Bird Houses

        If you ever built a bird house in your yard and painted it nice and bright in red, yellow, green, white, etc., you probably wondered why the birds would not make it their home. Here is the reason: They did not like your bright-colored paint. They prefer dark colors, as near as possible to the color of the bark of trees. If you will build your bird house in the fall and stain it a dark brown color by spring it will lose its newness and appear weather worn; then some of the earliest birds to come back for the summer will take possession of it.
       A house should be about six by eight inches in size at the base and ten inches or a foot in height, with an entrance only large enough to admit birds. For wrens, do not make the door large enough for the English sparrow to enter, for it may drive out the little wrens. Do not make it possible for cats or squirrels to climb up to the bird house, for they will try to catch the young birds. Set the house on a pole, where there is shade, and around the bottom of the pole put a wide piece of tin to prevent any animal from climbing. 

Bird house plans that please the birds, proportions and finishing.