RAISED ROOF NEST BOXES
!@#*!! WRENS AND SPARROWS @#!*!!
TRY SOME OF THESE IDEAS
Bob Orthwien of Columbus, OH responded to our
note in the February newsletter: "The supposition that wrens would
not want a box with a lot of light bears investigating."
Six years ago Bob tried some "raised roof"
square boxes with the "idea to discourage house sparrows.
House sparrows did nest in them [though they preferred closed
boxes]. Bluebirds used them and tree swallows seemed to
like them -- but wrens didn't nest in them." Bob also
mentioned that he "triple-boxes" very
successfully. Bluebirds take one box, tree swallows the second,
and house sparrows the third without bothering the other two, whereupon
the sparrows are immediately dispatched.
BBRP was intrigued: Since he has fledged 2,571 bluebirds
and tree swallows (78% bluebirds) in the past 15 years, we figured he
must be onto something! We asked Bob for more details, drawings
and pictures, which he supplied generously. |
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Top roof:
9 by 9"
Back :
5 1/2 x 14 1/4"
Bottom 4x4"
Front:
11 1/4 x 5 1/2"
Sides: 8 3/4 x 4"
Open roof & slide in roof: 4 x 7"
(Bob uses a 3 1/4 x 5 1/2" wood predator block around the front
hole.)
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RAISED ROOF NEST BOXES
All boxes are 40 yards from trees or shrubs.
"This seems to work well. Any normal healthy bluebird can fly
40 yards on its first flight." Ground cover is short: Bob
uses greased steel posts as well as coon baffles-- all of which help,
but doesn't stop wrens. Apparently the raised roof does.
When the bluebirds are first nesting in the early cold spring, a
temporary sliding roof goes over the open roof, which is covered with
hardware cloth.
Some other comments from Bob Orthwein: "Even though
wrens do not choose to nest in the box. I still feel that they are
likely to throw out eggs just as they do with open-nesting
birds.... The sub-roof should be kept on in early spring only
in sparrow free areas, or you can expect trouble. Wrens don't
start to become a problem until late April in my area. The raised
roof [RR] will be the best ventilated box on hot summer days. Tree
swallows seem to readily us the RR box.
THE TRIPLE BOX
"The sparrow problems I have had with paired boxes
have occurred when the tree swallows return and nest beside bluebirds
already occupying one of the other two boxes. When a box hunting
male sparrow arrives, either the bluebirds or the tree swallows are
killed or evicted. My solution was to put up three boxes, all
seven yards apart.... In the past eight years I have not had a
bluebird or a tree swallow killed or their nests usurped at these triple
box sites." |
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To make triple box locations
effective you must act quickly against sparrows,. eliminating the
male sparrow and cleaning out the box... If you take no action and
allow the sparrows to nest, lay eggs and feed young, other sparrows will
move in and you will soon have a three sparrow colony. House
sparrows will reward your kindness by killing your bluebirds....
Multiple boxes are more work but it's worth it for two broods of
bluebirds and one of tree swallows. |
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Maps
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