Small bird house

Determining the Right Birdhouse Dimensions and Sizes

What Size Is Best for a Birdhouse?

Melissa Mayntz

Melissa Mayntz is a bird expert, certified Master Naturalist, writer, and author with over three decades of experience. She's published in several national magazines, including National Wildlife Magazine, Bird Watcher's Digest, and WildBird Magazine. Melissa has studied hundreds of bird species around the world, traveling to Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, the central Pacific, the Middle East, and more on birding expeditions.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

Updated on 05/12/22

Reviewed by

Kathleen Miller

Reviewed by Kathleen Miller

Kathleen Miller is a highly-regarded Master Gardener and Horticulturist who shares her knowledge of sustainable living, organic gardening, farming, and landscape design. She founded Gaia's Farm and Gardens, a working sustainable permaculture farm, and writes for Gaia Grows, a local newspaper column. She has over 30 years of experience in gardening and sustainable farming.

Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board

The Spruce / Meg MacDonald

Cavity-nesting birds are flexible in their requirements for the preferred size of a birdhouse, but there is more than species preference at stake when planning the right birdhouse dimensions. Whether you are building a birdhouse or choosing a new one to purchase, the right dimensions and sizes can make all the difference in making safe, comfortable housing for your backyard birds.

Why Birdhouse Sizes Matter

Birds instinctively look for nesting cavities and birdhouses that are the right size for their needs, but what determines that best size? Many factors affect what size home birds need, including:

Adult Size: The birdhouse needs to be large enough to be comfortable for the brooding adults and still provide adequate circulation and ventilation. In addition to interior dimensions, the birdhouse entrance hole size needs to have enough space for the movements of the adult birds as they bring food back and forth to their mates and chicks. A house that is too tight can affect the adults' feathers and make them more vulnerable to predators and poor weather.
Brood Size: The more eggs a bird typically lays, the larger a base the birdhouse will need to fit each egg safely and comfortably, with room for the eggs to be rearranged if needed for proper incubation. Species that only lay a few eggs may use smaller houses, while birds that have larger broods will need houses with larger bases.
Fledgling Size: Altricial baby birds, such as most songbirds, can be nearly the size of adults by the time they leave the nest and will need a bigger house to accommodate their growth. Precocial birds, like cavity-nesting waterfowl, however, leave the nest much sooner and will not be as large, so a smaller house size can be acceptable.
Safety: The size of a birdhouse directly impacts how safe the house is for both the parents and their chicks. The house must be large enough to accommodate all its residents with proper ventilation for air circulation and temperature control, and the entrance must be positioned at an appropriate distance above the floor to safeguard against predator intrusion. At the same time, a house that is too large may not retain enough heat for healthy eggs and chicks. A larger house could more easily admit birdhouse predators or other unwanted guests as well, and too much room will not help the chicks feel snug and secure.
Local Resources: Even if a birdhouse is not the best possible size, birds may still take up residence if the area has abundant food, is safe from predators, and features a good water source. Those resources are critical for raising baby birds successfully, and adult birds will only choose houses in the best possible location, even if the house is not perfectly ideal.

Planning the Best Birdhouse Dimensions

When measuring a birdhouse for the proper dimensions, be sure to take into account the thickness of the walls, floor, and ceiling. The dimensions for a safe, comfortable birdhouse are interior measurements, and improper measuring could subtract as much as two inches or more from the overall size of the house, making it much too small to be attractive and useful to the birds.

See the table below for the proper interior base, overall interior height, and entrance height measurements for the most common and desirable birds that use birdhouses.

Ideal Birdhouse Dimensions (Inches)

Bird Species	Interior Floor Space	Total House Height	Entrance Height Above Floor
American Kestrel	8x8	12-15	9-12
Bluebirds Eastern / Western / Mountain	5x5	8-12	6-10
Chickadees and Tits	4x4	8-10	6-8
Downy Woodpecker	4x4	8-10	6-8
Flycatchers Ash-Throated / Great Crested	6x6	8-12	6-10
Hairy Woodpecker	6x6	12-15	9-12
House Finch	6x6	6	4
House Sparrow	4x4 or 5x5	9-12	6-7
Northern Flicker	7x7	16-18	14-16
Nuthatches Red-Breasted / White-Breasted / Pygmy / Brown-Headed	4x4	8-10	6-8
Pileated Woodpecker	8x8	16-24	12-20
Prothonotary Warbler	5x5	6	4-5
Purple Martin	6x6	6	1-2
Red-Bellied Woodpecker	6x6	12-14	10-12
Tree Swallow	5x5	6-8	4-6
Tufted Titmouse	4x4	10-12	6-10
Wood Duck	10x18	10-24	12-16
Wrens Bewick's / House / Carolina	4x4	6-8	4-6

Beyond the Measurements

While the right birdhouse measurements are essential, they are not the only factor that will encourage birds to use the house. When choosing or building a birdhouse, don't forget to consider:

Where to mount the birdhouse
The best time to put up the birdhouse
Appropriate habitat for the desired birds
Bird feeders, birdbaths, and other ways to attract birds
Nesting material availability
Cleaning the birdhouse when necessary

With proper measurements and careful consideration of what makes a house attractive to birds, it is possible to offer the perfect housing for your backyard birds to raise their families.

Best Bird Houses for Different Types of Birds

You may be interested in having a bird house just for decoration, or you may be trying to attract certain types of birds.

However, if you want to attract a specific species, in most cases, you will need to build or buy a specific type of bird house. For example, Purple Martins nest in colonies and Robins nest on platforms without roofs. Most bird houses are square or rectangular and feature an entrance hole, keep in mind the size of the box and the size of the entrance hole will attract certain species. Here are some types of bird houses that specific species nest in.

