Dear Dean, For the past two years I have lost many bluebird eggs and babies to sparrows. I tried your skylight in my 6 boxes, and I am delighted to report NOT one sparrow to be seen in any of the boxes. Thank you so much for solving a problem that was driving me crazy. I don't really care why it works: I am just delighted that it does and you shared your findings.

If you use the link Mr. Rust provided you will find the explanation. “I took over a 20 box trail at Hempfield High School in 2012 that was completely infested with Sparrows due to lack of monitoring. After reading an article in Birds and Blooms that suggested letting light into the boxes to deter sparrows, I started drilling 2 1/2″ holes in the tops of the boxes and then covering them over with plexiglass to keep the water out. Within the first year the 15 boxes that I put skylights in were sparrow free, but the remaining 5 boxes had sparrows in them. So I decided to complete the trail so all 20 boxes had skylights. After doing that, the trail was completely sparrow free. To this day (5-5-15) the trail is completely sparrow free!” ~Dean Rust

A practical application that I have not seen anywhere else, for deterring house sparrows. Thank you!

Sparrows primarily look for a partially closed cavity to nest greatly preferring a solid covering over head. Bluebirds being an open forest/meadow not dependent on human habitats are not disturbed by an an opening that allows sunlight to enter their nesting cavity. They are not as picky in this regard. They normally look for a hollow in a tree which is cooler than a house with a sun roof. If you place a bird house with a sunroof in a warmer climates you may want to allow for a bit more venting due to the extra heat that comes from a skylight. Most hardware will have 1/2 inch up to 4 inch circular screened vents that are easy to spray paint and install. By not giving these sparrows perfect bird houses they may not evict the bluebird & look for an easier place to nest. However, if you have a large population of sparrows you could try placing extra boxes for them and they may then leave our bluebirds alone. I place a metal guard around the hole because squirrels and larger birds will enlarge the hole. If and when this happens the bluebirds will desert the nesting box. This method works most of the time. Remember Robins like bird houses too, take a look at their prefered boxes, you will get a better understanding of how diffrent bird think. Owls need boxes as too, what a treat to have them move in. Bats are the most beneficial animal to habe near by, but then need a body of water with in a couple of miles. Look up bat houses too, so easy to build as well.

Thank you for this information! I had not heard of doing this before, but I will do this with the boxes my son and I are making together.

Excellent info and demo! Thank you, Dean. God bless you 😊

This is a fantastic idea. Thank you so much for sharing this online. I see this was posted many years ago so I am curious if anyone else has done this recently and had similar success. Also, has anyone used this successfully with tree swallows? It is that time of year and I want to use this for tree swallows in my back yard. Cheers!

I recently saw some moss in one of my bluebird houses; and I know from experience these birds are VERY persistent. I added the skylight & it did not return. Very good video !!!

Thank you very much for your information and also for showing us how to improve our Bluebird Boxes. We have a big problem with Sparrows taking over our bluebird nesting boxes. This year we had no bluebirds at all in our 25 Boxes We will mount our boxes with this new skylight.

Make sure you paint your nest boxes a light color like light tan or white. Especially if the boxes will receive any direct sun in the summer. I have tests on my channel that prove simple old weathered boxes at 88°F ambient can go to 108°F in a weathered box which is darker in color. Baby birds will start to die in the 107°F range.

This is a very good Idea I will try it this spring will try putting two washer under the plexiglass for vent will report back this fall!

Has anyone ever tried painting the inside of the roof white or light blue. People used to do this in the good ‘ol days to discourage nest building on house porches.

Interesting. Never heard this form of prevention.

I'm trying an even easier solution because I have nothing to lose - sparrows just kicked the bluebirds out of the box a couple of days ago. I cut a hole in the top of the box and just attached the top of a Chinese takeout soup container with screws. It seems to function as a skylight and took me minutes to do.

Won’t this cause the house to overheat?

can just plain plexyglass work or would this get too hot in the box

Wish I could buy one of these. Sold out on website.

Nice. Will tree swallows still use the boxes?

Thanks!

I'm on it---THANKS!

Thank you soooo much for this video. May I ask you why don’t sparrows like this sky lite idea?

nope tried this it don't work. I throw out 15 to 20 nest from sparrows all spring. finally they give up. I now have a blue bird the first of June.

Run fishing line around the base of the roof top, Sparrows will stay away and it doesn't bother the blue birds.

