Birds have to be one of the best pest control systems around.
With their ability to eat 50 pounds of insects a day with just a family of two adult and three young birds, attracting birds to your home is always a smart idea. If you live somewhere remote or off the grid, these creatures will take care of any pest control you may need for your garden. In addition, hawks and owls will quite handily take care of rodents and snakes in the area, making them an even better asset to any homesteader. In fact, an owl family will easily consume 3000 rats or mice every year.
One of the best ways to ensure that your food supply is kept safely stored is to make a good home for these useful creatures by creating sturdy and safe nesting boxes, bird houses and bird feeding stations to help them through the winter.
To learn what birds in your area might contribute to your home’s well-being, read our primer on beginning bird watching. It will give you the basics for understanding birds in your area and how to attract the right kind.
If you have never built a bird feeder or birdhouse before, you might want to start by reading Attracting Birds to get the basics. Then, when you are ready for your first birdhouse, try something like building a bluebird house or perhaps the cedar house. For those all important owls screech owl houses or barn owl houses will walk you through how to build right there on your property.
For more ideas on how birds can be beneficial to gardening be sure to also check out our gardening section for ideas on growing backyard vegetables.
Birds and their role in our survival is just one facet of the big picture in Ultimate Survival Skills. You can learn a variety of information from our booklets including:
- Where to find birds
- How to build different types of shelters
- What kind of bird feeders birds like
- How to select the right bird food for the right bird
Attracting birds is the task of offering them what they need so they can stay longer. It involves providing them the food they like, as well as shelter and protection and those who threaten them. These two, together with water, are necessities for every bird which we can help to fulfill.
This is a simple two page set of instructions for building a bird house will serve all bird-box-nesting species. It begins with a basic design as well as variations to accommodate different species of birds.
It isn't easy finding projects everyone can have fun with, whether they're for a youth group or your own family. Together time just got easier with this easy to use manual of bluebird house plans!
Building your own bird feeder is a right of passage for many "birders", but many newbies want to know more than just design plans. This concise, 2-page guide gives you bird feeder plans but also arms you with some info on maintaining it, season to season.
The early bird may catch the worm, but what about the person who built the bird's house? This 2-page guide details how to build a bluebird nesting box, so you can attract one of Spring's early birds to your yard!
If you've ever wanted to have your own suet feeder to attract wild birds to your garden but either couldn't afford to buy one or wasn't sure where to start building one, look no further. This short, concise guide gives you the measurements and materials you need to build it yourself!
When you're dealing with a bird as interesting as the wren, an equally unique house is almost mandatory. Our guide provides the plans for such a wren house, so their song can be heard throughout your garden this year.
When is a birdhouse more than just a birdhouse? When it's also a table! Our 11-page guide shows you in detail how you can build your own.
A cedar wood birdhouse attracts many types of birds. It's natural qualities have benefits recognized by many species, including us humans. This short and sweet guide shows you the steps to making your own cedar birdhouse to enhance your property this year.
Many bird varieties, from robins to wren to doves, refuse to bother with traditional birdhouses. Instead, they opt for open nesting sites. With the pattern in this guide, you can build a nesting shelf that will draw them to your yard for years to come.
Bird watching is one of those hobbies that many people think they need specialized knowledge or have to be a 'bird nerd' to do. The fun of it is a bit of an open secret and our 52-page booklet gives you all the background you need to get started.
This excellent two page document gives you plenty of background information on the habits and needs of barn owls as well as a very clear break-away illustration on how to build a barn owl nest box.
There are alternative finishes at the end and very clear step by step instructions in this amply illustrated 9 page manual to build a bird feeder without mishaps.
Building your own sparrow hawk and screech owl houses allows you to keep your garden pest-free the natural way. Our concise 2-page guide provides you with the info you need and no fluff!
Attracting spring birds with a bird nest box is both common and effective. Our short manual takes you step-by-step into how to build your own and bring those birds to your yard!
Attracting birds is more than tossing bread out onto your lawn. Our instruction guide shows you how to make your own bird table, so you can just watch the birds come to you - without the mess.
The directions in this amply illustrated 8 page instruction booklet for building your own bird cage are simple and easy to follow.
Birds can have a tough time in the winter months, especially if there isn't enough food for them to forage. Our little guide to bird food recipes gives you what you need to take a more active role in sustaining your local bird habitat.
A little info can go a long way and this guide is no different. It covers everything you need to know for creating an environment any wren would happily sing in!
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