Nest Boxes for Bluebirds

Bluebird houses are quite simple, with a small entrance hole (2 1/4" x 1 3/8") and large roof for extra protection. Bluebird boxes are commonly taken over by other small birds like House Sparrows, and because their population is declining, it is important to include a cone-shaped predator baffle and monitor the activity around the nest box. You could also consider drilling a second entrance hole beside the first one to enable bluebirds to better defend boxes from sparrows.

Attach bluebird boxes to a pole and place them in the sun and about 4 to 6 feet off the ground. Position the nest box so that the entrance hole is facing east and towards open habitat. If you're placing more than one next box in your yard, try to space them about 15-20 feet apart to reduce competition.

Nest Shelf for Robins

If you would like to watch Robins, Barn Swallows, or Phoebes nesting, you won’t need a bird house. Often considered a bird of spring, Robins begin their breeding cycles shortly after returning to their summer range. Their iconic pastel-colored eggs are unmistakable as well.

Robins, Barn Swallows, and Phoebes nest on shelves or ledges — and often in locations that seem intrusive to human activities. However, you can attract them to areas you want by building a platform yourself.

All you need is a platform floor with a little border around it and a back piece for attaching it. Mount the nesting shelf on a building or post in a sheltered site, including under the eaves or soffitsm or over a light fixture. It should be placed at a height 5-25 feet off the ground. Blue Jays, Mourning Doves and Cardinals will also use these types of nesting platforms.

Bird Houses for Wrens & Chickadees

To attract Wrens, the most important aspect of the bird house is the hole. Make sure the diameter is no larger than 1 1/4", which is large enough for all types of Wrens and Black-capped Chickadees to use, but too small for House Sparrows. Tree Swallows will also use this type of house.

Wren bird houses can be attached to a tree, a pole, or even a building. It should be anywhere from 5-10 feet off the ground. The house should be placed within 100 feet of cover, such as woody vegetation. Wrens are known to fill or take over all of the nest sites in the area to defend their territory. As they do say, they may destroy the eggs of nearby cavity nesters. Place nest boxes intended for other bird species at least 100 feet away and in a more open habitat that is less attractive to wrens.

Black-Capped Chickadees also prefer a well-covered bird house. These birds also enjoy having wood shavings in the bottom of their nest box and prefer for the entrance to face away from the wind.

Colonies for Purple Martins

Purple Martins nest in colonies, so their bird houses are very different and more complex - they're almost like a mini neighborhood! Depending on how many you want to attract, you must build them in multiple levels. These bird houses are usually rounded, and should feature a protective roof as well. You can also simply hang several gourds in a cluster.

Attach the house to a pole, approximately 10-15 feet off the ground. For your own convenience, mount it on a pole that can be lowered for cleaning and maintenance. Colonies should be set about 60 feet from other obstacles, including trees and buildings. Purple Martins seem to prefer houses painted white (but do not paint the inside). Purple martin decoys can be placed nearby to attract these social birds to your new house.

Need to Move A Nest? Don’t Do It

If you find a nest around your house, try not to disturb it. Moving it can be illegal, as some species of birds are protected by law. Birds will not abandon the nest if you touch it, but if they see you getting too close, they may abandon eggs that aren’t hatched.

Your best bet is to leave the nest as is and allow the birds using it to raise their young. At most, the entire process of nest creation, incubation, and raising the young fledgings will take about two months.

Want to Build Your Own Bird House?

If you are interested in building your own bird houses, here are some helpful guidelines to choose the right house for your birds. For some specific designs for the species listed above, try these links:

Build A Bluebird Nest Box
Build A Wren House
Build A Chickadee House
Build A Robin Nest Platform
Build A Purple Martin Colony

Want to Learn More?

At Perky-Pet® we love learning about birds and sharing our knowledge with like-minded birding enthusiasts. Want to join in on the fun? Share your pictures, stories, and advice with us on Facebook or our Birding Community. You can also subscribe to our e-newsletter to stay up to date with our birding advice, new products, and exclusive offers. Good luck and happy birding!

MAKE SURE TO FEED BIRDS TOO

Little boy hangs a birdhouse on a treehouse for feeding in winter Stock Photo ©romrodinka 134145602

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A little boy feeds the birds in winter. Cute happy preschool kid hanging colorful homemade birdhouse on a frosty cold day. Preschooler in colorful clothes. Nature, empathy for animals .

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Crossword "Bird"

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Questions:

Horizontally:
1. Golden comb, butter head, silk beard. Who is it about? 2. It has a large beak with a bag that this bird uses for fishing. 3. In fairy tales, his croaking can call trouble. 4. A kind of eagle. 5. "Finist - clear ...". 6. Marine fish lover. 7. Talkative people are said to look like this bird. 8. In honor of him, the bird house was named. nine. Amazingly beautiful singing. 10. Bright, tropical bird, you can train her to pronounce words.

Vertical:
1. People put this bird in the clock. 2. A cheerful bird from the passerine family. 3. One of the most beautiful birds of the chicken order. 4. Gray, small, nimble. 5. Bird of prey. 6. Real firebird. 7. He brought a sprig of olive in his beak to Noah. 8. She likes to stand on one leg. 9. Connoisseurs recognize her by a bright blue spot on her wing.

Responses:

Horizontal:
1. Rooster. 2. Pelican. 3. Raven. 4.Berkut. 5. Falcon. 6. Seagull. 7. Magpie. 8. Starling. 9. Nightingale. 10. Parrot.

Vertical:
1. Cuckoo. 2. Goldfinch. 3. Pheasant. 4. Sparrow. 5. Hawk. 6. Peacock. 7. Dove. 8. Heron. 9. Jay.

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