Birds That Adapt Themselves to Nesting Boxes.
There is quite a large number of birds that easily adapt themselves to the artificially made house. The main thing is to consider the type of house that will appeal to the intended tenants, one that approaches nearest to their natural desires and nesting sites.
Bluebirds and house wrens are the easiest to entice to the nesting box. Plain weather stained boxes or those covered with bark have proven to be the best type.
Purple martins nest in colonies but are scarce now in contrast to their former numbers. Tree swallows take to the boxes, but if an occasion arises where they have a choice between the box and a natural cavity, generally the latter will be selected.
Fig. 2. Blue Bird Entering Box.
Chickadees and flickers take to the home-made box and, sometimes the little screech owl occupies one of the man-made residences.
He makes a worthy tenant, for as a mouser, he is superior to the house cat.
Robin Red Breast is another easily attracted native bird. Last year I put up a robin shelf, similar to the ones shown in the following drawings, and inside of fifteen minutes Mr. and Mrs. Robin had hired the apartment for the season and were soon busily engaged in weaving the nest within fifteen feet of where we were observing them.