A "metal plate" around the front entrance hole is an absolute "must" to prevent woodpeckers, squirrels, ect, from enlarging the hole and getting in to the box and taking the eggs or the chicks. Here on KZfaq there are a few horror videos of woodpeckers enlarging the box hole, and eating the small chicks in one afternoon!

I had boxes that opened from the top for cleaning, but I found it difficult to clean them well without taking the bird box off the post. Now I build my bird boxes to open on one side so they can easily be swept out between nestings, or in case wasps try to build inside the box. I do like the spring idea to hold them shut.

Thank you for this video! I made one only difference was I used a dark English green Cuprinol water based stain on it. I put it up yesterday afternoon about 3:30pm at 8:30am this morning I watched a blue tit spend 5 minutes on the outside of the hole checking it out. He flew off and came back 5 minutes later with the female and I can happily say they have started bringIng stuff in for nesting. Cannot believe it. Thanks for your video 👍🏼

Use a hook not a spring. A determined squirrel will push even a high tension Spring. Cut the front to the same angle as the roof, (but make it a better fit!) the roof will sit better and it will prevent draughts, drill holes in the base for draining and ventilation. Make you don't site the box south facing or the sun will be on it all day and fry the birds! Somewhere the sun can get on it in the morning then part shade in the afternoon to allow it to cool down. Drill the hole in the front to suit the size of the intended bird. (28mm to 32mm). Don't put a perch on it and clean it out in the winter. Use only water based preserver and then none on the inside. Don't build with tanalised timber. Site between 5ft and 8ft high. Other than what you missed out not a bad vid!

Me and my son are making one of these tomorrow. I bought the 18mm timber too. Hopefully it will turn out ok.

Excellent video, thanks for sharing. I have added drainage holes at the bottom of mine which gets rid of any ingress of water plus 'watery stuff' from the chicks. Robin box - I have added a few more inches of wood, extending over the front like a kind of Porch. This is to stop any Magpies taking the chicks. Makes it difficult for the Magpie to bend it's neck" to get it's beak inside. Entrance hole - I have protected the hole from Woodpeckers/Squirrels and other predators by surrounding the hole with metal. I used an old cake tin. Drill a hole in the base of each cake holder, big enough to surround the entrance hole then cut into a rectangular shape to then screw into place. Ps, sorry but background music was a tad too loud and distracting :-) Spoils your excellent commentary!

Good work! However there are two points I would mention that are recommended for bird houses that you did not apply in the construction of these boxes: 1/ Ventilation/Drainage holes on the bottom of the box. Best done by cutting the four corners of the base panel. 2/ Provide a rough surface on the inside of the front panel that baby birds can use to get some grip when trying to get out of the box.

Since moving to the UK I have learned to do woodwork with my snow gear on ! Your bird boxes look great. I'm just making mine now.

Exellent voice over , music and demo. 5:26 cutting around to trim is not necessary but it may be aesthetically pleasing.

If you are new to woodwork: When screwing through wood A on to wood B - If wood A is thicker than the distance between the screw-head and start of the thread, then a gap will automatically be created, unless you make the hole in A bigger than the screw-thread, or press/clamp the two pieces together. If you are new to woodwork. Try it on spare pieces before you start building the box.

Very nice Video! All is so nice and clear. I have had blackbirds nesting next to me and raising their Young. All went well and made me happy to have company when I had tea or music and a drink or two. I did have a dog no problem, the cat came much later but she is fine now and so am I with 80y it is still get going and make some more birdhouses.

The roof felt and hinge is very well done, I had trouble trying to figure this out on mine, thanks for the tips and the spring latch!

Awesome! Im wanting to build a bunch of different bird boxes to put around, I like the spring idea, nice and simple.

Nice been putting felt on mine and also slate looks good.

Bird boxes benefit from drain holes at the bottom

IMO the surroundings of the box are important too, mine are accessible through a tangled squirrel and magpie-proof creeper that provides perches for the adults and fledglings before they enter and after they emerge & so giving them a less stressful life, my robin's nest is made from 5inch corrugated land-drainage pipe over a foot long hidden from predators in the same way, for the past few years robins have built a nest at the closed end where they are most away from danger.

