The Complete Birdhouse Book: The Easy Guide to Attracting Nesting Birds

This a about attracting nesting birds to a birdhouse near you! Not a how-to book for birdhouse makers. It should not have been given a one star rating for not living up to what it what not designed to be. Do you want to know which birds will likely go to what type, and size, and opening, and location of a birdhouse? Then you will so appreciate this presentation. Great photos and illustrations. Easy to read. And a sections on identifying a number of the birds you will likely see. And, yes, it does give an example or two on building a birdhouse, as a starting place for creating your own shelter for the feathered friends we so love. Everything I've seen that this couple does is top notch; this outstanding treatise is no exception. If you love birding, and close at home bird watching, then buy it, you won't be disappointed.

This is a very complete guide to attracting birds with nestboxes. You'll learn everything you need to know to bring nesting birds in close and witness their fascinating family life. Filled with beautiful full-color photos. This book includes: How to choose the right nestbox and how and where to mount it. How to monitor nestboxes, keep records, and how to protect the birdhouses from predators. A complete guide to which birds use nestboxes, including identification photos of each species, range maps, and details of their life history and behavior. Also includes lists of the correct dimensions of nestboxes for each species and directions on which habitat to place the birdhouse in, to attract each species. Build your own nestbox. Contains instructions and plans for a "Super Easy Birdhouse" that anyone can build. Also includes illustrations for more advanced nestbox plans. Chapter on the family life of birds discusses egg laying, incubation, and the nestling phase, complete with beautiful photos. Includes a photo of the nests of the most common birds that use nestboxes so you can identify who is nesting in a birdhouse. Chapter on how to attract other nesting birds including a list of which birds nest in trees, shrubs, on the ground, etc Resource list for nestboxes. 96 pages. 8 1/2 x 11 inches.

I bought this book in spite of several bad reviews and am grateful that I did. I think it is excellent for the beginning bird house builder as well as the advanced work worker. It's good for the beginner because it explains the basics and gives one or two very simple, easy to build designs that will work. It also explains what is important in getting birds to use them and why. It's good for a more experienced birder/woodworker because it gives you something far more valuable than a cookie cutter plan - it gives you the critical entrance hole and box dimensions required for each species. Armed with this information, a good woodworker can create their own designs and be as creative as they like. After all, a birdhouse is essentially a box with a hole in it. Detailed plans aren't required, at least not for the things the birds care about (entrance holes, box dimensions, placement). If you aren't comfortable doing basic woodworking yet, do yourself a favor a buy a book devoted to the subject. And if all you care about is pretty designs - regardless of whether birds use them - look elsewhere. But if your primary goal is getting birds to nest in your birdhouses, buy this book.

I want to know the basics...which birds use birdhouses, & what the basic dimensions for my targeted species are. What nesting materials do thew use...etc.. This book does a great job of doing that. I do NOT want my birdhouses to be clones of some boring plan out of a book. Get creative! Use this basic info & create your own unique backyard!Sorry previous writer was so disapointed, but he's right in one respect......if you want assorted detailed building plans...go elsewhere.