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.

Titmouse Birdhouse Plans

Materials List:

Tools:


Titmouse Birdhouse Plan

Titmouse Birdhouse Exploded View
Titmouse Birdhouse Exploded View

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

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.

Titmouse Birdhouse

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.


 See Also (on mycarpentry.com)

Birdhouse Plans - Check out all the birdhouse plans on mycarpentry.com.

Woodworking Projects - Check out the woodworking projects on mycarpentry.com.

Outdoor Bench Plans - Build an outdoor bench for studying nesting birds.

What next?

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