I clicked the link in the description to see if I could buy one of their bluebird boxes, but they are completely sold out. I also noticed that their website hasn't been updated since 2016.

Does the skylight make the box too hot in 90degree weather?

Will this deter other species I want to attract, like chickadees or finches? I haven't seen many bluebirds in my area, Southeast Pennsylvania. I would like to put up a next box, but I don't want sparrows in it.

I have both Eastern Bluebirds and Tree Swallows in my area. Will Tree Swallows nest in a box with a skylight?

My new birdhouse box came with a small plexiglass side window on it, will that work just as well?

I'm also anxious to learn how adding a skylight will deter sparrows from invading bluebird houses. If it works, I'm all for it.

Is heat an issue with the skylight?

We used plexiglass glass. Is that ok too?

Hi Dean can you provide a link where to get the polycarbonate? would plexiglass work ok instead?

what's the width and hight of the cedar?

How about if the entire roof is plexiglass? Would that be too much for the bluebirds? I have seen them nesting in boxes with no roof.

will that work for chickadees?

Wished I'd seen this sooner. I have a pair of blues nesting in my yard right now. The best I can do is shoot the sparrows if I happen to catch them at the bluebird house. After all, I can't work on the house since the blues are nesting in it. I tend to wonder though, does the hole in the top not discourge the bluebirds as well?

Will this method deter House Wrens and Swallows?

Won't the sky light make it too hot in the box?

What I'm not understanding is that house sparrows nest literally anywhere, like on fluorescent signs that let in a lot more light than a hole like this. Explain please?

I hope this works I just tried this today I’m hoping those sparrows want take over this box.

I find the bluebirds like to perch on the roof but can't because of the slickness of the plexiglass. They are checking out the box today. Is there a way to make it so they can stand on the roof?

How would this deter HOSP? I would think the heat of the sun beating down through that hole will raise the temperature in the nesting box to dangerous levels.

What is the reason for the skylight?

Tried this. Still get sparrows.

I'd heard of the hole in the roof but no the plexiglass to cover the hole. Do tree swallows nest in such boxes?

Doesn't work

We added the skylight to our bluebird house and today I saw a sparrow go into the box. My husband checked the box and sure enough..the sparrows have nested in the box. I need other ideas please.

Excellent to see that woodprix has new plans what helped me save some money and energy to build it.

Fire ants got my baby bluebirds

I'm wondering the same thing. Why does the skylight deter the sparrows?

Is what he uses the same as plexiglass?

Hello Mr. Rust! I'm curious to know why the skylight works to deter sparrows? Thanks so much for the video!

Will this also work on Wrens ?

Okay so what's the whole purpose for sky light? Dean never tells why it's a good idea. Anyone care to let me in on secret ?

Didn't work for me. Sparrows have filled the skylight box with twigs. The house without skylight also has been taken over by sparrows. I tried emptying it daily, but they keep coming back. Now I leave it open but they still keep coming to it. I want to close it for bluebirds but sparrows keep occupying it.

How on Earth did you figure this out? I noticed that you are wearing a deep blue shirt. Is it possible that you, Sir are indeed ....

I like and will use this but I have a problem with snakes.

So there's no explanation as to why sparrow's don't like a sky light but blue birds do?

Does anyone know if you can just buy them this way? Thanks!

Does not work!!!!!!

Why?

tried this, it didn't work

I have read from bluebird enthusiasts that this is a really bad idea because it could damage the eye development of nestlings and that on really hot days could end up cooking the eggs.

There are several components to doing a pro job. One resource I discovered that successfully combines these is the Aviary Magic Method (check it out on google) definately the most incredible course i've heard of. look at this incredible website.

No guarantees with sparrows...catch them and kill them

I’m sorry to report that this DID NOT work for me. Sparrows moved right in and I’m PISSED!!!

Great. Now, we know how to build one. However, you failed to tell us WHY a skylight will deter sparrows -- which is equally, if not more, important than knowing how to build a skylight. Please do not assume that we are bird experts. If we were experts, we wouldn't need your video would we?

SLM

If that annoying bird in the background is yours.. You need to find a new hobby man

You know, it's not that hard to undestand that HOSP is not the enemy of any bird. The real enemies are cats.

I was all into this project 'til you said it was gonna cost me around $2😔....lol.

$2 of my money? Not for all those supplies.

Blue.Birds.are.blue.Sparrows.that.is.idiotic.