Best Bird Bath: 6 Pedestal, Deck, Ground and Heated Picks
The best bird bath for most yards is a shallow, textured, frost-proof pedestal like the JCs Wildlife Poly Lumber bath. 6 picks, a depth chart and a checklist.
Birdhouses 30 guides
Birdhouses, nest boxes and bird baths
Nest boxes that suit real species: hole sizes, placement, cleaning and timing.
Buying guides
9 guides 
Best Birdhouses: 6 Nest Boxes Birds Actually Use
The best birdhouses have the right hole size, vents, drainage, a clean-out door and no perch. See 6 researched picks for bluebirds, wrens, chickadees and owls.
Best Robin Nest Box: Open-Fronted Picks and Where to Hang
A robin nest box must be open-fronted and hidden low in ivy or a climber. Our top pick is the Schwegler 2H woodcrete box, plus height, timing and cleaning.
Birdhouse Camera and Bird Box Camera: 6 Best for 2026
A birdhouse or bird box camera lets you watch eggs hatch without opening the box. 6 researched picks: built-in or add-in, WiFi or wired, bird-safe night vision.
Bluebird House: 6 Best Nest Boxes That Meet NABS Standards
The best bluebird house has a 1.5 inch hole, vents, drainage, a side door and no perch. Compare 6 NABS-style boxes, from slot to Peterson and Gilbertson.
Chickadee House: Best Nest Boxes, Sizes and Placement
A chickadee house needs a 1 1/8-inch hole, an 8-inch-deep box and a mount 5 to 15 feet up. Compare 6 nest boxes and learn where and when to hang one.
Heated Bird Baths: 6 Best Picks and De-Icers for Winter
The best heated bird bath for most yards is the Allied Precision 970, a 20-inch basin held at 40 to 50°F. 6 picks, a warranty table and a GFCI checklist.
Purple Martin House: 6 Best Houses, Gourds and Poles
The best purple martin house is one you can lower straight down for weekly checks. See 6 researched picks: aluminum houses, gourd racks, gourds and a pole.
Solar Bird Bath Fountain: 6 Best Picks for Moving Water
The best solar bird bath fountain for most yards is a floating 3.5W pump with battery backup. 6 picks, a sun-hours sizing chart and a clog-free cleaning plan.
How-to guides
21 guides
Barn Swallow Nest: Nest Cups, Ledges and Legal Rules
A barn swallow nest needs a sheltered ledge, wet mud nearby and all-day open access. Nest cups, droppings boards, return dates and the laws on removing nests.
Best Material for a Bird Bath: Stone, Ceramic or Resin?
The best material for a bird bath is one with a rough, shallow basin that survives your winters. Concrete, stone, ceramic, glass, metal and resin compared.
Bird Roosting Box: How to Give Birds a Warm Winter Night
A bird roosting box gives small birds a sheltered spot to sleep on cold nights. How it differs from a nest box, which birds use it, and where to put one.
Birdhouse Hole Sizes for Different Birds: Chart in Inches
Birdhouse hole sizes by species: 1-1/8 inches for chickadees and wrens, 1-1/2 for bluebirds, 2-1/2 for flickers. Full chart in inches and mm, plus tips.
Birds Not Using Your Bird Bath? 10 Reasons and Fixes
Birds not using your bird bath? It is usually too deep, slippery, badly placed or dirty. 10 reasons birds stay away and the simple fix for each one.
Birds Not Using Your Birdhouse? 10 Reasons and Fixes
Birds not using your birdhouse? The usual causes are the wrong hole size, a bad spot, a perch, heat or predators. Here are 10 reasons and how to fix each one.
Floating Duck House: How to Choose, Anchor and Protect It
A floating duck house gives pond ducks a resting and nesting spot that predators struggle to reach. How to pick one, anchor it, fill it and keep it safe.
Hanging Bird Bath: Depth, Safe Spots and Easy Care
A hanging bird bath works best shallow, level and out of cats' reach: under 5 cm deep, a rough base, near cover. Where to hang it, balcony tips and cleaning.
How to Build a Birdhouse From One 1x6 Board (Cut List)
How to build a birdhouse from one 1x6 board: cut list in inches and cm, hole sizes by species, vents, drainage, a hinged side for cleaning and safe mounting.
