Bird house assembly

A bird housing module is used to form a housing complex in a system for creating a habitat for nesting birds. The module includes a housing shell with an open front and an open-topped nest drawer that slideably fits into the shell. The nest drawer has a front drawer panel with an entryway for nesting birds. Ventilation openings and drain openings may be employed, and a predator guard panel may also be disposed in the nest drawer. A plurality of such modules may be connected to and extend radially from a carriage to form the housing complex. The system then includes a pole assembly having a pole and having a pulley and a cord for raising and lowering the carriage and housing complex on the pole. A plurality of housing complexes may be stacked for increasing the number of housing modules available for nesting.

BACKGROUND

The present invention generally relates to shelters for wild birds. More particularly, the present invention concerns a birdhouse assembly that attracts purple martins and encourages the successful breeding of this species.

Bird watching is a highly prevalent past time in both urban and rural areas. The world is full of birds of numerous varieties in an astounding array of colors and designs. Many people enjoy viewing birds of various types, and an industry has evolved around products directed to improving the ability of persons to closely observe birds in their natural environment. On one hand, many people venture into the outdoors, where binoculars and spotting scopes may be utilized to better view various birds in their natural habitats. Such an approach requires a certain degree of skill, however, in finding and spotting various species of birds. Another approach utilizes various means of attracting birds to one's residence or a desired viewing location, such as adjacent a home's porch or window, where birds may be viewed at one's leisure. For example, persons have used bird feeders, birdbaths, and the like to attract birds of various types to their homes.

Various species of birds can be attracted by providing suitable nesting sites that accommodate their needs and protect them from predators. Certain birds, such as purple martins and bluebirds are welcome additions to one's backyard because of the mutually beneficial relationship that exists between these birds and their “landlords”. Purple martins, in particular, are highly desirable additions to one's backyard because they play such an important role in the control of mosquito population. In fact, studies have indicated that a single purple martin can eat up to 2,000 mosquitoes and other insects a day. In addition, purple martins are interesting and beautiful creatures that enjoy living together in colonies that enable one to observe their interactions with one another. They also possess superior flight capabilities that enable them to perform daily aerial acrobatics, which provides much enjoyment to many a birdwatcher.

Purple martins were first attracted to hollowed out gourds, which were placed about Native American villages. However, as Native American villages began to disappear, so did the gourds, and by the middle of the twentieth century, purple martins were nearly extinct. The near extinction of these remarkable birds prompted great efforts to understand their habits and provide housing suitable for nesting. Today, purple martins are totally dependent upon man-made housing and studies continue to reveal new ways to improve their nesting sites and encourage breeding.

There are general specifications that a suitable purple martin house should have to provide attract purple martins. For example, purple martin houses should be set between fifteen (15) and twenty (20) feet off the ground. Also, the nesting compartments should be large enough to accommodate both the adult-sized parents and approximately four (4) to six (6) nearly grown fledgings. Accordingly, many specifications recommend that the nesting compartment be at least 6″×6″, but deeper compartments, such as those that measure between 8-12″ from front to back, have been observed to offer better protection against predators. Textured floors in the nesting compartments are also beneficial because they help prevent abnormalities that develop if the infant slips while moving about in the compartment. Since purple martins prefer to live together in colonies, a plurality of individual nesting compartments can be grouped together to accommodate as many as a couple dozen pairs of purple martins.

Entryways into the nesting compartments should also be sized to permit entry by an adult sized purple martin and are preferably of a pattern that keeps out predator birds such as starlings. For example, studies have indicated that some predator birds, such as starlings, are unable to gain access to the nesting compartment through a crescent shaped entryway.

Additionally, to increase breeding success, it is important that the nesting compartments be properly managed. Interestingly, access to the individual nesting compartments during the nesting season has shown to encourage successful breeding because it allows for the regular monitoring and care of the nesting compartments. These so-called nest checks allow the landlord to discover whether the nests are being preyed upon by owls at night, or by hawks or other predator birds by day. Early detection of predator activity will enable a landlord to take certain precautions to save the remainder of the nest. Nest checks also permit the landlord to remove unwanted nests such as those made by birds not welcome in a purple martin house.

