Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1915-06-02
and, in one instance, by a song spar


row. ~ - .t.t r i
The number of house birds may be
still further augmented as time goes
on. All of the commoner woodpeck-,
ers are likely to be included, as are
several of the small owls and wrens,
and a few of the wild ducks, as the
golden-eye. The wood duck.is already
known to use nesting boxes. Houses
set close to streams in the western
mountains will probably be occupied
by ousels or dippers. Florida grackles
sometimes breed in flicker holes and
may be expected to occupy houses
now and then. In every locality hay
ing trees there, is a group of birds
ready to appropriate houses when
they have the opportunity. u.s. q r. y&g
45 House birds differ decidedly in their,
requirements. For those which usu-
ally excayate homes for themselves,
the diameter for the entrance and the
depth and diameter Of the cavity
must be In accord with their specific
standards. Some birds are satisfied
with almost any sort of a lodging.
Bluebirds and wrens, for example. are
content to build in tomato cans, al
though chickadees and nuthatches
,disdain them. Wood is a better build
ing material than metal or earthen-
ware. Entrance holes should be coun-
tersunk from the outside to exclude
rain. Heads of nails and screws
should be- set rather deeply and COW
cred With putty. All houses should
be easy to open for cleaning. A
perch at the entrance is unnecessary
and may even be an objection. as it
is frequently used by English spar
rows while they twitter exasperating-
lys to more desirable occupants. To
provide for proper ventilation a row
Of small holes is sometimes bored
just beneath the caves, but there
should never be a ventilating hole
lower than the entrance, and joints
should be made tight, as drafts of air
are dangerous. In case there is dan
ger that rain may be driven in through
the door, a small drainage hole, which
will be covered by the nest, may be
made in the middle of the floor -
{ The appearance and durability of
houses are improved BY a coat Of
paint. A neutral shade Of green or
gray is suitable for houses mounted
in trees, while those on poles, being
conspicuously placed. lend them,
selves tremendously to the landscape
when painted white. f$si y
Possibilities in the way of impro-
vising bird houses with very little work
are suggested in; this article. Ordi-
nary tomato cans arranged as nests
will quickly be tenanted by wrens and
bluebirds. The cans ought always to
be placed in shaded places, as the
metal becomes very hot In the sun.
Y. Bird houses in the southern states
have long been made from gourds.
The entrance is in the side and a
drain hole In the bottom, as shown in
figure 4. A piece of wire through the
meek for mounting it completes the
house. "A number Of gourds thus pre-
pared and strung on pole seems to
make satisfactory tenement house
for 4 colony of martins. Used singly
they are equally well adapted to
wrens and bluebirds. While gourds
are not durable when exposed to the
weather they are easily replaced.
Ordinary wooden boxes, If clean;
can be made into bird houses by
merely mailing on cover and cutting
out an entrance hole. Such make.
shifts are rarely weatherproof and are