How to Clean a Bird Bath (Without Harming Birds)
How to clean a bird bath safely: change the water every 1 to 3 days, scrub weekly with a stiff brush, disinfect with 1:9 bleach when needed and rinse well.
How to Keep a Bird Bath From Freezing in Winter
How to keep a bird bath from freezing: a thermostatic heater or heated bath on a GFCI outlet works best. Plus no-power methods, safety rules and what to avoid.
How to Make a Bird Bath: 5 Easy DIY Builds That Work
How to make a bird bath: use a wide, shallow dish (2.5 cm at the edge, 5 cm max in the middle), add a rough base and stones, and place it near cover.
How to Mount a Birdhouse on a Pole, Tree or Wall
How to mount a birdhouse: a smooth metal pole with a predator baffle is safest, while trees and walls suit some species. Heights, direction and setup steps.
Owl Box Guide: Sizes and Placement for Barn and Screech Owls
Owl box sizes, hole diameters and mounting heights for screech, barn, barred and tawny owls, checked against NestWatch, RSPB and the Barn Owl Trust.
Sparrow Nest Box: How to Set Up a Sparrow Terrace
A sparrow nest box works best as a terrace of 2-3 chambers with 32 mm holes, high under the eaves. Sizes, height, direction and when not to put one up.
Swift Nest Box: Sizes, Height and Chimney Swift Towers
A swift nest box works only at 16 ft (5 m) or higher under the eaves with a clear drop below. Sizes, entrance holes, call playback and chimney swift towers.
When and How to Clean Out a Birdhouse, Step by Step
When and how to clean out a birdhouse: remove old nests after young fledge and again in late fall or winter, scrub with hot water or dilute bleach, then dry it.
When to Put Up Birdhouses
When to put up birdhouses: by late winter, February in most of the US and Europe, so birds can find them before nesting. Timing by region, species and season.
Where to Put a Bird Bath
Where to put a bird bath: in open, partly shaded ground 10 to 15 feet from shrubs, away from feeders and near a perch. Height, sun, safety and placement tips.
Wood Duck Box: Size, Placement, Guards and Best Boxes
A wood duck box needs a 4 x 3 inch oval hole, a 24-inch-deep box, wood shavings and a predator guard on a pole near water. Size, placement, cleaning and picks.
Wren House: Hole Size, Dimensions and Placement
A wren house needs a 1-inch hole, a 5 1/2-inch floor and 8 inches of depth, hung 5 to 10 feet up near shrubs. Specs for House, Carolina and European wrens.
Birdhouses, nest boxes and bird baths give birds two things feeders cannot, a safe place to raise young and clean water, and this hub covers how to choose, size, place and maintain each one. The most important decision for any birdhouse is the entrance hole, because it decides which species can use it. Based on NestWatch and similar guidance, about 1 1/8 in (28 mm) suits chickadees and house wrens, and 1 1/2 in (38 mm) suits Eastern Bluebirds. A hole too large lets in house sparrows and starlings, which compete aggressively with native birds.
After size, look at build and placement. A good nest box is made of untreated wood about 3/4 in (19 mm) thick, has ventilation holes near the top, drainage holes in the floor, a side or front panel that opens for cleaning, and no perch below the hole, since native cavity nesters do not need one and it helps predators. Mount it on a pole with a predator guard rather than a fence post where cats and raccoons can reach it, and face the entrance away from prevailing winds. Put boxes up in late winter or early spring, before nesting starts in your area, and clean out old nests after the season ends.
For bird baths, shallow is better: aim for about 1 to 2 in (2.5 to 5 cm) of water with a rough surface for footing, and place it near cover but not beside a shrub where a cat can hide. Change the water every few days and scrub out algae. In cold regions, a heated bath or de-icer keeps water open when natural sources freeze. Start with the hole-size chart, then the mounting and timing guides.
- Birdhouse hole sizes by species - a chart in inches and mm.
- Best birdhouses - nest boxes birds actually use.
- How to mount a birdhouse - pole, tree or wall, and predator guards.
- When to put up birdhouses - timing by region and species.
- Where to put a bird bath - placement that keeps birds safe.
- How to keep a bird bath from freezing - winter water options.