A Few Points About Wren House Plans

Today we are going to discuss Wren house plans.

It seems that everyone loves song birds. Even the most notoriously disruptive minds in history, such as Ghengis Kahn, Adolf Hitler, and Idi Amin simply MUST have liked the sound of birds chirruping like little cherubs out on tree branches during the morning. One of the most cherished of song birds is the wren, and so the subject of our article here is about Wren house plans.


If one wants to hear wrens singing away each morning, one can capture a few of these birds and subject them to a life of captivity and possible misery. A better option is to build a bird house specifically for these angelic-voiced creatures. To do this, one requires wren house plans.Wren house plans are the basic diagrams for building a bird house for one of humanity's great sirens of song. These plans are quite specific to attracting this specific species (though admittedly, sometimes chickadees and other small birds will also pop in from time to time). The more the merrier!

To get the most out of your bird house, you must get the wren house plans with the most goodies. Carefully select the option you feel will be best for your bird house. While many such plans are readily available online for little or no cost, some of the features can be added on. If this seems too difficult, there are wren house plans that can be purchased that are sure to accommodate the best features. These features include easy-access hinged doors, lightweight construction materials, decently-sized compartments, individual porches, and insulated attics.

A little explanation of each of these is in order. First, having doors that are hinged will allow for easy access for purposes of inspecting nests for eggs or simple human curiosity/snooping. Lightweight materials are important in construction as they reduce the chances of a house falling off a pole in a storm or stiff breeze. Compartments of a relatively large size (usually about 6x6x12 inches is a good amount) will keep the occupants comfortable without allowing larger fowl in. Lastly, an insulated attic simply makes for greater warmth, and who doesn't like to be warm, including wrens.

The singing of Wrens is delightful to the ear and you will have much joy with your bird houses.



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What Happen To The Moa Bird

The Moa bird was a huge bird. However, the biggest moa was the Giant Moa. It was taller than three metres and weighed nearly 250 kilograms. The giant moa was one of the largest of all birds ever known in the world. Nevertheless, there were smaller moa birds. The smallest moa species was a little larger in size than a turkey and nearly half a metre tall.

Scientists have collected lots of information regarding the moa bird through fossils (bones) that are found all around New Zealand. For several hundreds of years these birds have been extinct. Some were as big as the Big Bird from Sesame Street. But the smallest were not much larger than our average turkeys. These birds were eaten to extinction along with other bird species, by Maori. These birds were flightless.

At their last count, there were eleven different species of the bird. They mostly were the inhabitants of the forests and not the grasslands. Another astonishing discovery about the bird is that they probably did not stand around with their heads in the air, unlike some of the museum mounts that we see today. Even though they are extinct now, you can still find their bones, mostly in caves, swamps and sand dunes. However, they are not the only extinct New Zealand bird.

The question as to how the moa bird becomes extinct has its answers with the scientists. They say that these birds lived in New Zealand when the Maori people arrived, but it is still believed that the moa bird was totally extinct in 1769 when Captain Cook arrived in New Zealand.

Some of the land was cleared by the Maori people, which would have killed the bird directly or reduced its habitat. Nevertheless the core reason as to why the bird became extinct was because of hunting. The moa bird was an obvious source of food in a land without mammals except for the bat. Moa bones have been found in the midden locations (these are where huge amounts of cooking remains are found) around New Zealand. From the bones that have been discovered at the midden locations, scientists have also discovered and learnt about the different species of the bird and have reached down to a conclusion that over-hunting was the chief reason as to why the bird is extinct today.

Scientists also believe that the moa bird was extinct by 1500 and that no one really ever saw the bird alive. However, there ate tales that would make us believe that there were a few of these birds left in New Zealand when Captain Cook and his men arrived. There have even been stories that were told during the 1900's that would make people believe that there was still a moa bird roaming around in the forests of New Zealand.


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The Mountain Bluebird

The Nevada State bird is the Mountain Bluebird, which is also known as the Sialia currucoides. It is an impeccably beautiful bird. The Nevada State bird is a medium sized bird which is mostly an insectivorous or omnivorous bird in the genus Sialia of the thrush family Turdiae.


The adult Mountain Bluebird has thin bills. The adult males are bright blue in colour and somewhat lighter in colour underneath. On the other hand the female adult Mountain Blue birds are a duller shade of blue, even their wings are of a dull blue colour and so is its tail. The females and the males both have a grey coloured breast, a grey crown as well as the throat and the back. They are a combination of blue and grey which makes them extremely gorgeous.


