Birdhouses are my new obsession, and these are the very best designs – tailored to every type of bird

Birdhouses are a vital way of supporting local wildlife. They encourage birds to nest in your yard, bringing fascinating biodiversity and beautiful birdsong to your home.

However, different birds have different needs, so you need to know your birdhouse types. There are different dimensions and materials to bear in mind for attracting owls or red cardinals, so the wrong birdhouse could be an expensive mistake.

While it's summer and we're far away from the nesting season for most birds, prices are low, and you can set up your birdhouse while the weather is good ahead of the season. I've scoured the market, and these are the best birdhouses for all of the most common cavity-nesting American birds.

Best bird houses for songbirds

The most common American songbirds - Eastern bluebirds, chickadees, wrens, and tree swallows, for example - are all suited to a classic birdhouse. All of these birds like small, roughly 6"x6" birdhouses with a 1" entry hole. As long as the entrance height is between 6-8 inches above the floor of the bird box, songbirds should use these nesting boxes.

Best nesting platforms for robins

A common misconception about robins and phoebes is that they need nesting boxes. This isn't true - these birds aren't cavity nesters, and instead prefer to build their nests on small ledges, often under eaves or in gutters. You can provide them a stable home away from your house with a nesting platform like these.

Best bird houses for owls

Owls need large bird boxes with big openings, so they can bring themselves and their prey inside the box. A good owl nesting box will have rungs underneath the entrance hole, so owls have something to grip onto with their talons as they return home. Different owls need different-sized houses. Screech owls need relatively small houses with a floor area of roughly 10"x11". Barn owls, on the other hand, need large birdhouses with around 8 cubic feet of space.

Best bird houses for wood ducks

Wood ducks like tall narrow birdhouses. The key with wood duck houses is to place them near water. These houses are best mounted on poles like this birdhouse pole on Amazon. You should try to use a pole with a baffle, as this will keep predators like raccoons and cats from attacking chicks.

Best bird houses for purple martins

Unlike the birds mentioned above, purple martins nest in colonies. If you want purple martins in your yard, you need a colony birdhouse. They usually return to successful breeding sites , so if you set up good colony nesting box you can enjoy these birds for years.

Bird house FAQs

Do hummingbirds use bird boxes?

Hummingbirds don't use nesting boxes. Hummingbirds build their nests high off the ground and don't nest in cavities. If you see a hummingbird nest box listed on a website, you're being misled. The best way to attract a hummingbird is with a hummingbird feeder like this from Amazon.

For more help with wildlife, take a look at our guide to attracting woodpeckers, or our advice about wildlife garden mistakes.