In order to carry out these nest checks, it is helpful for the purple martin house to be easily lowered in way that does not harm the eggs or infant birds. In fact, many purple martin houses currently in use or on the market are not capable of being lowered and their respective landlords may never realize that the nests are being preyed upon.

As a result, some purple martin houses appearing in the market place are capable of being lowered so as to permit the landlord to conduct nest checks. Assemblies that enable the birdhouses to be lowered, however, preferably return the birdhouse to its original position so that each nesting compartment is in the same relative position and compass direction. This is because after the purple martin house is again elevated back to its original location, the adult purple martins will typically only return to the nesting compartment based upon its compass direction. If the birdhouse is repositioned causing the adult purple martins to trespass on another's nest, the adult purple martin becomes confused, which often results in abandonment of the nests and eventual loss of the eggs or fledglings.

To encourage the successful breeding of purple martins, then, improved housing assemblies are needed that protect purple martin nests from predators and enable their landlords to perform nest checks. While various housing assemblies currently in use today meet some of the minimum specifications, such as compartment sizes and entryway dimensions, nesting compartments are still readily accessible by predators. Additionally, typical nesting compartments are easily exposed to wind-blown rain, which dampens the nest and may result in a loss of the featherless infants that will become chilled in a damp nest. Further, now that studies have indicated the importance of monitoring the nesting compartments of the purple martin houses during the nesting season, it is desirable to provide an improved assembly that safely and efficiently permits the landlord to perform the nest checks.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The embodiments disclosed herein relate to housing systems that may be employed as a habitat for nesting birds. The embodiments disclose more particular relate to a bird housing system that comprises a pole assembly having at least one bird housing complex slideably mounted to the pole of the pole assembly. The bird housing complex generally includes a carriage and a plurality of bird housing modules extending radially therefrom. Another aspect of these embodiments is the structure of the bird housing modules that make up the bird housing complex.

The bird housing module generally includes a housing shell and a nest drawer adapted to be slidably received therein. More particularly, the housing shell includes a shell bottom wall, a shell top wall, a pair of shell sidewalls, a closed shell back, and an open shell front to define an open shell interior. The nest drawer is slidably received in open shell interior when in a mounted state and removeable therefrom toward the open shell front of the housing shell. The nest drawer includes a drawer bottom wall, a pair of drawer sidewalls, and a closed drawer back respectively confronting the shell bottom wall, the shell sidewalls, and the shell back when in the mounted state. The nest drawer includes a front drawer panel or entrance panel and has a drawer interior with a top drawer opening that allows access into the drawer interior. The front drawer panel has an entryway therethrough to allow the ingress and egress of a nesting bird.

The housing shell may further include a plurality of ventilation openings formed therethrough that are sized and adapted to permit the passage of air into and out of the drawer interior when in the mounted state. The housing shell may be constructed so as to have a shell back wall and each side shell wall may further be provided with a proximate shell sidewall section and a distal shell sidewall section. The proximate shell of sidewall section is adjacent to the shell back wall and each proximate shell sidewall section is oriented at an angle of approximately 60 degrees to each other. The distal shell sidewall section is adjacent to each respective proximate shell sidewall section. The shell top wall may be formed of a pair of shell top wall sections that are formed along an eave.

The nest drawer may be provided with a predator guard panel located rearwardly of the front door panel and in spaced relation thereto. The predator guard panel is sized and adapted to obstruct access of a predator into the drawer interior while permitting access therein by the nesting bird. The predator guard panel may be provided with an access port formed therethrough that allows ingress and egress of a nesting bird. The access port is preferably laterally offset from the entryway of the front door panel. The nesting drawer bottom wall may be provided with a surface depression to generally define a nesting a region within the drawer interior. Further, a plurality of drainage apertures will be provided that are formed through the drawer bottom wall at a location generally located in the surface depression. The drawer bottom wall may be terraced so as to include a first bottom wall section located proximate to the closed drawer back and a second bottom wall section extending forwardly of the first bottom wall section and located at a lower position relative thereto. A third bottom wall section may be provided that extends forwardly of the section bottom wall section and located at a lower position relative thereto. The third bottom wall section may terminate in a railing to define a perch for a bird.