The Nevada State bird comes from one of the relatively few thrush groups. As the name Mountain Bluebird implies, they are very attractive birds. There is no noticeable difference in the size between both the sexes of the species as they are all medium-sized.

Their breeding habitat is in the open country across the western North America, which includes mountainous areas as far north as Alaska. These birds usually nest in cavities or in nest boxes. In more remote areas, these birds are not likely to be affected by competition for natural nesting locations than the other bluebirds.

The Mountain Bluebirds migrate to the southern parts of the range; as southern birds are permanent dwellers. However, some of these birds may move to lower elevation in the winter season because of the climatic conditions.

The Nevada State birds hover and fly over the ground. They are mostly seen flying down to catch insects, and also flies that perch to catching them. They basically feed on insects and berries. In the winters they are seen foraging in flocks.

These birds are highly territorial and will most probably clash with other songbirds that compete with their nesting and food resources. They usually prefer grasslands that are scattered with abundant trees. Under most favourable weather conditions, this is mostly during the springtime; these birds produce two broods of young that amount to being about four to five eggs per clutch. The males build a number of nests for the females, and then it is the female that decides on the ultimate nesting location. Most of the individual Nevada state birds that wish to build and mount nesting boxes for bluebirds place predator baffles that are approximately 36 inches in length on the poles to prevent predation of their young by snakes, cats and raccoons. The non-native other bluebirds that compete with these birds for nesting locations include the house wren and the house sparrow, both of which have been known to kill the young Mountain Bluebirds.



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Peach Faced Love Birds

My Peach Faced lovebirds are pint-sized bundles of joy. They have the full personality of parrots while being easy to house because of their size. My birds are little clowns, playing for hours at a time. They love to hang from toys, spin them around, and dance on your shoulder. I have had to watch my buttons! They love to pull them off my clothes! Such loving little birds: they love to snuggle and preen.

Many people believe lovebirds must be kept in pairs. This is simply not true. A single lovebird makes a better pet because it bonds to you rather than to another lovebird. While it is easy to keep a pair of lovebirds tame, if you plan on spending lots of time with your bird you can keep it alone. However, if you work long hours and don't think you'll have a lot of time for your love bird, I recommend you get him/her a companion. This will keep your lovebirds happy and prevent boredom. It is important to realize that while lovebirds are a small parrot, they have the intelligence and abilities of some of the largest parrots.

They never stop amazing me with their ability to escape their own cages. I have to put copper wire on the cage doors to keep them in, and sometimes they figure out how to untwist the wire and open the door!

Lovebirds will sometimes try to become the little bosses of the household. I recommend using the same type of gentle dominance training that is used for larger parrots. Are you looking for a bird that you can teach to talk? Lovebirds can learn to mimic sounds and speech on occasion. However, I don't recommend that you buy any species of bird only because of the expectation that it will speak; even the famous African Greys sometimes don't learn to speak. So, if that is your only reason for buying a bird, I’d seriously urge you to reconsider as the bird could end up abandoned because of your own disappointment. In my opinion, love birds and parrots both make great pets even if they never utter a word. We have both in our home. The lovebirds chatter away all day, never making a sound that anyone can understand, except as being simply ‘noisy chatter.’ However, our Double Yellow Head parrot makes up for it; his vocabulary is very long, extensive and he is constantly talking.

If you decide to breed love birds just remember they are prolific breeders. You may soon, as we did, find our home over run with lovebirds! And, as a word of caution, "do not" put bark chips in the nest of the baby birds. Though the odor is pleasant to humans and is good for older birds it is too strong for baby lovebirds. I must admit I learned the hard way and had casualties on my hands! Paper is the best thing to put in the nest along with some alfalfa. Do not get powdered alfalfa, rather dried alfalfa blades. If you decide to use paper, do cut the paper (newspaper is best) in long strips and put it beside the nest. Mama will take it into the nest. And, remember if mama snaps at you she is only protecting her nest!


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Parrots make wonderful, colorful and entertaining pets. However, parrots need special care in order to be happy and healthy. Here are some basic tips to help you care for your parrot:

The Cage

One of the most important aspects of a parrot's care is its cage. Look for a cage that gives your parrot plenty of room to move around, even spread its wings a bit. It's also important to purchase a cage that will look good in your room as it will be as permanent as any piece of furniture. You'll also want to make sure you choose a cage that has bars with appropriate spacing for the type and size of your parrot, to prevent injury by your parrot fitting his or her head through the bars.


