Building Bluebird Houses

By: Zalie Skolyak and Karlie Kirsch

Introduction
● Bluebirds are named after the bright blue feathers of the males
● They are in the thrush family, and related to thrushes, robins, and nightingales
● There are three different types of bluebirds: the eastern bluebird, the western
bluebird, and the mountain bluebird.
● They are typically found in fields, orchards, parks, and gardens
● Traditional Bluebird Houses
○ A box with four walls and an overhanging roof
○ Circle opening so the bird can get in and out
○ An opening from the side if you wish to monitor bluebirds
● With this project, we wanted to provide a well-built home in a good habitat for the
local bluebirds
Our Community Partner
● Nathan’s Divide in Ebensburg
● Nathan’s Divide is a nature center focused on watershed education, outdoor
recreation, health and wellness
● It was founded by Dave and Linda Lester in the early 1990s
● Their mission is to encourage the community to come together for environmental
stewardship
● Their vision is to become the region’s destination for environmental education,
outdoor recreation, and wellness
● 814-241-7151; contact@nathansdivide.org
● https://www.nathansdivide.org/
Materials and Budget
● There was no budget for our project because we used extra materials that were lying
around our houses
● Materials needed:
○ Wood
○ wood glue
○ nail gun and nails
○ drill
○ circle bit
○ Screws
○ measuring tape
Building the Birdhouses:
1. Find Bluebird Birdhouse Blueprint
2. Cut each board to the correct size
3. Add wood glue to all sides and stick the pieces
together
4. Once the glue is holding the foundation
together, secure it with a nail gun
5. Use a circle bit to cut an opening for entry and
exit
6. Add holes in the bottom to drain out
precipitation
7. Sand everything down so it is smooth and
even
Placing the Birdhouses
● When going to Nathan’s Divide, we brought
with us the birdhouses, measuring tape, drill,
and screws
● We also had to wear orange vests (Dave’s
Request) since it is hunting season
● When deciding where to place the birdhouses,
we followed a trail map
○ We decided to place them close to the trail so
more people could see them
● We found a tree that was large enough, but
also not the largest and most beautiful
● We measured the tree to make sure it was
centered and level and then drilled it in
More Pictures
What We Have Learned
How this project relates to environmental science:
● Creates a solid nest in a good habitat for local
bluebirds
● Giving the community access to observe the
animals around them
● Educating the community about Bluebirds, but
also how to keep them safe and be respectful
to their environment
What we learned:
● Different birds prefer different birdhouses
● We learned about Bluebirds because we had to
research them
● We also learned different ways to respect a
birds habitat while observing them
Conclusion
● Our main goal was to not only give the birds a nice warm place to nest in, but to
educate those who visit Nathan’s Divide with our flyer all about Bluebirds.
● It was also very important to use to use scrap material that we had lying around,
rather than going and spending an unnecessary amount of money.