Let me help you improve your 'handy' skills with a free, easy to follow, mini DIY course. Like the Pileated Woodpecker, the Acorn Woodpecker adapts well to human modifications to the landscape, sometimes using manmade structures for roosting and food-caching. A. Woodpeckers are beautiful birds, but sometimes they don’t entirely endear themselves to the wildlife gardener. Assuming this hole takes you into soft, rotten core of the log, the woodpecker will finish off the job for you! Do you have any of these woodpeckers in your neighborhood? The original nesting hole location was quite high up so I’ll try to match that height when I nail it to the neighbouring tree. If you purchase or make a box, make sure it is close to the following dimensions. Owls do like a staging perch placed about 12 feet from the nest entrance and about 6 feet off the ground. OK, I have to be honest, the title of this post is a little misleading because I didn’t actually make this particular nest box; the woodpecker did! Or it gives a place for other birds to nest. Nest Description This diy Screech Owl box on the Hobby Farms website (here) is built with a single plank of cedar lumber 1 inch thick, 10 inches wide, and 8 feet long. Raising young in a nest is messy. Thank you so much for visiting! Place the pole 10 feet from a tree or structure where the squirrel could jump across to the box. 995979268 and registered for VAT. Finally, the female selects the best nest site. They can find food in taller grass in a vacant lot or field next door. Let me tell you the story. When should you put up an owl box? Remember, owls generally nest earlier in the spring than other birds. *A FREE mini DIY course. The rest of the tree can be stacked on the side of the stream to rot down into bug food. Click the book to improve your handiness today... Go on, make yourself useful! They dig cavities in dead or living limbs, large or small, either in the granary (storage) tree or any other large tree. If you place the nest box in a tree, consider placing the box under a branch. OK, I have to be honest, the title of this post is a little misleading because I didn’t actually make this particular nest box; the woodpecker did! Then I had the idea of cutting out the nest sections and hanging them up just like regular nest boxes, brilliant! That shouldn't be too hard to figure out, should it? Often he provides her food to show he is a good provider. Larger woodpeckers that provide nest holes for Screech Owls include Acorn Woodpeckers, Red-headed Woodpeckers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers but, especially, Northern Flickers. Assuming that you don’t have a rotten tree with nests already in it, just cut yourself a 2′ (60cm) long section of rotten log. I've put this resource together for you to answer the question: What birds are in my backyard in Michigan? Incubation lasts about 26-34 days until the eggs hatch. Record their details, requirements, action points and notes. Trees with cavities in them provide a nesting place. Hang the box under the eaves to protect from rain, but also so that … There are almost always mice and rats in our yards that we never know about. Using a pole mounted nest box will work too. One side of the nest box should be hinged for cleaning after the nesting season is over. We now have Eastern Screech-Owls (Megascops asio) and Western Screech-Owls (Megascops kennicottii). The male will perch here and guard the nest while the female is inside incubating. You may place a nest box on the east or south side of a barn or other tall out building. Avoid placing the nest entrance facing between north and west. (You will still need to figure out for yourself how to mount it.). You can provide a bird bath for owls. Thank you for your support. It doesn't take much "wild" space to attract owls. If you install an owl nesting box you can likely attract owls to your backyard. Do not place multiple Screech Owl boxes closer than 100 to 1000 feet apart (I have seen both distances referenced). Parents will feed the young outside the nest for 8 to 10 weeks. All rights reserved obviously (duh!). Screech Owls lay 2-8 (usually 4-5) eggs. Put up nest boxes in the fall or early winter so owls find them when they start scouting for nest sites in January. (paperback or eBook via amazon). The height of the box should be 14 inches. The box dimensions are as follows. On the other hand, having an alternative nest box for the pair allows the owls to choose their preferred nest site. (I’ll give you a tip later though for yours). So if the kestrels or flickers begin nesting in the boxes in May or June, the owls likely aren't going to nest this late in the year anyway. I made the top cut at a slight downwards angle and nailed some felt on the top to keep the worst of the rain off. I've put this resource together for you to answer the question: What birds are in my backyard in Pennsylvania? The nest box may become infested with various insects. Nearly wherever you live in the United States, then, (except for parts of central Wyoming, northern Michigan, northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont) you can attract Screech Owls to your backyard. Why not do the same for owls? I've put this resource together for you to answer the question: What birds are in my backyard in Virginia? If you see starlings or squirrels inspecting your box you need to do so, too. One email per week for a few weeks, where I'll show you how to build money saving, practical DIY skills, create a unique home and properly look after your stuff. Then around a third of the way down from the top, drill a hole 3/4 of the way through the log using a 3″ (75mm) core drill. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Would you please leave a comment to let me know what you thought and how I can make this resource better for you?--Greg--Legal DisclosureAs an Amazon Associate I earn commissions from qualifying purchases.