Tree Swallows

[Teresa]

I was looking for a Tree Swallow Nesting Box I once saw and stumbled upon this link.
Thought I'd share this box design in case anyone's looking for a nice winter woodworking project:

Kinney Tree Swallow Nestbox


I'm still looking for that other (pre-built) box--it had an unusual sort of wavy 'V' shaped entrance. . .

[fishlkmich]

Looks like a good idea. I typically lose the "runt", but I don't know if that's a bad thing for the gene pool. I like the fact that you could still trap House Sparrows, because they could not get in or out of the 1" holes. I'd have a lot of sawdust after replacing 20 or so houses. I also wonder if Bluebirds would use this house. The Sparrow Spooker is a great tool. Tree Swallows love them and House Sparrows hate them. Only place a Spooker after the first egg is laid! When you get Tree Swallows pick a breezy day and offer small, white feathers for them to "play" with. It's a riot!

[Sage]

Very cute!

[Hedgerowe]

Fishlkmich, thank you for that sparrow-y smile.

[Equilibrium]

The Sialis site is a personal favorite. Thought I'd explored the whole site but guess not. That bird house escaped me when I was rooting around for plans. It's not a design I've seen before. Are you going to test drive it and see how you like it? This the wavy design you were looking for, http://www.flytesofancy.co.uk/chickenhouses/swallow_nestbox.jpg?

[fishlkmich]

Equil,

The link that you posted is a pre-made barn swallow nest. TRES would not use it.

If I get time for small building projects I might try one of the four hole boxes. The "runt" in any swallow nest isn't the result of a genetic issue, as I suggested. It is almost always one day younger than the other young in the nest. Incubation begins the day before the last egg is laid, so the nest mates get a jump start on the last of the clutch. Nature has done this for a reason, so I'm tempted not to mess with it. I'm also reluctant to try it because my main focus is bluebirds and TRES are nice, but quite abundant. I wonder how either species would adapt to building a large nest, to fit in the larger box. We have expanded the size of purple martin housing cavities and one thing that troubles me is that they usually do not build a nice, complete nest. Leaving bare floor does not cause problems during incubation, but the young will suffer from "leg splay" if they are raised on a bare floor, instead of nest material.

[Equilibrium]

"The link that you posted is a pre-made barn swallow nest. TRES would not use it." It was the only wavy nest I could find when I went looking.