The bird housing module may also include an entrance plug that is sized and adapted to be removeably secured relative to the front drawer panel thereby to block the entryway of the front drawer panel to prevent the ingress and egress of a bird into the drawer interior. A coupling member may also be provided that is adapted to releasably secure the nest drawer in the housing shell when in the mounted state. The coupling member may be in the form of a spring clip that is supported by the drawer bottom wall and that releasably engages the shell bottom wall.

As mentioned above, another aspect of the present invention is a bird housing complex which provides a habitat for a nesting bird. The bird housing complex includes a plurality of bird housing modules that are adapted to be secured to and extend radially from a carriage. The carriage may be formed by a pair of connectable sections and be generally hexagonal in configuration so as to have six sides. Accordingly, when six bird housing modules extend radially from the carriage, each respective closed shell back the bird housing modules generally confront a respective one of the six sides of the carriage.

The carriage may be provided with a central passageway as well as a pair of spaced apart openings. Further, a plurality of carriages may be provided whereby one carriage is releasably secured to another.

The birdhousing complex may also include a locking collar secured to a carriage. The locking collar includes a latch mechanism. The locking collar includes a collar bottom wall that has a central collar passageway that is adapted to align with the central passageway of the carriage. The latch mechanism includes a central latch passageway formed therethrough that is also adapted to align with the central passageway of the carriage.

Yet another aspect of the present invention is a birdhousing system to provide a habitat for nesting birds. The birdhousing system comprises a pole assembly adapted to be positioned in an upright state relative to a support surface. The pole assembly includes an elongated pole of a selected length and has a lower end portion and an upper end portion. A pulley assembly is disposed on the upper end portion of the pole and a cord is associated with that pulley assembly. At least one bird housing complex, such as described above, is adapted to be slideably mounted on the pole. The housing complex is moveable between a lowered position proximate to the lower end portion of the pole and an elevated position proximate to the upper end portion of the pole. The housing complex includes a carriage connected to a first end portion of the cord, and a plurality of bird housing modules that extend radially therefrom whereby each of the housing modules provides an independent nesting region for the birds. A user may grasp a second end portion of the cord such that the housing complex can be translated on the pole between the lowered position and the upper position by means of the pulley assembly.

The carriage associated with the birdhousing system has a centrally located passageway that is sized and adapted to receive the pole as well as a pair of spaced apart openings that are sized and adapted to permit passage of the cord therethrough. A locking collar associated with the birdhousing system is supported by the pole and connected at a first end portion of the cord. The locking collar is operative to lock undesired movement of the housing complex from the elevated to the lowered position. The locking collar is associated with a latch mechanism.

The locking collar may include a collar bottom wall that has collar passageway formed therethrough that is sized and adapted to receive the pole. The latch mechanism associated therewith may include a moveable latch plate that is supported by the collar bottom wall and that is moveable between a release state wherein the latch plate is generally parallel to the bottom wall, and a latched state where the latch plate is oriented at an angle relative to the collar bottom wall. The locking collar may also be provided with an actuator lever operative to move the latch plate between the release state and the latch state. The actuator lever has a cord opening that is sized and adapted to receive the cord therethrough so that movement of the actuator lever is controlled by the cord. The locking collar may be releasably secured to the carriage or, alternatively, be independent thereof. Further, the birdhousing system may include a plurality of the birdhousing complexes.

These and other objects of the present invention will become more readily appreciated and understood from a consideration of the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention when taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

The present invention broadly concerns housing systems which may be employed as a habitat for birds. The present invention is specifically directed to a housing system operative to provide a habitat for purple martins, a known community bird. The present invention provides a versatile system of multiple housing modules for individual families of purple martins with these modules being constructed so as to be assembled into floors with the multiple floors providing a housing complex for a large number of families of purple martins.

