Birds & Bird Houses

The ten most common bird feeder birds and type of food (carolina chickadee, American Goldfinch, downy woodpecker, red-bellied woodpecker, tufted titmouse, white throated sparrow, house finch, cardinal, blue jay, junkos).

Birds affected by salmonellosis. Spread by infected fecal matter.
Clean feeder with 10% bleach solution
Remove spilled or soiled seed
Do not touch dead birds

General Tips:

Where you hang bird boxes depends largely upon what types of birds you want. The key is placing the box in the right habitat.
Never put a perch on the outside of a box (except for purple martin and owl boxes). All cavity nesters have strong feet and can easily cling to any wooden surface. A perch only invites house sparrows.
After you have put your nest boxes up, don't be discouraged if your target birds ignore them at first. It takes time for birds to accept a nest box as part of its environment.

*Kind of Bird*	*Floor Dimensions*	*Height of Box*	*Entrance Above Floor*	*Diameter of Entrance*	*Height above ground*	*Special Considerations*
	inches	inches	inches	inches	feet
House Wren	4 x 4	6-8	4-6	1	6-10	Under the eave of a building or tree
Carolina Wren	4 x 4	6-8	4-6	1-1/4	6-10	.
Bluebird	5 x 5	8	6	1-1/2	5-10	Open rural country with scattered trees, low ground cover, avoid heavily wooded areas
Chickadee	4 x 4	8-10	6-8	1-1/8	6-15	In or near woodland. Hollow, log-type houses are best. Add 2-3 inches of sawdust or wood shavings.
Tufted Titmouse	4 x 4	8-10	6-8	1-1/4	6-15	In swamps and wooded areas, on a tree trunk whenever possible
Crested Flycatcher	6 x 6	8-10	6-8	2	8-20	Near woodland edge or in an orchard;hollow log-type houses are best
Purple Martin	6 x 6	6	1	2-1/2	15-20	In direct sunlight in open land preferably near a pond or large stream or river. Should be modified to add inch diameter maple dowel 'fence' around each balcony to prevent baby martins from falling. Place covers in entrance during the winter to keep out sparrows. As soon as first martins are seen, remove covers.
Flicker	7 x 7	16-18	14-16	2 -1/2	6-20	In or near woodland; hollow, log-type houses are best. Add 3-4 inches of sawdust or wood shavings.
Downy Woodpecker	4 x 4	8-10	6-8	1 -1/4	6-20	In or at the edge of a woodland; hollow, log-type houses are best. Add 2-3 inches of sawdust or wood shavings
Red-headed Woodpecker	6 x 6	12-15	9-12	2	12-20	In open woods and orchards. Hollow,log-type houses are best. Add sawdust or wood shavings
Hairy Woodpecker	6 x 6	12-15	9-12	1-1/2	12-20	In woodland. Hollow, log-type houses are best. Add 2-3 inches of sawdust or wood shavings.White-breasted Nuthatch 4 x 48-106-81-1/45-20In or at the edge of a woodland. Hollow-log type houses are best.
Kind of Bird	Floor Dimensions	Height of Box	Entrance Above Floor	Diameter of Entrance	Height above ground	Special Considerations
Barn Swallow	6 x 6	.	.	6-3 sides left open	8-12	Near meadows, marshes, and ponds,especially in farming areas
Tree Swallow	5 x 5	6	1-5	1-1/2	10-15	In open, sunny areas near marshes or streams. Gourd type is suitable.
Phoebe	7 x 7	8	3 sides left open	.	8-12	Near farms, gardens and orchards, especially along streams.
Screech Owl	8 x 8	12-15	9-12	3	10-30	In open woods, orchards or edge of woodlot. Open approach of at least 20 yards needed. 2-3 inches of wood chips should be placed in bottom of nesting box.
Kestrel	8 x 8	12-15	9-12	3	10-30	.
Wood Duck	12 x 12	24	18-19	3X4 oval	10-30	Over or at the edge of a body of water. Boxes should be erected on posts not on or near trees where they are vulnerable to predators. Should be protected below by a metal shield extending in all directions, at least 18 inches from tree or post.
Barn Owl	12 x 40	16	7	6	20-25	The best place for the box is in a barn or covered silo, preferably one that is unused. Make sure the box is within 1 mile of pasture, hayfield or marsh habitats. The bottom of the box should have drain holes.
Bats	open	.	.	.	12-15	On east side of house where protected from wind and near water where the insect level is high. Should be securely attached to a tree or side of a building. Daytime temperature must be very hot, about 80-90 degrees. One way to achieve this is to cover the bat house with two or more layers of tar paper.
Pileated Wood	8 x 11	24	19	4	20-30	Place in a live or dead hardwood tree. Fill the nest box with sawdust all the way to the top and tamp it in. Top should be hinged to allow filling with sawdust.
Osprey	40 x 40	open	.	.	20-30	Nest platforms and poles can be constructed in shallow bogs or wetlands that are frequented by ospreys.
Barred Owl	12 x 13	23	12	7	20-30	Should be located in a mature upland hardwood or lowland hardwood area, preferably within 200 feet of water. Place boxes _ mile from other because they defend a territory of 400-600 acres per pair. Removal of a few small trees in front of the box allows easier access for this owls' low level flight path. Add 2-3 inches of small wood chips in the bottom of the box.

Part of the National Estuary Program,
the Maryland Coastal Bays Program is a partnership among the towns of Ocean City and Berlin, National Park Service, Worcester County, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Maryland Departments of Natural Resources, Agriculture, Environment, and Planning, who have come together to produce the first ever management plan for the coastal bays.

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