Titmouse Birdhouse Plan

This titmouse birdhouse plan is designed for titmouse cavity nesters, but wrens, chickadees, and house finches are also possible inhabitants. You can cut all the pieces of this birdhouse from a 6-foot 1x6 (3/4" x 5 1/2") fence board, but there isn't much room for waste. The front and back, two sides, two roof sections, and base total 68 inches, leaving only 4 inches of extra material.

Materials List:

6-foot 1x6 (3/4" x 5 1/2") cedar or redwood fencing plank
Eye Bolts (2) - (for hanging wire)
Hinges (2) - 1" x 1" (galvanized)
Galvanized Finish Nails/Screws
Exterior Wood Glue
Eco-Friendly Paint (Optional)

Tools:

Saw (Circular or Miter)
Hammer
3/8-inch Drill/Bits
Paddle Bit - 1-1/4"
Screw Driver
Square
Carpenter's Pencil
Tape Measure

Titmouse Birdhouse Plan

Birdhouse Parts List

Description	Size	Quantity
Base	3/4" x 4" x 4"	1
Front/Back	3/4" x 5 1/2" x 12"	2
Left Side	3/4" x 5 1/2" x 10"	1
Right Side (Upper Fixed)	3/4" x 5 1/2" x 2"	1
Cleanout Door (Lower Right Hinged)	3/4" x 5 1/2" x 8"	1
Right Roof	3/4" x 4 3/4" x 10"	1
Left Roof	3/4" x 5 1/2" x 10"	1

Building the Titmouse Birdhouse

From the 6-foot piece 1x6 (3/4" x 5 1/2"), trim off just enough wood to square the end of the board, and cut the 4" x 4" base. Drill four 1/4-inch drain holes near the corners.
Cut the front and back pieces as indicated below. They are identical except for the entrance hole.

Attach the front and back pieces to the 4x4 base, as shown below, using the fasteners of your choice. I use a combination of exterior wood glue and galvanized finish nails.

Cut the two identical sides as indicated below with a 45-degree bevel-cut on the top end. From one side, measure 2 inches from the long point of the 45-degree bevel-cut and cut it with a circular saw of miter saw. The 8-inch door will become slightly shorter - 7-7/8" long (the width of a saw blade).

Attach the left side and the upper right side, as shown below. Attach galvanized or painted hinges to the bottom of the cleanout door and birdhouse, as shown in the diagram on the right. Use an L-shaped Screw-Hook as a rotating latch to lock the cleanout door.

This cleanout/observation door design makes cleaning the birdhouse easy and provides access for non-disruptive bird observation. You can slowly rotate the locking screw and ease the access door open with minimal disturbance to the nesting bird.

Cut the two 10-inch long roof sections. Rip the right piece 4-3/4" wide and leave the left piece the full 5-1/2" width so that when you overlap the two 3/4-inch thick pieces, the overhang will be the same on both sides. Attach the roof sections to the titmouse birdhouse centered front to back, as shown in the diagrams.

Success!

About Titmice

Titmice do not make their own nesting cavities. They rely on abandoned woodpecker nests, the cavities of fallen trees, or nest boxes. Titmice line their nests with animal fir to help incubate their eggs and hide them from predators. They nest near the edges of woodlands and prefer nest boxes mounted 5-15 feet above the ground.

Titmice are fun birds to watch. One day, I spent most of an afternoon watching titmice fly back and forth between my bird feeder and their nest in one of my birdhouses.

Birdhouse Maintenance

Every year in January, I clean out the old nesting materials from each of my 13 birdhouses. It is not uncommon to discover a wasp nest attached to the ceiling of the birdhouse. Be careful! I also use the time in January to inspect the integrity of the birdhouse and ensure the sides and roof are not coming apart. A wooden birdhouse exposed to the weather 24 hours a day won't last forever.

Painting a Birdhouse

If you plan to paint your birdhouse, use nontoxic, eco-friendly paint that does not produce airborne emissions called VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). Use natural colors that do not absorb heat. Do not paint the interior surfaces of the birdhouse where the birds build their nests.

Protect your Birdhouse from Predators

The methods you use to protect your nesting birds from predators depend on how you mount the birdhouse. If you install it on a pole, you can purchase or construct a shrowd that prevents critters from climbing up.

Visit Texas Birding on RVweekends.com to see photos of some of the birds we have seen during the bird migration seasons.

Visit eBird to learn more about birds and discover the world of birding.