With reference first toFIG. 1, it may be seen that housing assembly10includes a housing complex12formed of two housing floors14and16. Housing complex12is supported on a pole assembly18and may translate on pole assembly18from an elevated position, shown inFIG. 1to a position that is readily accessible by a person20. In order to raise and lower housing complex12, the person20may operate a cord or rope22through a pulley assembly24described more thoroughly below.

With reference now toFIGS. 2 and 3, it should be appreciated that the housing complex12may be formed by a multiple number of floors, such as floors14and16illustrated inFIG. 2. Alternatively, the housing complex12′ may be formed by a single floor14, as is illustrated inFIG. 3. As is illustrated inFIGS. 2 and 3, however, it may be seen that pulley assembly24mounts on the upper end of pole assembly18and is provided with upper perches26formed by a pair of perpendicular cross bars28. Moreover, as is illustrated in each ofFIGS. 2 and 3, each floor, such as floors14and16, are formed by six housing modules30which are secured to and extend radially from a common carriage32.

With reference now toFIG. 4, the structure of pole assembly18may be appreciated with greater understanding. Here, it may be seen that pole assembly18is formed by a plurality of mating sections34-38. Each of these pole sections may be formed by a hollow tubular member that is square shaped in cross-section. Pole sections34-38are adapted to mate with one another, in any number, so as to provide an elongate pole of desired length adapted to be positioned in an upright state relative to a support surface. To this end, an upper portion of each pole section34-38is provided with a male insertion member40that is adapted for close fitted insertion into the opposite end of an adjacent pole section, and screws42may be used to secure adjacent pole sections together. Lower most pole section34mates onto a base member44that may be mounted to a support surface, such as by being embedded in the ground. A locking collar64mounts over the top of base member44, which will be described in more detail below.

With reference now toFIGS. 5 and 6, it may be seen that pulley assembly24is adapted to mount onto the male insertion member40of an upper most pole section38so as to be disposed on the upper end portion of the assembled pole. Pulley assembly24includes a female housing48that is sized and adapted to mateably receive male insertion member40in a snug relationship, and screws42are again provided to secure female housing48to male insertion member40. Female housing48supports a pair of pulleys50and52that are rotatablyjournaled on opposite sides of housing48. To this end, axle pins54are mounted between opposed ears56so that pulleys50and52may freely rotate thereon. Cord22is then threaded across the tops of pulleys50and52through guide channel58so that it may freely translate across the top of pulley assembly24. A pair of orthogonal sockets60and62are disposed at an upper end of female housing48with sockets60and62sized and adapted to receive crossbars28of upper perch26. As is illustrated inFIG. 6, cord22extends downwardly alongside the pole sections34-38so that they freely pass through carriage32and engage a locking collar64. More specifically, an end portion66of cord22is secured to locking collar64while another end portion68of cord22passes through a latch assembly70on locking collar64, as described more thoroughly below.

With reference now toFIG. 7, it may be seen that each housing module30is adapted to be secured to carriage32. As is illustrated in this figure, housing module30includes a housing shell72that may be secured to carriage32by means of a rivet72and rivet screw76. Housing shell72slidably receives a nest drawer78therein with nest drawer78operative to receive both a front wall panel or entrance wall panel80and a predator guard panel82. An auxiliary entrance plug84is provided that is sized and adapted to be removably secured relative to the entrance wall panel80thereby to selectively block or close entryway86formed through entrance wall panel80so as to prevent the ingress and egress of a bird into the drawer interior.

