Best Overall
Nature's Way Cedar Bluebird Box House
- This cedar birdhouse has a sloped roof and an elevated mesh floor.
This cedar birdhouse has a sloped roof and an elevated mesh floor.
- It’s only available in one color/finish.
It’s only available in one color/finish.
Not only is this birdhouse made with cedar, which is beneficial since it is durable and resembles a tree cavity, it also has a few other details that are important to look for in a birdhouse. We love that this birdhouse can be mounted to a pole to help keep the nesting birds safe from predators, and it also doesn’t have a perch.
Additionally, it has a sloped roof and an elevated mesh floor to help keep birds dry. To help increase airflow, this birdhouse is also equipped with essential air vents. There are also kerfs, which are indents in the wood, for fledglings to grip onto as they learn to emerge from the birdhouse.
Cleaning this birdhouse is easy—simply lift the front wooden panel to access the inside of the birdhouse. While this birdhouse will mainly attract bluebirds with its 1.5-inch entry hole, other birds, such as wrens, tree swallows, and chickadees, will be interested in nesting in this house, too.
Because it’s made with cedar, it’s only available in one finish. If you want to add more color to your landscape, consider planting some colorful native plants around your birdhouse.
Product Details: Material: Cedar | Entry Hole Size: 1.5 inches
Key Terms to Know
- Galvanized: This means that the steel or iron is coated with a protective layer of another metal, typically zinc.
- Nesting Bird: A bird that is ready to lay eggs and hatch young chicks. These birds require a safe haven to raise their babies.
- Fledging Kerfs: These are little grooves located on the inside of the birdhouse, designed for young birds' feet. They'll use these grooves as a ladder to help them to get the entry hole when they are ready to leave the nest.
Best Budget
Wild Wings Cedar Wood Wren Nesting Box Bird House
- It’s a simple cedar birdhouse that has proper ventilation and is easy to clean.
It’s a simple cedar birdhouse that has proper ventilation and is easy to clean.
- With a 1.125-inch entry hole, it’s intended for smaller birds only.
With a 1.125-inch entry hole, it’s intended for smaller birds only.
While this pick isn’t as aesthetically pleasing as our best overall birdhouse, it still provides a safe nesting option for birds at an affordable price.
This cedar birdhouse is both insect and rot resistant, and it has a sloped roof to drain water away from the house. There are also vents in both the front and back of this birdhouse to provide proper ventilation for the nesting birds.
With a 1.125-inch opening, you’ll attract birds like wrens and chickadees and prevent larger birds, like sparrows, from nesting. Similarly to our best overall birdhouse, this house has a front panel that lifts away for easy cleaning. It also doesn’t have a perch, making it a safe choice for nesting birds.
This birdhouse isn’t quite as pretty as some of our other picks, but it has everything a nesting bird needs at a wallet-friendly price.
Product Details: Material: Cedar | Entry Hole Size: 1.125 inches
Best Splurge
Birdfy Smart Bird House
- This smart birdhouse features two cameras, ventilated ceiling, mesh floors, and changeable entry hole sizes.
This smart birdhouse features two cameras, ventilated ceiling, mesh floors, and changeable entry hole sizes.
- It will need to be charged occasionally unless you opt for the solar panel add-on.
It will need to be charged occasionally unless you opt for the solar panel add-on.
Our best splurge pick, the Birdfy Nest Smart Bird House with Dual Cameras, allows you to view your birds like you’ve never seen them before. Made from renewable bamboo, this birdhouse has a camera inside and outside the house so you can watch birds make a nest and even lay eggs.
The camera connects to the accompanying app, so you can view your birds from anywhere as long as you have your phone or tablet. The app also uses AI technology to identify birds, so you know exactly what species is nesting in the birdhouse without having to consult your bird identification book. You can even see the birds at night thanks to the night vision cameras.
The birdhouse also features details that help keep birds safe and healthy. The inside of the birdhouse has fledging kerfs, which are little grooves in the wood that young birds can step on to help them leave the nest.