Nice video. Good job on the editing. As a reward, we're gunna send you a 3" brush, to paint with. That 3/4" paint brush was unbearable to watch. Thanks for posting.:)

Thanks for the video..don’t forget to site your bird boxes facing north on a wall to avoid full sun and the chicks overheating.

Thank you. I've enjoyed watching this video. My brother is going to help me make some of these for our large garden. I've subscribed so I do hope I can see more of your lovely handiwork. God bless from Northern Ireland.v. Spring 2021

I volunteer for the RSPB and I've been making many of these as well as bat boxes and dormice nest boxes. Interesting take on the roofing felt and the spring. I've been recycling old broken pallets from work for mine and to prevent the water running into the box I've used part of an inner tube tacked over the lid to the back forming the hinge. I've then placed a small strip of wood across the top of the inner tube, pinned it into place and sealed with external wood glue. To lock the roof in place I've used a single screw driven down through the lid into the front plate. I've also extended the back down underneath the box so it can be fastened to a surface at the top and the bottom for extra support. The back plate I've cut on my mitre saw at a 30 degree across the top so water drains off. It's also cut at the bottom for decoration. The only thing I don't do is apply any stain - mine are all completely natural. Don't forget a few holes in the bottom for drainage. Don't forget that different sized entrance holes will help choose what breed of bird can use it. I've also used half open front for Robins and Pied Wagtails etc.

Good but can be improved by adding a perch below the entrance hole. On the inside of the front panel, attach a few twigs to allow the chicks easy egress when they start to fledge.

The bottom would be better to be removable for cleaning at the end of the season rather than try and fish the nest out from the top

RSPB boxes have drainage holes and the access doors are usually bottom or side. This is based on an older design maybe?

Nice 👌 lil job there mate...With that kind of wood, maybe some marine varnish over the stain, wait 2 weeks then she's good to go and the varnish will be fine as long as it's on the outside only. 👍Well done!...

great video especially like the robins house, well done

Nice to see that people care about wild life...great vid

4:20 they’re called “clout nails”👍

Adjust the feet on that bandsaw already!

Hi, the rapb says you should have a rough surface on the inside front so chicks can climb out.

This was a very interesting video thank you from New Zealand

Hello! Like: you care about locking mechanism! Think: a metal corner attached to the roof underneath, which come into one of the wall. A hole in the metal and a wall with a locking rod/nail will keep the roof locked! Or a hook-type locker! Kind of a thing metal plate with a hook on the end...

Nice work with clear descriptions. Thanks.

Great looking bird house .I make them to donate at raffles or fundraisers and wondering what your cost of materials are estimated at I use rough pine 1"x8' and notch the "floor" corners for venting also drill small holes just under roof line. I use old conveyor belt for hinge and do seal ends of wood to make them last longer .thanks for this great video ,very well explained.

Beautiful bird house and build!!!!!

Nice box but needs some ventilation holes and drainage holes at the bottom. The entrance hole does not provide enough ventilation. I purposely cut the sides on mine 1/4 inch shorter so there's more air movement just below the roof.

Make a wee latch with two fence wire staples and some wire offcuts bent into a hook and loop

Make roof just a little wider and put some holes in bottom to let water out. Sometimes its also good to use some tin or a pop can around the hole, other squares can chew around the hole to get in. You don't need that music. Thanks

You need a bench hook. Look it up. Easy to make. You'll thank me.

Hi my friend Mancave good morning beautiful house for very beautiful bird top with top finish congratulations big hug - another subscriber big hug - TMJ always be counting on me in the rush.

Good info, thank you.

Very nice, I'm sure the birds will love it. You could make them and sell them too.