FIG. 8shows an enlarged exploded view of the carriage ofFIG. 7. As may be seen inFIGS. 7 and 8, carriage32is formed by a pair of connectable sections88and90when assembled, carriage32is in the form of a hexagonal body having six sides and a square shaped axial passageway92formed therethrough. Passageway92is sized such that carriage32may readily slide up and down on pole assembly18. It should be appreciated that each of sections88and90are constructed identically so that they may be connected by means of screws95. Passageway92is formed by block sections89and92which confront one another when in the assembled state as is shown inFIG. 9. Block sections89and91are constructed so as to leave a pair of spaced apart, longitudinally extending openings94on opposite sides thereof with these openings94being sized to accommodate the passage of cord22therethrough. A lower portion of carriage32supports a plurality of prongs96while an upper portion of carriage32has a plurality of engagement slots98so that two carriages may be secured together by interlocking the prongs96of an upper carriage into the engagement slots98of a lower carriage. This allows an assembly of multiple floors14and16, as shown inFIG. 2. In so doing, it may be appreciated that each of the carriages are rotated ninety degrees with respect to one another. Passageway92has oppositely projecting channels93which align with passageway94of an adjacent carriage so as to accommodate cord22.

Multiple carriages32may be employed on one pole assembly and the carriages may be releasably secured to one another. Whether a single carriage32is employed for a single floor-housing complex or whether multiple carriages are employed for a multi floor complex, the lower carriage is secured to a locking collar64that is best illustrated inFIGS. 10 and 11. Here, locking collar64includes a hexagonal body100that has a collar bottom wall102and an upstanding sidewall104that extends around the peripheral edge thereof. A plurality of standoffs106are supported by bottom wall102and sidewall104. Each of standoffs106is provided with an engagement slot108that is oriented to engage prongs96on a lower portion of carriage32so that locking collar64is secured thereto. Bottom wall102is provided with a square shaped opening or passageway110that is centrally located and through which pole assembly18may be inserted. Locking collar64is associated with a latch mechanism that may generally include a spring loaded latch plate112and actuator lever120.

Spring loaded latch plate112is pivotally mounted to body100by means of a pivot pin114and is biased upwardly by means of biasing springs116. Latch plate112has a square shaped central passageway118that is generally of the same size as opening110in body100. When latch plate112is moved into a parallel, confronting relationship with bottom wall102against the restoring force springs116, openings110and118align so that locking collar64may freely slide on pole assembly18. However, when latch plate112is released so that springs116move toward an angular position, latch plate112engages pole assembly18to mechanically lock locking collar64at a selected position.

As will now be described, cord22is provided both to release locking collar64and to raise and lower the housing complex12. To this end, and with continued reference toFIGS. 10 and 11, an actuator lever120is pivotally mounted on trunnions between opposed plates122and includes a projection124which abuts distal portion126of latch plate112. When actuator lever120moves in the direction of arrow “A”, it advances latch plate112into a release position generally in the direction of arrow “B” wherein it confronts bottom wall102. Releasing actuator lever120allows latch plate112to move into a latch state. This movement is controlled by cord22. To this end, and with reference to bothFIGS. 10 and 6, portion66of cord22, descends from pulley assembly24and is passed through a hole128wherein it may be knotted. The opposite end portion68of cord22passes through hole130in actuator lever120and extends downwardly along the pole assembly where it may secured by means of a bracket132(FIG. 1). In use, as is illustrated inFIG. 1, a person disengages end portion68and pulls it outwardly to pivot actuator lever120so as to move latch plate112into the release position. By slowly releasing cord22, housing complex12may be lowered on pole assembly18. However, should cord22slip, latch plate112will immediately move to the latched state to prevent unwanted descent of the housing complex. Pulling on end portion68serves to elevate housing complex12.

With reference now toFIGS. 7,12and13, housing shell72and its connection to carriage32may be understood with greater specificity. In these figures, it may be seen that housing shell72is in the form of a generally hollow chamber having a shell bottom wall132a shell top wall134a pair shell sidewalls each including distal shell side wall sections136and proximal shell side wall sections138. Housing shell72has a closed shell back, shown here in the form of shell back wall140and an open shell front131to define and open shell interior152. Also, as may be shown, proximal side shell wall sections138extend outwardly from shell back wall140at an angle of approximately 60° to each other.