There are also ventilation holes for proper airflow, as well as a mesh floor. A metal guard around the entry hole helps protect birds from predators. With a moisture proof and rot-resistant design, your birds will be safe from rain.
We also love that the entry hole size can be changed depending on what type of birds you want to attract. There are three sizes that come with the birdhouse: 0.9-, 1.5-, or 2-inch. The 0.9-inch option is perfect for attracting small birds like chickadees or house wrens, while the 2-inch option is ideal for bigger birds such as house wrens.
The camera will occasionally need to be charged using the included USB-C cable, but you can also purchase a solar panel that will power the cameras instead. This birdhouse can be installed three different ways—on a tree, pole, or wall—so you have plenty of options when it comes to location.
Product Details: Material: Bamboo | Entry Hole Size: 0.9, 1.5, or 2 inches
Best for Screech Owls
JCs Wildlife Screech Owl Cedar Nesting Box
- It’s available in green, blue, or cardinal red, and has a 3-inch hole for screech owls.
It’s available in green, blue, or cardinal red, and has a 3-inch hole for screech owls.
- Screech owl houses should be placed close to a wooded area, like a woodland clearing or the edge of a forest.
Screech owl houses should be placed close to a wooded area, like a woodland clearing or the edge of a forest.
We highly recommend the JCs Wildlife Screech Owl Cedar Nesting Box for those who want to provide a nesting option for screech owls. Made with 0.875-inch thick cedar wood, this birdhouse is durable to create a safe environment for screech owls. There is a 3-inch hole for the owls to enter their home, making this the birdhouse with the largest entry hole on our list.
The sloped roof provides a slight overhang that helps keep owls dry from the rain, and there are air holes for proper air flow. The birdhouse is perch free, but it does have three slats on the front for screech owls to grip onto. There is also an internal slat to help the owl leave the house or sit upon it for viewing.
For easy cleaning, the front panel swings open so you can access the inside of the birdhouse. This birdhouse comes with a bag of pine shavings to add to the bottom of the house to help make a comfortable nest for your owl. We also love that there are three different color options: green, blue, and cardinal red.
Screech owl boxes are a bit different from other birdhouses—these can be mounted on trees. “Screech-owl nest boxes should be placed 10 to 30 feet off the ground, on a tree wider than the box, preferably under a tree limb with nearby branches to allow perching for both adult and fledgling owls,” Witko explains. “Some experts suggest facing the box east or south to allow roosting owls to sun during cold days.”
Product Details: Material: Cedar | Entry Hole Size: 3 inches
Best for Purple Martins
BestNest Cedar Round Entry Purple Martin House
- There are 12 rooms to comfortably house purple martins.
There are 12 rooms to comfortably house purple martins.
- Because of its size, it will require more time and energy to clean seasonally.
Because of its size, it will require more time and energy to clean seasonally.
Purple martins have different nesting habits than most other birds, so they require a different style of birdhouse. While many other birds prefer to nest alone, purple martins are the exception. “The vast majority will not share [birdhouses] because most birds are territorial, but some species, like purple martins, do nest in colonies,” Bailey says.
Because these birds will nest together, they will be attracted to birdhouses with multiple rooms, like the BestNest Heath Cedar Round Entry Purple Martin House. Made with cedar, this birdhouse has 12 different rooms with 2.125-inch entry holes. Each room measures 5 x 5.25 x 4 inches, so it offers a comfortable space for nesting.
There are also dividers in between the holes, which helps prevent issues with male dominance among your winged residents. As with most of the birdhouses on our list, this one has proper ventilation and a sloped roof. Keep in mind that because of its larger size, this birdhouse will be more time consuming to clean than other birdhouses on our list.
This is intended to be mounted on top of a wooden post or pole, so be sure you have the proper materials before purchasing. For purple martins, Bailey recommends placing these birdhouses in an open field, at least 40 feet from trees or buildings so the birds have plenty of space for forating insects. If you have the space, consider adding some seedy plants to your landscape.
