Home >> Science & Nature >> Animals & Science

How to Get Chickadees to Nest

Chickadees are songbirds that use a cavity as a haven in harsh weather and as a place to nest in spring and summer. A pair of chickadees will excavate a hole in a tree snag or enhance a woodpecker hole that they find to their liking. They add a lining of materials such as plant down, grass, moss, hair, fur, feathers and insect cocoons. If natural habitat is not available, chickadees have been known to use a human-built nest box. There are some things that might help to attract a pair of chickadees to your nest box.

Things You'll Need

Nest box recommended for chickadees
Non-pressure-treated wood shavings or sawdust
4-by-4-inch wooden post, 8 feet long
2 stainless steel eye bolts, 1 inch
Flexible rope or strong twine
Nesting materials

Instructions

- 1
  Fill the nest box about a third of the way up with the wood shavings or sawdust.
- 2
  Screw in the eye bolts on either side of the box about an inch below the roof line.
- 3
  Locate the nest box either in a wooded area or very close to one where chickadees have been observed.
- 4
  Dig a hole and plant the post deep enough that it is secure in the ground, or choose a tree that is clear of branches up to 7 feet from the ground.
- 5
  Run the rope through the eye bolts and secure the box approximately 6 feet up the pole or the tree. Make sure there is an unobstructed path to the entry hole.
- 6
  Face the box southeast so that the entry gets morning sun but not hot afternoon sun.
- 7
  Scatter nesting materials such as hair, fur and feathers in the area. Make small piles that birds can locate easily.

Animals & Science