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The History of the Birdhouse

Birdhouses today come in many different types and styles. From large and ornate to small and simple, their design is for nesting, feeding, shelter and, in some cases, purely ornamental. The history of the birdhouse begins in three different areas of the world.

European Birdhouse
- In Europe birdhouses were first used to capture chicks and eggs.
  
  Going back to the 15th and 16th century, birdhouses in the European countries of Belgium and Holland were used to trap birds for food. The eggs and chicks would be gathered from the nests built in the house. They were built from baskets, wood and clay; clay became the preferred material for its durability.
Eurasia Birdhouses
- Turks built birdhouses to shelter the lonely bird.
  
  In Eurasia, the Turkish culture has evidence of birdhouses from before the Ottomon period of the 1500s. Small and simple in design in the beginning, they progressed to ornate structures. The houses were built as a refuge for the lonely birds of the sky and to protect them from the elements of nature.
American Birdhouse
- Native Americans would hollow out gourds to provide shelter to the birds.
  
  In America, Native Americans built simple birdhouses out of birch bark and hollowed out gourds. They were designed to not only shelter the birds from storms, but also to help the birds breed and multiply. The Native Americans passed this tradition on to the English and German immigrants.

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