We had a great time for our final lab of the year. Students made birdhouse gourds perfect for the Carolina Wren, our state bird. My mom and I searched high and low to find the gourds. We finally found a farmer in Royston Georgia who had a "boat load" of them!
Here are some pictures I found on the internet of some interesting birdhouse gourds.
This is my personal favorite.
Birds are very picky about their houses. If you should decide to do this at home, here are some guidelines to use for hanging and drilling the holes.
| Bird Species | Diameter of Hole | Height above Ground |
| (inches) | (feet) | |
| Bluebird | 1-1/2" | 5-10 |
| Chickadee | 1-1/8" | 6-15 |
| Titmouse | 1-1/4" | 6-15 |
| Nuthatch | 1" - 1-1/4" | 6-10 |
| Bewick's Wren | 1-1/4" | 6-10 |
| Carolina Wren | 1-1/2" | 6-10 |
| Swallow | 1-1/2" | 10-15 |
| Downy Woodpecker | 1-1/4" | 6-20 |
| Hairy Woodpecker | 1-1/2" | 12-20 |
| Purple Martin | special crescent | 12-20 |
| Crested Flycatcher | 2" | 8-20 |
| Flicker | 2-1/2" | 6-20 |
| Red-Headed Woodpecker | 2" | 12-20 |
| Barn Swallow | OPEN SIDES | 8-12 |
| Phoebe | OPEN SIDES | 8-12 |
| Robin | OPEN SIDES | 6-15 |
How long is the incubation period for my backyard birds? How long until the young ones leave the nest?
The length of time varies from species to species. Listed below are average clutch size, incubation and nestling period for a number of backyard birds. Note, these are averages, and actual numbers vary depending on location and time of year.
| Common Name | Avg. Clutch Size | Avg. Incubation Period (days) | Avg. Nestling Period (days) |
| American Goldfinch | 4.5 | 13 | 14 |
| American Robin | 4 | 13 | 12.5 |
| Barn Swallow | 6.5 | 14 | 21 |
| Black-capped Chickadee | 7 | 12.5 | 16 |
| Blue Jay | 4.5 | 17.5 | 19 |
| Bobolink | 4 | 12 | 10.5 |
| Brown Thrasher | 4 | 12 | 11 |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | 4 | 11.5 | 10.5 |
| Carolina Wren | 6 | 14 | 13 |
| Chimney Swift | 5 | 18.5 | 29 |
| Chipping Sparrow | 3.5 | 12.5 | 10.5 |
| Dark-eyed Junco | 4 | 12.5 | 10.5 |
| Eastern Bluebird | 5 | 13 | 18 |
| Eastern Phoebe | 4 | 15 | 17 |
| European Starling | 5.5 | 13.5 | 22 |
| Gray Catbird | 3 | 13 | 10 |
| Hermit Thrush | 4.5 | 12 | 12.5 |
| House Finch | 3.5 | 13.5 | 15.5 |
| House Sparrow | 5 | 12 | 14 |
| House Wren | 7 | 11 | 16 |
| Mountain Bluebird | 6 | 13 | 19.5 |
| Mourning Dove | 2 | 14 | 15 |
| Northern Cardinal | 3 | 12 | 9.5 |
| Northern Mockingbird | 4 | 12.5 | 12.5 |
| Orchard Oriole | 5 | 13 | 12.5 |
| Red-winged Blackbird | 3 | 12 | 12 |
| Ruby-throated Hummingbird | 2 | 13 | 20 |
| Scarlet Tanager | 4 | 13.5 | 10.5 |
| Solitary Vireo | 4 | 13.5 | 12.5 |
| Song Sparrow | 4 | 13 | 9.5 |
| Tree Swallow | 5 | 15 | 20 |
| Violet-green Swallow | 5 | 14.5 | 23.5 |
| Western Bluebird | 4 | 14.5 | 21.5 |
| Yellow Warbler | 4.5 | 12 | 9 |
We found a Killdeer nest outside in the parking lot. It was hard to spot but Bud, our landscaper at the school, knows where everything is. He gave me the tip.
Can you spot the nest here?
Mama bird was not amused with a bunch of children spying on her clutch of eggs...
1 comment:
Oh wow, those gourd houses are so beautiful! Can Peter and Boo make one when they come? They're already somewhat obsessed with bird houses, lol!
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