Swallows are a beautiful part of nature. From their graceful flight to the way they build their nests, these birds have captivated people for centuries. Since the birds are loved by all for their beauty and melodious voice, many people try to build birdhouses for them so that swallows will inhabit their garden and the bird watchers can have a long sight of these graceful birds. If you are thinking of building a birdhouse for swallows but don’t know how to do that, you are at the right place. As with many other aspects of life, there is a right and wrong way to do things when it comes to swallow birdhouses. So, in case you’re asking yourself how to make a swallow bird house, read on to find out some easy ways to build a swallow birdhouse.
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At the end of the article, you’ll find a free tree swallow house plan.
Swallow bird house plans
A good swallow bird house design is created from the woods of pine, cedar, or any other soft-wooded tree. The houses are built with a floor plan having dimensions equal to or greater than 5X5 inches. The height of the roof from the floor is greater than or equal to 8 inches. The entrance hole for birds is 1.5 inches in diameter. There can be holes in the floor and roof for ventilation. The floor and roof can be connected with screws to allow easy cleaning at the end of nesting season. Here are some tips to build a marvelous swallow bird house.
- A hinged roof is an excellent choice for the birdhouse roof. That’s because it doesn’t let dust or water settle on the roof when it rains.
- You can drill countersink pilot holes to reduce the chances of wooden boards breaking off when you assemble the birdhouse.
- The back wall is greater than the other sidewalls to enable mounting of the birdhouse.
More trips on the swallow bird house
- Tree Swallows are a great bird to have in your yard, but they need certain conditions. They require high unmowed grass near water and about 20–25 feet of distance from any other nest boxes so that the tree swallow doesn’t feel threatened by bluebirds nesting nearby. If there’s not enough space for both species you may want to consider adding another box on top or side where only Tree Swallows will go.
- Tree swallows also benefit from having some type of “fledgling ladder” inside their home; this can be done with horizontal kerfs cut on one side (looking like a ladder) or hardware cloth stapled into place below the entrance hole as an easy way up and down when it comes time to leave.
- If you want to attract songbirds, use your nest box as a haven for them. Once the tree swallows leave their brood behind and clean out the box, it is ready to be used by other birds who are looking for shelter from predators or inclement weather conditions.
- There are a few ways to keep predators out. One of them is by installing a predator guard on the pole that will make it difficult for any animals, like raccoons or birds with claws, from climbing up and getting into your feeder.
- One way you can defend against pesky critters like squirrels who might want to eat at your birdfeeders is to install what’s known as “predator guards” – these protect both sides of the poles where there are two perches going in opposite directions (rather than just one) so they’re less likely to be able to climb up high enough without falling off either side when trying to get away after their theft attempt has been detected!
- Birds are the unsung heroes of our ecosystem. They often work together to create low-cost, high-value nests using feathers and other materials they find in their habitat. For Tree Swallows specifically, chicken feathers can be a valuable addition as it may increase survival rates for chicks by more than 20%. A recent study published in The Wilson Journal Of Ornithology found that when nesting with feather additions from chickens or birds like sparrows (not actual hens), chick mortality was reduced by 21% on average because these scavengers will swoop down before any falls to pick up what is needed while riding the wind currents upwards again – making them “aerial recyclers” if you will!
How to build a barn swallow birdhouse?
Building a barn swallow bird house is extremely easy if you follow some tips and tricks. Here are some easy steps to help you build a birdhouse for barn swallows.
- Cut a wooden bowl of 6 to 8 inches in diameter into two halves. Attach a wooden board to the semi-circular bowl. This will make a nest cup for the swallow birds.
- To make a nest box, make a floor out of a thin wooden board. The wooden board must be at least 8 inches long and 7 inches wide.
- Attach three side walls of height equal to or more than 12 inches, while keeping one side of the box completely open.
- Attach a roof with a dimension one inch greater than that of the floor. Your nest box for barn swallow is ready to be placed at the nesting place.
How to build a tree swallow birdhouse?
A tree swallow birdhouse can be constructed from a log of wood obtained from a downed tree. Tree swallows have often been seen nesting in the houses of the bluebirds. This leads to people assuming that both of these birds need the same size nest box, which is not true. So, here’s a step-by-step process and the dimensions of a tree swallow house.
- Find a log of wood that is slightly larger than the dimensions required for building the tree swallow nest box. A tree swallow nest box needs a floor space of 5X5 inches and a depth of 7 inches from the hole.
- Use a chainsaw to hollow the log. You can also use long drill bits to drill the holes from one side of the log to the other.
