Avian conservation through research and education

BirdCountry.US Custom-Designed Nestboxes

We would love to be able to take the credit for designing the BirdCountry.US nestboxes, but that wouldn’t be fair to the true designers, the birds themselves. We did the research, but the birds designed their own homes.

For example, when we searched the web for nestbox dimensions, we found that one particular size of box was recommended for Chickadees, Titmice, Wrens, Nuthatches, House Finches, House Sparrows, two species of Swallows, the Downy Woodpecker, and even the Prothonotary Warbler. But when we went to the literature and looked at the natural cavities used by these same species, we found not one, but SIXTEEN different sizes that these species preferred in the wild. We then took these natural preferences of the birds themselves and built our nestboxes to match the birds’ own natural preferences. The bottom line is that we believe that the BirdCountry.US nestboxes are the best possible artificial nesting structures that you can provide for the birds in your area.

But that was only part of the process of designing the BirdCountry.US Nestbox Program. We also looked at your cost of providing artificial nest structures for the birds in your area. In the current economic climate, we have to make sure that we get everything we can from every conservation dollar we spend. A little shopping on the Internet found nestboxes (usually called birdhouses on the web) that cost as much as $195.00. This is not a misprint – one hundred ninety-five dollars! We thought that was way too high. Even the average price we found – around $40 – was also too high. So we searched for the best prices for the best materials and ended up with an average cost of a BirdCountry.US artificial nest structure of less than $28.00 – that’s not a misprint either – and average cost to you of less than $28. Our nest structures range in price from $22.95 to a high of only $34.95. Only five of our 25 models cost more than $30. In other words, for less than $30, you can provide a nestbox for 82% of the 28 species targeted in the BirdCountry.US Nestbox Program.

But the BirdCountry.US nestboxes are not cheap. We use high quality lumber for every one of them and all permanent seams are not only nailed with coated sinkers, but glued in place with a non-toxic adhesive. In addition, we made sure that our nestboxes come to you ready to hang literally in seconds – no assembly required. Three holes in both the top and bottom of the backs of our boxes allow you to hang them using just one hole at the top and bottom for nailing or screwing directly onto a wooden structure. You can also attach them by using the two outer holes to “strap” them to metal posts or other structures. We also make sure that you can quickly and easily monitor the happenings inside your nestboxes. By simply turning a hook, you can open up the box for a quick peek at the eggs or young inside.

That’s not all. Our nestboxes come to you complete and ready for the species you have targeted right down to the “bedding” preferred by some species. Some species like to have some shavings in the box. Surprisingly enough, in many cases, these shavings are not necessarily used for the nest itself, but it gives the bird the idea that it is, to some degree, “excavating” its own nest cavity. It may seem a little silly to us, but in some cavity-nesting species, this is actually a part of the reproductive behavior of the species. If this is the case in the species you have targeted, your nestbox will come with the shavings needed for this seemingly simple, yet very much required part of providing the best conservation measures we can for the birds.

Finally, you need to know the best way to monitor what’s happening to the birds in your area. We provide you with that as well. (Click here) Because of all of these features, we think you’ll agree that the BirdCountry.US Nestbox Program is the best artificial nest structure program available for your conservation dollars.

>>>>>     New on the BirdCountry.US bookshelf     <<<<<

Birder's Conservation Handbook -

100 North American Birds at Risk

Jeffrey V. Wells, Princeton University Press, paperback, 452 pages.

"... a gold mine of information on North America's rarest and most vulnerable birds."

- David Wilcove, Princeton University

Finally, a single resource that tells us the current status of our most endangered birds and, most importantly, what we as birders and conservationists can do to help protect these valuable resources. This is the latest addition to the BirdCountry.US bookshelves; it needs to be on yours as well. Only $35.00.

Proceeds from the BirdCountry.US e-Store help support our conservation and education efforts.

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