70birds
That Nest in Birdhouses70birds
That Nest in BirdhousesSome bird species are more easily attracted to bird houses than other bird species.
Nest boxes simulate tree cavities.
Some birds that nest in tree cavities will also nest inside wood nest boxes if they are the right size.
Some birds that nest on tree branches, cliffs, and rock ledges will also nest on wood platforms.
Birds like birdhouses to be in their favorite places.
See each species page for habits, geographic ranges and optimum locations and placement.
Too many bird houses can drive off nesting birds, including a specific bird species we want to attract.
For most yards, select just one or two bird species that are known to nest in bird houses in that region.
Make pilot holes slightly larger in the primary work piece (first piece in which the screw is inserted) such that screws can be turned in easily without leaving room for movement.
Screws should be more snug in secondary work pieces so that screws can be tightened, but not so tight as to split the wood or to strip the hole and loosen the screw.
Clean and disinfect nest boxes with a 5% bleach and 95% water mix after the brooding season to prevent spread of disease and parasites. Use rubber gloves, eye protection, spray bottles, and sponges to completely saturate nest box interiors.
3/4″ wood stock is the most common. 5/8″ stock where called for can be supplied with fencing material from most lumberyards. 5/8″ stock is used on the smaller nest boxes because 3/4″ stock is too thick and makes them look odd.
You may prefer Side Opening Doors instead of hinged roof doors, especially for the larger nest boxes.
Mourning Dove
Order: Columbiformes
Family: Columbidae
Genus: Zenaidura
Species: macroura
La. columba pigeon, dove
La. forma form, shape, kind
iLa. -idae appearance, resemblance
La. Zenaida for Zenaide Laetitia Julie, Princess Bonaparte, wife of French ornithologist Prince Charles Bonaparte
Gr. makros long
Gr. oura tail
About twelve inches long. Grayish bluish brown upper parts with irregular black wing spots. Black spot on the cheek and a long narrow tail. Light creamy gray underside. Smaller than their pigeon cousins, they look somewhat distorted with their proportionately small head that bobs when they walk.
Abundant, numbering in the hundreds of millions, inhabiting woodlands, groves, open areas, farms, towns and cities in North America from southern Canada, throughout the States, Central America to Panama and the Caribbean.
Flocks of doves frequent roadways, city streets and yards searching for gravel.
They sing the slow melancholy series of five whoos that give them their name. Their wings emit a rhythmic whistling in swift flight as fast as 35 miles per hour.
Pairs mate for life and remain solitary, mostly keeping to themselves and their immediate families during breeding and rearing seasons until the more northern located doves gather into small flocks before migrating.
Mourning doves make flimsy nests out of piles of loose sticks, leaves and trash on horizontal tree branches, stumps, bushes, rocks, on the ground, on building ledges and sometimes in platform style nest boxes.
Females lay two white eggs (rarely more), which hatch after about two weeks incubation and young leave the nest in about another two weeks. They regularly raise a second brood and sometimes as many as four in a season.
Platforms will more likely attract robins than mourning doves. Either bird family makes a pleasant display as a platform becomes a stage.
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, blue jays and phoebes also may use these platforms.
Mourning Dove
Order: Columbiformes
Family: Columbidae
Genus: Zenaidura
Species: macroura
La. columba pigeon, dove
La. forma form, shape, kind
La. -idae appearance, resemblance
La. Zenaida for Zenaide Laetitia Julie, Princess Bonaparte, wife of French ornithologist Prince Charles Bonaparte
Gr. makros long
Gr. oura tail
About twelve inches long. Grayish bluish brown upper parts with irregular black wing spots. Black spot on the cheek and a long narrow tail.
Light creamy gray underside. Smaller than their pigeon cousins, they look somewhat distorted with their proportionately small head that bobs when they walk.
Flocks of doves frequent roadways, city streets and yards searching for gravel. Their wings emit a rhythmic whistling in swift flight as fast as 35 miles per hour.
They sing the slow melancholy series of five “whoos” that give them their name.
Pairs mate for life and remain solitary, mostly keeping to themselves and their immediate families during breeding and rearing seasons. They may raise there or even more broods in a season.
In fall the more northern located mourning doves gather into small flocks before migrating.
Mourning doves make flimsy nests out of piles of loose sticks, leaves and trash on horizontal tree branches, stumps, bushes, rocks, on the ground, on building ledges and sometimes in platform style nest boxes.
Females lay two white eggs (rarely more), which hatch after about two weeks incubation and young leave the nest in about another two weeks. They regularly raise a second brood and sometimes as many as four in a season.
Platforms will more likely attract robins than mourning doves.
Either bird family makes a pleasant display as a platform becomes a stage.
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.
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.
Mourning Dove
Birds | Birdhouses | Plans | Home
Order: Columbiformes
Family: Columbidae
Genus: Zenaidura
Species: macroura
La. columba pigeon, dove
La. forma form, shape, kind
La. -idae appearance, resemblance
La. Zenaida for Zenaide Laetitia Julie, Princess Bonaparte, wife of French ornithologist Prince Charles Bonaparte
Gr. makros long
Gr. oura tail
About twelve inches long. Grayish bluish brown upper parts with irregular black wing spots. Black spot on the cheek and a long narrow tail.
Light creamy gray underside. Smaller than their pigeon cousins, they look somewhat distorted with their proportionately small head that bobs when they walk.
Mourning doves are abundant, numbering in the hundreds of millions, inhabiting woodlands, groves, open areas, farms, towns and cities in North America from southern Canada, throughout the States, Central America to Panama and the Caribbean.
Flocks of doves frequent roadways, city streets and yards searching for gravel.
They sing the slow melancholy series of five whoos that give them their name. Their wings emit a rhythmic whistling in swift flight as fast as 35 miles per hour.
Pairs mate for life and remain solitary, mostly keeping to themselves and their immediate families during breeding and rearing seasons until the more northern located doves gather into small flocks before migrating.
Mourning doves make flimsy nests out of piles of loose sticks, leaves and trash on horizontal tree branches, stumps, bushes, rocks, on the ground, on building ledges and sometimes in platform style nest boxes.
Females lay two white eggs (rarely more), which hatch after about two weeks incubation and young leave the nest in about another two weeks. They regularly raise a second brood and sometimes as many as four in a season.
Platforms will more likely attract robins than mourning doves.
Either bird family makes a pleasant display as a platform becomes a stage.
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.
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