Feeding

Parrot foods available include the typical seed diet as well as pellet food. Pellet food generally contains more of a variety of nutrients and food than a seed diet. Pellets contain fruits and vegetables as well as a variety of grains. What you choose to feed your parrot may depend on your parrot's taste as some parrots simply won't like seeds, but will enjoy pellets and vice versa. In addition to pellets or seeds, treats are also available for parrots, including mixtures of fruits, nuts and seeds.

Grooming

Parrots do require regular grooming, including grooming of their beaks, nails and wings, but generally it is not recommended for a novice to attempt to groom their parrot. Consider taking a lesson from a veterinarian or bird expert before attempting to groom your parrot, this is for your safety as well as your parrot.


Cage Maintenance

Make sure to line the cage with papers and change the papers daily. You should also change and wash the food and water bowls daily. Every few weeks, you should thoroughly clean and sterilize your parrot's cage and dishes with a diluted bleach solution.

Training

One of the biggest advantages to having a parrot is that your parrot can be trained to do any number of tasks and tricks. Training aids are available including click trainers, harnesses and leashes. Consider also a parrot training book or DVD to help you train your parrot.

Entertainment

Toys will be important to the entertainment and general emotional health and behavior of your parrot. Get them toys that are appropriate for their size, age and temperament. Great toys for parrots include rubber toys, puzzle type toys, wood toys, leather toys, toys where the parrot can practice foraging for food and metal toys.



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The Pleasure of Bird-bathing

When we think of attracting birds to our yards, we think of bird feeders. To be sure, they do bring many species within viewing distance. But birds are also attracted to water. And they especially appreciate bird baths this time of year because of heat and dry conditions. A large population of juvenile birds and the start of migration season will bring even more to bathe. In addition, there are many species that dine on insects and would never frequent a seed feeder. So the addition of water features will attract more such as flycatchers, mockingbirds, tanagers, thrashers, thrushes, vireos and warblers.


There are many kinds of baths available on the market: bowls and dishes, puddles and fountains, some suspended and some set on the ground. With a little ingenuity, you can make your own from a tray, garbage can lid or a Frisbee. Any type of bath will attract birds, but some species prefer particular structures and bath placement. To attract a diversity of species, consider more than one type of bath.

The most popular type of bird bath with humans is the bowl or dish on a 3' pedestal, perhaps because they function well as landscape ornaments. Fortunately, they are popular with many birds, too. They readily attract cardinals, catbirds, chickadees, doves, finches, goldfinches, mockingbirds, nuthatches, orioles and sparrows.

Dishes or bowls set on the ground or partially buried are especially popular with ground birds such as quail. But they also attract doves, juncos, robins and sparrows.

Multi-level pools and fountains can have the added attraction of moving water powered by recirculating submersible pumps. These types of baths draw buntings, cardinals, catbirds, cedar waxwings, chickadees, doves, finches, flycatchers, goldfinches, grosbeaks, mockingbirds, nuthatches, orioles, sparrows, titmice, thrushes, vireos and warblers.


Moving water can also be provided by a simple dripper or a garden hose with a water timer placed above a bowl, dish or shallow pool. The Water Wiggler is a useful battery-operated device that provides movement by gently agitating the water. The sound of the water attracts birds likes doves, juncos, mockingbirds, quail, robins, sparrows and towhees.

Even a small hanging cup will attract a few little birds like chickadees, finches and titmice for a drink.

Hummingbirds seem like they're always on the move. Just as they eat in flight, they bathe on the wing. To please them, set up a mister near your hummingbird feeder or over your pedestal bath. They'll fly to and fro through the mist, then perch somewhere in a tree to preen and dry.

Keeping bird baths is a simple and pleasurable task. Here are a few tips:

* Provide clean water. Still water may need to be replaced daily since it can become stagnant in the heat. Flowing water may be freshened less frequently. * Refill the bath before it becomes dry. This is always important, but especially so if you are running a submersible pump. * Maintain a shallow depth. Water more than 2" deep is too deep for the little creatures. They want to bathe, not swim. * Provide non-slip footing. Plastic and glazed ceramic baths my have slippery surfaces. You may improve them by creating small islands or shoals of pebbles in the center or around the edges. * Extend the bathing season by adding a thermostatically controlled water heater.


So, while the time is best, set up a bird bath near your home. The birds will show their appreciation by providing you with an educational and entertaining experience.


John Marshall is the owner of http://www.goGardenNow.com, an online shop for gardeners and "yardeners."

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