🐦 House Sparrow 🐦 Bird Box Terrace 🐦
Introduction: 🐦 House Sparrow 🐦 Bird Box Terrace 🐦
Based on a number of comments I've had from my USA readers please read this note before embarking on this project...
The House Sparrow is an invasive species to the Americas, as such should NOT be encouraged. You could use this instructable as a starting point for a box that encourages your native species.
Please take into consideration your local wildlife recommendations for house styles.
I'm lucky enough to be in the UK and have a tree and bushes outside our front window, for years now I've been feeding the house sparrows that congregate there. Sometimes there are 40-50 birds chirping away.
A couple of years ago I put up a cheap bird house that was immediately occupied and saw two broods.
I decided this year they would get a house upgrade to a terrace of four houses they could share with their friends.
Supplies
The supplies for this one is fairly simple, about 4 metres (4.4') of rough sawn timber and some outdoor screws. If you decide to go over the top (as I did) 5–6 metres (5.5–6.5') of 7 mm (0.28") western red cedar.
I also used an air staple gun to attach the shingles.
Step 1: Bird Terrace Design
The design of the terrace was based around the original single bird house. This was obviously the right size and shape, so was a good starting point.
I've attached the original SketchUp file so you can edit it if you choose. I've also put all the individual images into a single PDF file for those who don't have SketchUp.
Step 2: Preparing the Planks
Unfortunately the length of the planks I got were too big to be safely cut on my table saw.
I use my chop saw very infrequently, so it is packed away. I had to cut them down to length with the circular saw. 644
To make sure this was straight I clamped a framing square and cut to that.
Once I had cut the pieces to length I used the planer to square them up, then a few passes through the thicknesser to get them all to the same thickness.
Getting the pieces square and the same thickness is very important for the next step.
Step 3: Making the Front and Back
The planks I had were only 150 mm (5.9") wide, so I had to join two lengthwise to get the width needed.
Having got the boards straight and flat I joined them using Kreg pocket screws, waterproof wood glue was also used.
I used dog hole clamps to make sure the faces were flat while the pocket screws were screwed in.
Checking on the angle of the top edge in the SketchUp design, I needed 72.6º. Having zeroed the angle finder the closest I could get it was 72.7º, I was happy that a 0.1º error wouldn't be noticed by the sparrows.
This angle was cut to the top edge of both the front and back pieces.
While the angle was set on the saw I also ran the cut along the back of the lid. I left the front of the lid so there was a rain overhang.
Step 4: Making the Separators
The SketchUp image here shows the sizes required for the separators, the two larger ones are for the ends and three shorter ones are required for the internal separators.
One of the dangers of cutting lengths of wood on a table saw is trapping the wood between the blade and fence. To stop this I have a piece of 20 mm (7.87") wide wood that bolts through the fence, the wood to be cut is butted to the fake fence then cut, it makes sure there is enough space so the cut piece doesn't get trapped.
With the 5 lengths cut I then added the angled cut to the top. The angle is 72.6º the same as the top edges. I used the mitre guide sliding table on the saw. My saw has a really handy 'yellow dot' on the saw bed, marked on this is the kerf of the blade, it makes it super easy to line up the corner to cut to.
Step 5: Entrance Holes
The entrance holes for bird houses have very specific dimensions depending on the bird they are intended for. For the house sparrow it needs to be 32 mm (1.26").
The SketchUp image shows the layout of the entrance holes.
The holes were marked out, then drilled using a 32 mm (1.26") Forstner bit in a pillar drill. 599