eat various fruits and larger insects, bark and wood borers, grasshoppers and caterpillars and occasionally a mouse, small fish or snail.
Blue jays bury hoards of grain, nuts and acorns, or hide them in knot holes and behind loose bark many of which are forgotten and left to the mice and squirrels or to replant the forest.
The warning call of alarm that gives blue jays their name alerts the whole forest, sometimes arousing flocks to harass owls. They have another common note that sounds like a barn door squeak. They are quite talented at imitating other birds like the red-shouldered and red-tail hawks, and other odd noises, even machinery.
They are bullies at feeders. Blue jays regularly strike dogs and cats and sometimes take a swipe at the top of someone’s head as they walk by.
Bluejays build nests of twigs, leaves, roots and odd rubbish usually in pine trees up to twenty feet high deep in forests, in groves and they have a special liking for wooded towns and even major cities where they are quite accustomed to people.
The female lays three to six pale olive speckled eggs which hatch after about two weeks incubation and young leave the nest in about another three weeks.
Occasionally blue jays nest on ledges formed by building molding, sills and cornices and sometimes on nesting platforms.
The Mourning Dove Platform has extra room under a gable roof for the larger back yard platform nesters: mourning doves, robins and blue jays.
Platforms will more likely attract robins than blue jays or mourning doves, but either of these bird families are usually welcome.
It has an 8″ by 8″ base, is about 8″ floor to ceiling and has an open front and partially open sides.
Assemble with corrosion resistant screws fit to pre-drilled countersunk pilot holes to reduce splitting wood.
The Robin Nesting Platform has an 8″ by 8″ base, measures approximately 8″ floor to ceiling, has an open front and partially open sides.
Install a platform on the side of a garage, shed or porch under open shelter or an eave over looking both open spaces and foliage in your back yard from seven to twelve feet high.
Do not mount in a tree. The purpose of a nesting platform is to simulate an isolated cliff crevice.
A platform shelter mounted on a wall away from objects that help predators gain access serves this purpose.
If the location is under a roof, porch or eave or in an open shed, consider installing this Open Platform.
Installations at significant heights should be installed and maintained by professionals, carpenters, electricians, power line workers, etc.
Blue Jay
Birds | Birdhouses | Plans | Home
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Corvidae
Genus: Cyanocitta
Species: cristata
La. passer sparrow, small bird
La. forma form, kind, species
iLa. corvus raven
La. -idae appearance, resemblance
Gr. kuaneos dark blue
La cristata crested
About twelve inches long. Purplish blue above with a conspicuous crest. Black forehead and some black around the neck joining some black on the back. Wings and tail bright blue barred with black. Grayer underneath and lighter on the throat & tail coverts.
Blue jays inhabit coniferous and mixed forests throughout most of North America from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic Coast from the Gulf states to Newfoundland. They move but do not migrate.
They eat various fruits and larger insects, bark and wood borers, grasshoppers and caterpillars and occasionally a mouse, small fish or snail.
Blue jays are intelligent, inquisitive and mischievous. They exhibit forethought and reasoning. They amuse, trick, wreck, rob and hide.
Blue jays bury hoards of grain, nuts and acorns, or hide them in knot holes and behind loose bark many of which are forgotten and left to the mice and squirrels or to replant the forest.
The warning call of alarm that gives blue jays their name alerts the whole forest, sometimes arousing flocks to harass owls. They have another common note that sounds like a barn door squeak. They are quite talented at imitating other birds like the red-shouldered and red-tail hawks, and other odd noises, even machinery.
They are bullies at feeders. Blue jays regularly strike dogs and cats and sometimes take a swipe at the top of someone’s head as they walk by.
Bluejays build nests of twigs, leaves, roots and odd rubbish usually in pine trees up to twenty feet high deep in forests, in groves and they have a special liking for wooded towns and even major cities where they are quite accustomed to people.
The female lays three to six pale olive speckled eggs which hatch after about two weeks incubation and young leave the nest in about another three weeks.
Occasionally blue jays nest on ledges formed by building molding, sills and cornices and sometimes on nesting platforms.
The Mourning Dove Platform has extra room under a gable roof for the larger back yard platform nesters: mourning doves, robins and blue jays.
Platforms will more likely attract robins than blue jays or mourning doves, but either of these bird families are usually welcome.
It has an 8″ by 8″ base, is about 8″ floor to ceiling and has an open front and partially open sides.
Assemble with corrosion resistant screws fit to pre-drilled countersunk pilot holes to reduce splitting wood.
The Robin Nesting Platform has an 8″ by 8″ base, measures approximately 8″ floor to ceiling, has an open front and partially open sides.
Install a platform on the side of a garage, shed or porch under open shelter or an eave over looking both open spaces and foliage in your back yard from seven to twelve feet high.
Do not mount in a tree. The purpose of a nesting platform is to simulate an isolated cliff crevice. A platform shelter mounted on a wall away from objects that help predators gain access serves this purpose.
If the location is under a roof, porch or eave or in an open shed, consider installing this Open Platform.
Installations at significant heights should be installed and maintained by professionals, carpenters, electricians, power line workers, etc.
Birds | Birdhouses | Plans | Home