North Carolina is home to a wide variety of songbirds, each with its own specific nesting requirements. Some of these songbird species nest only in cavities, such as abandoned woodpecker holes or natural cavities in live trees. Building songbird boxes is a simple, inexpensive way to create artificial cavities and attract these cavity-nesting songbirds to your property.

Properly constructed nest boxes can provide nesting options in areas with limited opportunities for cavity-nesting species. Boxes can be installed near your home, in orchards, pastures, parks, and fields, and even near your school or business.

To be successful, you must first choose the species of bird you want to attract and understand its food, water, and cover requirements. Use the table below to determine the proper dimensions of the nest box for the species you want to attract. By choosing the correct dimensions and entrance hole sizes, you can furnish cool, dry, durable, easily-cleaned boxes for any of the small to medium-sized bird species in the table (Figure 1).

Materials for Songbird Boxes

To build:

• Tape measure
• Hammer
• 1¹⁄₂ to 1³⁄₄-inch galvanized nails
• Pencil or chalk for marking
• Saw
• Lumber

To install:

• Stepladder or extension ladder
• 3-inch galvanized nails, lag bolts, or crimped wire
• Sheet metal for predator guard

Bird box with appropriate small hole for chickadees.

Liessa Bowen  CC BY-NC 4.0

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Bird box with appropriate small hole for chickadees.

Liessa Bowen  CC BY-NC 4.0

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Bird boxes or houses can come in all shapes and sizes.

Liessa Bowen  CC BY-NC 4.0

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Bird boxes or houses can come in all shapes and sizes.

Liessa Bowen  CC BY-NC 4.0

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Bluebird box with stovepipe predator guard.

Liessa Bowen  CC BY-NC 4.0

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Bluebird box with stovepipe predator guard.

Liessa Bowen  CC BY-NC 4.0

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Figure 1. Songbird box.

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Figure 1. Songbird box.

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• Boxes need at least four ¹⁄₄-inch holes in the bottom to allow water to drain. An alternative to drilling drainage holes is cutting corners of the floor board to create drainage holes. Several ¹⁄₄-inch holes in the sides will provide adequate ventilation (Figure 2).
• A sloped roof that overhangs the front and sides of box can help keep out rain and discourage certain predators.
• Use durable, untreated woods such as cedar, pine, or cypress.
• Allow for the width of the sawblade when marking and cutting a board.
• When using hardwood lumber, drill starter holes for the nails to avoid splitting boards.
• Use coarse sandpaper to roughen smooth interior walls. This helps nestlings leave the nest when it is time to fledge.
• Avoid painting boxes or treating wood with a preservative. These boxes may absorb too much heat or give off toxic vapors.
• Do not install a perch on the box. Cavity-nesting birds do not need it and it can allow predators and competitors like house sparrows easier access.
• Hinge the roof or use a pivot nail on one side of the box to make periodic clean-up easier.
• Install a baffle or predator guard to help deter potential predators (figure 3).

Figure 2. Cutout diagram of songbird box.

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Figure 2. Cutout diagram of songbird box.

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• Install all boxes by February. Many birds begin the nesting process early in the season.
• Place the boxes 200 to 300 feet apart to account for the territorial nature of most species.
• Firmly attach boxes to posts. Boxes attached to live trees are less likely to be used because of easy access to predators.
• Clean out all boxes each year after the young have fledged.
• Inspect boxes regularly.
• Always work in teams when using folding or extension ladders!

Brown-headed nuthatch using a nest box

Liessa Bowen  CC BY-NC 4.0

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Brown-headed nuthatch using a nest box

Liessa Bowen  CC BY-NC 4.0

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Carolina chickadee in nest box (note the predator guard)

Liessa Bowen  CC BY-NC 4.0

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Carolina chickadee in nest box (note the predator guard)

Liessa Bowen  CC BY-NC 4.0

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Figure 3. Predator guards.

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Figure 3. Predator guards.

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North Carolina State University Extension - Forestry

Working With Wildlife Series

Bats

Black Bear

Bobwhite Quail

Building Songbird Boxes

Eastern Cottontail Rabbit

Eastern Gray Squirrel

Endangered Species

Herbaceous Plants for Wildlife

Hummingbirds and Butterflies

Low Cost Habitat Improvements

Managing Beaver Ponds

Managing Edges for Wildlife

Mourning Dove

Owls

Pools for Amphibians

Raccoon

Ruffed Grouse

Snags and Downed Logs

Songbirds and Woodpeckers

White-Tailed Deer

Wild Turkey

Wildlife Terms

Wood Duck

Woodland Wildlife Nest Boxes