I drill the entrance hole prior to assembly. The ones I make to give away would be expensive using your materials. I use old pallet wood, nails and glue.

awesome video cheers, got some good ideas here!

loved it. birds are use to draughts so the comment below about it having small gaps is ridiculous. They will either use it or they wont. great that you are making an effort to help the little creatures. i have a tit checking out my bird box now and am looking for a robin box now to help my friendly robins

OMG ITS ACTUALLY HIM

Needs aeration holes in the base, otherwise ok.

good job mate 👍

You've never had a real fight with a squirrel, have you?😂 In the U.K. you might look in the padlock section of your hardware store but even our guns only level the odds.

Ok it’s been 3 years. How did the. Bird boxes do?

Had to turn the volume down to stop the music but even without commentary it was interesting.

Hi nice video very easy to make well done keep them coming

Thanks for making this video! Subscribed too.

great food box for magpies

Like the design and will be using this. Do you think some drainage holes in the bottom would be useful ? 👍

That spring is a wast of time, wont stop anything, especially a squirrel or a cat .You haven't included the cost of the hooks and Cabinet catches are 10 for £2.60.

Thank you

Nobody out there will tell you this ... to disguise the fact that its a new box rub a handful of dirt into the wood ... the box will be nicely camouflaged using materials kind to the birds and kind to mother nature.

Would you leave your kids with him.?

great video would love to see more!

Holes sizes for anyone ? 25 mm for blue, coal and marsh tits 28 mm for great tits, tree sparrows and pied flycatchers 32 mm for house sparrows and nuthatches 45 mm for starlings. The small box with 100 mm high open front may attract robins or pied wagtails. A wren would need a 140 mm high front panel, while spotted flycatchers prefer a low 60 mm front to the box.

Why are KZfaq videos, such as this one, invariably accompanied by irritatingly mind-numbing 'music'. It detracts from the video and makes me not want to watch. If I cut out the sound I cannot hear the commentary. STOP IT! Silence is golden.

Wobbly bandsaw spoils it....so easy to fix?

Wonderful voice and accent!

Красиво. Удобно будет чистить...

The birds need air and drain age holes. You made it waterproof but not breathable

water WILL get in behind the "counter flashing", it needs sealed, just saying.

Great video, where did you get those springs from?

Wonderful work and very nice

love your video!😉

nice one !!

Great video mate thanks

Good one, but the music is annoying.

secure your band saw man! :-O

Good video thanks what’s the angle degrees for lid to sit on

I’m making a bird house tomorrow and it’s big

Clout nails ! Great Vid - L & S 👀

These box are so cute. But, I don't understand why did you used wire spring?

I’m thinking of putting a dolls house tv 📺 in mine...any thoughts?

I made a Bird box out of an old pallet and when I put it up in a tree I had a blue tit nesting with in a few weeks

不错

Thnx for the download.

Nice one. I've subscribed...

Brilliant job! But... will the spring rust?

I think they're called clout nails...

Great video, one thing you could do to make it perfect would be to tone that background music down a few decibles!! Just a thought!

awesome subscribed right away

Its that hole to little for australian perikit??

What degree angle did you make for the roof 30 or 45?

What is an RSPB?

I've noticed Robin boxes in Oz and UK are partially open faced, whereas in the US they are fully open faced and partially open sided. Does anyone know why that is?

Please can you stop the music when you make the videos it is way too loud and very annoying. It is distracting from the commentary. Thanks!

Your bandsaw looks dangerously wobbly. Not securely attached to the floor?

Exerlent...

Thanks for the video. Brilliant! Two questions, can you remember where you got the springs from?, I know you made this a while ago. Secondly, how do you hang your boxes on a tree?

What size hole for the bird house?

I'm afraid you made a bit of a pigs ear of the felt.We like Birdland.

Really Good video, spoiled by the annoying background music.

That bandsaw needs to be stable.

Do you use the metal nest hole cover to protect it from squirrel damage .

you could drill holes in the base to allow water to drip through and prevent flooding ps did you carefull to use non treated wood which is maybe toxic? God speed anyway oh i now see u used UN treated ok but buying dulux would be fnding the viviseaction and demise of animals btw apparently God speed anyway