Moreover, as is seen inFIG. 7, top wall134is formed by a pair of shell top wall sections135which are formed along an eave137. Back wall140is provided with downwardly projecting fingers142that are sized to mateably engage slots144located at the upper and lower ends of carriage32. When assembled, rivet74may be inserted through square opening146in back wall140and through a square shaped hole148in carriage32(as shown inFIG. 8). Rivet screw76may then be fastened in rivet74so as to secure housing shell72to carriage32. Moreover, as is seen inFIG. 12, back wall140is provided with a plurality of ventilation holes150to allow for the circulation of air in a bird nest built therein. It should be appreciated that the configuration of housing shell32is such that six shells may be positioned circumferentially around carriage132with proximal sidewalls138generally confronting one another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that housing shell72has an open interior152that is sized and adapted to receive nest drawer78therein.

Accordingly, with reference to FIGS.7and14-18, it may be seen that nest drawer78has a pan shaped body154formed by a drawer bottom wall156and a pair of drawer sidewalls158and a closed drawer back171that is generally in the same shaped as the interior152of housing shell72so that pan shaped body154may be received in closed fitted engagement in interior152when in a mounted state. When in the mounted state, drawer bottom wall156, drawer sidewalls158, and closed drawer back171confront, respectively, shell bottom wall132, shell sidewall walls and closed shell back.

With reference toFIGS. 7,16and17, it may be seen that entrance wall panel80is mounted at the front of body154and a predator guard panel82is mounted rearwardly of entrance wall panel80in parallel spaced relation therebetween. To this end, entrance wall panel80includes downwardly projecting tabs160that are sized to mate with slots162. Similarly, predator guard panel82has downwardly projecting tabs164adapted to engage slots166. Entrance wall panel80has an entryway86therethrough to allow the ingress and egress of a nesting bird while predator guard panel82includes an access port168that are offset with respect to one another. As shown, entryway86and access prt are laterally offset from each other. The orientation of entryway86and access port186in this way prevents a predator, such as an owl or other bird from accessing the birds located in nesting chamber170thus protecting the bird families from such predators.

As may be appreciated, nest draw is adapted to be slideably received in the open shell interior152of housing shell72and to be removable therefrom through the open shell front131.

With reference toFIGS. 14-17, it may be seen that bottom wall156is terraced and ends in a forwardly projecting flange172provided with a railing174that defines a perch for birds immediately on the exterior of a housing module30. As may be seen inFIG. 15, third bottom wall or flange section172is located at a lower position than second bottom wall section, or distal section176of floor156. Likewise, distal section176is located at a lower elevation than first bottom wall section or proximal section172of bottom wall156. Thus, precipitation such as rain and the like, will not tend to run into nest drawer78during use. Moreover, as is seen inFIGS. 14,16and17, proximal section178is provided with a concavity180for nesting birds. A plurality of drain apertures or holes182are centrally located in a surface depression shown here in the form of concavity180. Holes182are sized and adapted to permit the drainage of liquids from the nesting region170.

With reference now toFIG. 15 and 18, it may be seen that nest drawer78is secured in a mounted state inside of an interior152of housing shell70by means of a coupling member, shown here in the form of spring clip184that includes a pivot lever186that terminates in a prong188that is adapted to engage slot190in bottom wall132housing shell72.

In operation, a user may lower housing complex12on pole assembly18by pulling on cord22to operate actuator lever122thereby to move latch plate112into a released position. Housing complex12may then be lowered so that the user may access housing modules30for care and maintenance. To this end, a user can actuate spring clip184so that a respective nest drawer78may be slid out of its respective housing shell72thereby allowing access to nesting region170. If it is desired to close off the respective housing module, the user may place entrance plus74so as to enclose entryway86. In any event, after performing the desired care or maintenance, the user simply slides nest drawer78into the interior of housing shell72so that spring clip84engages slot190to retain it therein. The user can then use cord22to elevate the nesting complex to the desired height on pole assembly18since latch plate112will grip pole assembly at any desired location.

Accordingly, the present invention has been described with some degree of particularity directed to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention. It should be appreciated, though, that the present invention is defined by the following claims construed in light of the prior art so that modifications or changes may be made to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention without departing from the inventive concepts contained herein.