The Chalet comes equipped with a very thick
wooden predator guard that increases the thickness of the front
of the nest box to two full inches. When combined with the
overhang of the roof that comes down around the entrance hole,
it makes it very difficult for a predator to reach into the nest
box and take the birds or eggs. This feature is especially
helpful if the landlord removes some nest material from the
bottom of the nest after eggs are laid to increase the distance
from the eggs and chicks to the entrance hole. When this is done
a predator must reach into the entrance two inches, then turn
down 6 inches before it can access the eggs/birds. Also, because
the screws attaching the guard onto the front of the box are
positioned very close to the hole, squirrels can not enlarge the
entrance hole.
In addition to the wooden predator guard, Real
Bird Homes also provides optional entrance hole reducers. These
reduce the standard inch and a half hole to an inch and an
eighth or an inch and a quarter. These are placed on a nest box after
the eggs are laid by Chickadees, Titmice or other smaller songbirds to protect the
tenants from the nonnative House Sparrow which often kills other
birds inside nest boxes.
In areas of large populations of House Sparrows,
it is recommended that the reducer be installed before mounting
the nest box and that it remain permanently in place. This will
prevent Bluebirds from using a nest box that may result in death
to the young and adults by House Sparrow attack. The nest box
with the reducer installed will also provide safe housing for
Chickadees, and other smaller native cavity nesting
birds and prevent the nest box from becoming a nursery for even
more unwanted House Sparrows.
The reducer also makes it that much more
difficult for other animals to rob the nest.
If this feature interests you, please ask about
it while we are assessing your birding objectives so we can
provide you with the proper reducer size.
The wood from which the Chalet is constructed is
very rough unplaned sawmill lumber. The rough surface is very
important in areas where Tree Swallows breed. This bird is not
well adapted to climbing. When it is time to fledge, if the
young birds do not emerge from the nest box in a timely manner
because they are unable to grip the nest box walls, the parents
may abandon them. Even adult Tree Swallows have been found dead
in nest boxes with smooth sides, probably because they were
weakened by migration, were unable to climb out, then panicked,
further reducing their strength and ability to escape from the
smooth nest box.
The wood is a full three quarters of an inch
thick or thicker. Today lumber referred to as "one
inch" is becoming thinner and thinner. Often "one
inch" lumber is only half an inch thick. The thicker wood
that the Chalet is constructed of helps keep the birds cooler on
hot days, and warmer on cold spring nights when temperatures
often plunge to below freezing. This can make the difference
between life and death for the young chicks.
The Chalet is constructed using two inch
galvanized screws so not only will it last for many years, but
its life can be extended even longer than nest boxes made using
nails because it can be easily repaired.
Not only does the Chalet have a side panel that
opens for monitoring, but, the roof assembly can also be removed
easily for top monitoring and photography as well. When the nest
box is occupied, simply remove the 4 screws holding the roof in
place, and replace them with just two 1and 5/8 inch screws. This
will make it very easy to remove the roof for subsequent top
monitoring.
The inside dimensions and hole size of the
Chalet are as recommended by the North American Bluebird Society
for the Bluebird, and it has been approved by this organization
for use by Bluebirds.
The Danger of Cedar
The Chalet is constructed using Georgia grown
Southern Yellow Pine which weathers very well. And, because this
nest box is of excellent design, it will provide many years of
maintenance free service. This wood also does not contain
plicatic acid found in cedar. It is the position of Real Bird
Homes that since Plicatic acid is a known poison harmful to warm
blooded animals, because the young birds every breath is drawn
from inside the nest box, and, because both Western and Eastern
Red Cedar contain plicatic acid, that these woods should not be
used for nest box construction.
To date, no other birding
organizations are in agreement with this position because no
scientific studies have been conducted on the tissues of birds
lungs that have fledged from cedar nest boxes that would reveal
whether or not the birds were weakened. But, a
search on the internet for the word plicatic acid,
cedar, or occupational asthma will reveal that this wood is one
of the most common causes of occupational asthma in humans, and,
that many pet industries have discontinued recommending cedar
shavings for bedding materials.
The poisonous
properties of cedar have long been taken advantage of by using
this wood for clothing chests that kill and or repel insects and
varment. It seems absurd to risk the chance of poisoning
every breath young birds take for the first 19 days of their
lives when there are simple alternatives.
An industry has grown up around cedar nest boxes,
and, those
defending the practice of using cedar are quick to mention that
pine contains resins that are dangerous as well. But, not
only are the properties of the resins in pine not nearly as dangerous,
but they also disappear quickly when the wood cures while those
poisons in cedar remain indefinitely.
Real Bird
Homes therefore believes exposing birds to plicatic acid is a
totally unnecessary risk that should be avoided.
