Backyard & Patio Pick

Hanging Wooden Birdhouse With Shingled Roof

A small wooden birdhouse built in a rounded teardrop shape, wide at the bottom so there is real room to move inside rather than the token cavity a lot of decorative houses have. The roof and the lower trim are laid in rows of short scorched shingles, which is what gives it the handmade look at a distance. The entrance is 1.57 inches across with a small flat perch fixed underneath it, a size that suits wrens, finches and bluebirds. A door on the back opens for ventilation in summer and for cleaning out the old nest at the end of the season, which is the part people usually discover they need in year two. It hangs from a strong hemp rope, so it goes on a branch, a vine or a fence without any hardware, and it measures 6.9 by 5.9 by 7.8 inches.

What you're getting

• Rounded teardrop body, wide at the bottom for real room inside
• Roof and lower trim laid in rows of short scorched wood shingles
• Entrance hole 1.57 inches across with a flat perch below it
• Door on the back opens for summer ventilation and end of season cleaning
• Hangs from a strong hemp rope on a branch, a vine or a fence

Why we picked it

Two things separate a birdhouse that gets used from one that is only decor. The first is the hole size, and 1.57 inches is the range wrens, finches and bluebirds will actually go into while being small enough to keep larger birds out. The second is the door on the back, because a nest has to come out at the end of the season and a sealed box means it does not. The wide bottom is the third: a lot of teardrop houses are all roof and no floor.