For parents and children interested in attracting wildlife closer to their homes, the Coveside Window Nest Box Bird House may be an option. This wooden box, available for $18.99 from www.drfostersmith.com, easily attaches to an exterior window to offer a home to nesting birds.
The product, made in the U.S., has a 1.5-inch hole in the front, an appropriate size for entry and exit for many small backyard bird species, according to the manufacturer. This particular Coveside model has four suction cups, more than some of the other products on the market, to help provide stability and a strong suction to the window. In fact, it is suggested that a small bit of kitchen oil be used on the cups to enhance their suction.
Once attached to the window, the window shade inside the home should be closed to provide nesting birds with privacy. However, a clear Plexiglass window in the back of the box allows kids to have easy viewing into the box once nesting begins. Although we have not yet had any birds nest in the box, we are happy with the staying power of the box on our back window and the birds that seem interested in it.
The Coveside nest box is handcrafted of 3/4-inch pine and has a sloped roof and small overhang to provide rain protection. The box also is taller than some of the other models on the market, at 8.5-inches in height. Our plan had been to attach the box to my daughter’s upstairs bedroom window, but upon receiving it we followed the recommendation for attachment to a first-floor window instead. Coveside also recommends the nest be placed in a location with bushes or trees nearby to provide cover to the birds and that it be put on an East-facing window.
