Property Plus
Coimbatore
Let the birds feel at ‘home’
Keep them cosy: Build a bird house for safe nurturing.
We are razing through their nesting places, taking away their homes, replacing them with highrise condominiums, so where do they go? The least we can do is to let them make home with us. A bird house is easily constructed and one way of giving back what we have taken from them – their homes.
How to build a bird house
"You can make a simple and natural birdhouse out of a hollow bamboo staff", says K. V. Sudhakar, secretary, Madras Naturalists Society. "All you need is to drill a hole for the entrance (around two and half inches in diameter) and the bamboo’s inner horizontal partitions will make the floor and the roof of your bird house. And since it is a staff, it can be kept like a pole and stay out of reach of the predators", he says.
If you want to build a bird house from the scratch, build one encompassing a small space (say, 10 by 5 inches) with a doorway, and a sloping roof that overhangs the sidewalls by about three inches to allow rain water to drain off. You also need to drill a small hole on each corner of the floor to allow water to drain through it. The inner surface of the walls can be made rough. You may also add perches on the inner walls to allow the young ones to climb in and out.
But, never build perches or hopping places outside the bird house as it would enable easy access for predators like cats. You can cozy up the inside of the bird house with hay, twigs, and rags. Make provision in the bird house for hanging it, perhaps from a pergola or a rod extending from the balcony or terrace.
The material of choice is wood; even plywood will do. Keep off metal as metals absorb and store heat. Bird houses made of natural log or slab of wood can be very inviting to the birds, as it mimics their natural niche. Do not paint the wood. If you have to paint it, use non-toxic, light (to reflect off the sunlight and heat).You can make easy to build, temporary birdhouses of laminated cardboard. Don’t use glue as it deteriorates over time. Nails rust and slip off rotting wood, so it is advisable to use galvanised screws.
You may also spread a thin layer of petroleum jelly along the inside of the roof to prevent bugs and bees from making their way into the box. “Don’t keep food inside the bird house. Keep it on a tray or wall a little away from the bird house. The tray should have a rim to prevent food from falling off, and a small hole in the rim to allow draining of water,” advises Sudhakar. Bird food of choice would be grains, cooked rice, bread crumbs, biscuits and fruits.
Don’t keep spicy food, which attracts the already surplus number of crows that we have around us.
Location
Don’t let these invited guests become prey for predators. Natural enemies are the greatest threat to hatchlings. So place your bird house high up over an unclimbable iron pole or suspend it from wires beyond the jumping range of these predators. “Make sure there is some greenery around the bird house at least a few blooming potted plants, otherwise the birds will not come,” warns S. Venkatraman, member, Madras Naturalists Society. But, make sure your potted plants are not directly under the bird house, as birds tend to drop half eaten seeds which may start sprouting alongside.
The entrance of the bird house should be kept on the wall facing away from the wind. Locate the bird house in partial sunlight. So you have built a home for them now, what kind of birds can you expect? Maybe bulbuls, mynahs, the dwindling sparrows…
HEMA VIJAY
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