Product Details: Material: Cedar | Entry Hole Size: 2.125 inches
Best Hanging
BestNest Hanging Wren House
- A plastic-coated cable is included with the wooden birdhouse.
A plastic-coated cable is included with the wooden birdhouse.
- It’s made with natural wood, so each birdhouse may vary slightly in its appearance.
It’s made with natural wood, so each birdhouse may vary slightly in its appearance.
The BestNest Classic Hanging Wren House is our choice if you prefer to hang your birdhouse from a hook or a pole. This wooden birdhouse comes with a plastic-coated cable, so you can easily hang it in your yard.
This is a perfect birdhouse for wrens and chickadees, since the hole size is 1.25 inches. The size of the opening also prevents larger birds from entering, so your wrens will be safe. The best birdhouses have sloped roofs and gaps for ventilation, and this birdhouse has both. Predators won’t have anything to grab onto with this birdhouse since it’s perch free.
We appreciate that the bottom section of the birdhouse can be removed for easy seasonal cleaning. We also love that this option is a lighter color than others on our list, which helps to keep birds cooler when the sun is shining. Keep in mind that because this birdhouse is made with natural wood, each house may vary slightly from another.
Product Details: Material: Wood | Entry Hole Size: 1.25 inches
Best Gourd
Gourdaments Gourd Birdhouse
- It has a 1.5-inch entry hole, which is perfect for Carolina wrens.
It has a 1.5-inch entry hole, which is perfect for Carolina wrens.
- The size and shape of the gourd will vary.
The size and shape of the gourd will vary.
Bailey explains that certain birds, like wrens, tree swallows, and great crested flycatchers, will nest in gourds. “If hung securely, these can be a safe option for nesting birds,” Bailey says.
The Gourdaments Gourd Birdhouse is a natural, handmade birdhouse that features a leather strap for hanging. The gourds themselves are grown on a farm in Pennsylvania.
With a hole diameter of 1.5 inches, the birdhouse will attract bluebirds and Carolina wrens. The roof is naturally sloped due to the shape of the gourd, and there isn’t a perch so birds can stay safe from predators.
The gourd is finished with an outdoor varnish to protect it from the elements and help it last for multiple seasons. Each gourd will vary slightly in size and shape, but expect your gourd to be about 9 to 10 inches tall.
Product Details: Material: Gourd | Entry Hole Size: 1.5 inches
Best with Viewing Window
Nature's Way Bird Products Cedar Bluebird Viewing House
- In addition to a viewing window, this birdhouse also has a predator guard and an elevated mesh floor.
In addition to a viewing window, this birdhouse also has a predator guard and an elevated mesh floor.
- You should only use the viewing window sparingly to avoid disturbing the birds.
You should only use the viewing window sparingly to avoid disturbing the birds.
The Nature's Way Bird Products CWH4 Cedar Bluebird Viewing House comes equipped with a viewing window bird lovers will enjoy: You can see your birds nesting—and maybe even see some eggs hatch.
This birdhouse is made from wood and has a side door that lifts up so you can see inside. Once you lift the side door, there is a piece of crack-resistant clear plastic in place that prevents any physical disturbance for the birds.
With an elevated mesh floor, a sloped roof, ventilation holes, and a predator guard, this birdhouse has everything needed to provide a safe nesting environment for birds.
If you opt for this type of birdhouse, it's best to use the viewing window sparingly. “It is okay to take a quick peek now and then, but avoid prolonged viewing sessions to avoid disturbing the birds too much,” Bailey says.
There are birdhouses that have viewing windows that you can suction to the window of your house, but Bailey doesn’t recommend these.
“I would not personally use a birdhouse that suctions onto a window because it could fall to the ground with eggs or young in it,” Bailey says. “Birdhouses can have a viewing window (usually made of plexiglass), provided they are mounted securely."
Product Details: Material: Cedar | Entry Hole Size: 1.5 inches