- Move towards building the roof of the tree swallow birdhouse. You can choose the shape and design of the roof that you want to build. You can take a cedar wood piece and flatten it well to fit the log as a roof.
- Take another board of wood and attach it to the bottom of the log. You can use screws to hold the floor in place. This way, you can remove the floor and clean the birdhouse when the nesting season ends.
- The last step is to carve the birdhouse hole from which these cavity-nesting birds can enter and leave the house. Cut a hole of 1.5 inches in size. Fill the perimeter of the circle so that the slivers of wood don’t harm the birds.
How to build a barn swallow shelter
The first step to building a barn swallow shelter is finding the proper location in your yard. You need to have an open space with no trees or branches that might interfere when you are trying to build it.
Next, find and cut two poles of wood measuring at least 20 feet long each for the roof rafters. The poles should be about six inches in diameter as well.
Mark off where these will meet on top of the ground and secure them together using heavy-duty screws so they don’t move around while you’re working on them. At this point, you can work on constructing the frame out from underneath the rafter beams by drilling pilot holes into four corners of a rectangle shape between both posts, which were secured earlier with screws.
Now, take the third pole of wood measuring about 20 feet long and drill two pilot holes into one end. Now stand the pole up in between where the other poles are secured together with screws at their corners to form an X shape. Drill some more holes through both posts and secure them using nails or heavy-duty screws on either side of each hole so that it doesn’t slip around as you’re working on your frame out from underneath these rafters onto this new corner post. Continue this process by adding another set of three beams, but they should be slightly shorter than before (about 18 feet), which creates a triangle-like structure now under all four roof rafter beams when viewed from above ground level while standing inside the house-in-progress.
Once you’ve completed this step, it’s time to start working on the walls of your barn swallow shelter house by laying up two pieces of plywood or lumber boards measuring 20 feet in length and stacking them against either side of the triangle shape structure under both roofs rafter beams so that they are parallel with one another and securely nailed together along their edges using nails or heavy-duty screws; make sure these wall panels are long enough to extend out from inside the frame far away from each other as well while ending close enough together for a door opening between them later on which is about three feet wide.
Next, take two more lengths of board (measuring about 18 feet) for framing and put those alongside your new walls on either side so that they are securely nailed to the corners of your walls using nails or heavy-duty screws. Now, work on inching up these boards from inside the frame while nailing them tightly against all four rafter beams starting at one end and moving across towards the other until you reach an opposite corner post where a third board will be going vertically upwards like before for added stability; continue this process by adding yet another set of two shorter length boards measuring 18 feet each as well which creates a new triangle shape structure under both roof rafter beams when viewed from above ground level again now within this completed house.
Next, take three more lengths of board (measuring about 16 feet) for framing and secure those together with heavy-duty screws to the corners of your new walls (which measure about 20 feet in length) so that these boards are all parallel with one another and perpendicular to both roof rafter beams; now, work on securing them together tightly against the four posts at their ends measuring eight inches square each.
Now it’s time for a great big door frame which is going to be important later on when you want to actually bring light inside by simply opening up this doorway wide open from outside into the home. You can either use heavy-duty lumber or plywood, but make sure you drill pilot holes before nailing any nails down because if not then they might just end up cracking right through instead! Once your framing is secured tightly together using screws and/or nails, you’ll need to cut out the doorway opening in between for a door measuring about three feet wide.
- 🐣 FUNNY DESIGN-Novelty birdhouse is well-designed to attract desirable species, such as...
- 🐦 STURDY and WELL BUILT- Bird house is made of solid wood with beautiful texture and fixed with...
- 🐣 SAFE HOME FOR FLEDGLINGS:The bluebird house predator guard around the entrance hole can help...
- Cedar bird house with unique entry for bluebirds or swallows
- Generous, blue roof covers the nest chamber, protecting it from the elements
- 5" wide and 1.25" tall slot style entry
Conclusion
A swallow birdhouse is a wonderful way to help these migratory birds find shelter and food. Swallow houses are easy to make with some basic carpentry skills, the right tools for cutting wood pieces, and crafting supplies like screws or nails that you may need in case of assembling wooden boards together. Of course, there are other methods too which include using pre-made kits created from recycled materials such as plastic bottles or soda cans.
Swallow birds are beautiful birds that often inhabit gardens and nest on trees. But nesting on trees can be dangerous for these birds as they are exposed to predators. You can build a swallow birdhouse in your garden in simple and easy steps. Make sure to follow the swallow bird house plan and provide enough space for the swallow birds.
Free tree swallow house plan
