The tree and violet green swallow birdhouse has a 5″ by 5″ floor, an 8″ floor to ceiling height and a 1 1/2″ diameter entrance hole located 6″ above the floor. Bluebirders often place tree swallow birdhouses within groups of bluebird houses because they protect their territory from sparrows, grackles and other intruders, yet are good neighbors to bluebirds.

 

 

The volume and 1 3/8″ side entrance hole in this nest box accommodates Chickadees, Nuthatches, Titmice, Wrens and Downy Woodpeckers, yet is normally too small for English Sparrows.  Visit this nest box page and view or print nest box plans.

 

Barn and cliff swallows and black phoebes build mud nests on shear vertical faces under various objects that provide overhead shelter. There are cases where they have been attracted to shelters made specially for them when no others exist nearby.

One shelter has a 2″ by 8″ ledge, approximately a 8″ high gable roof, an open front and partially open sides. Another has a 2″ by 6″ ledge, approximately a 6″ ceiling, an open front and partially open sides.

Usually there is not a need for these designs. Their nests adhere securely to vertical faces and they’re quite particular about their nesting places. Nevertheless, even if the shelters don’t attract birds, they make cute ornaments.

 

Here, there is only an unfinished purple martin house design and it’s open for discussion. Panels which cover all 4 compartment fronts on each side are secured only by inserting in place with no fasteners. We think it will make cleaning and maintenance easier.

No chimney swift tower designs here. There are some on the internet. They are major projects and we are not inclined to draw let alone build one. Chimney swifts seem to find sufficient numbers of abandoned brick and mortar chimneys and are commonly observed most any evening. Chimney swifts are not in the Hirundinidae family, but are included here for their characteristics.