How do you get a bird or birds to use a bird house?

If you can tell me tips on what you can do to get birds to use a bird house. I have always made wonderful birdhouses but the birds never use them.I would also like if you can tell me what type of birdhouse works best. Thank you so much.

Public Comments

1. leave bird seeds in there to attract the birds
2. Most birds will only use bird hoses if it looks inviting to them. They will also only use it if the food that they eat is in there. Monitor your garden for a while, and see where the birds sit the most everyday. When you see where they like sitting the most, go and find a sturdy branch to hang the bird house on. They will soon see it, and it will draw their attention. Eventually they will take interest and go investigate what the "thing with the food is". Just give it some time. I breed with alot of birds and i hang my bird houses outside by my aviarys. It just seems to attract them when they see food. Mixed bird seed is a good source of food to offer them. I also make my own bird houses.. and i love watching them investigate whats on the box. Hope this helps you!
3. Well, only certain species will use birdhouses..cavity nesting birds will use them. If you do not have these types of birds visiting your yard, you will not have any takers. If there are cavity nesting birds around..it may take them a while to take up residence. Do keep the birdhouse up and someone will eventually find it even if it is not this season. Wrens, bluebirds, chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, swallows, etc. are all cavity nesters.
4. Birdgirl is absolutely correct. The other two answers, however, are incorrect - you NEVER put food IN a birdHOUSE, only a bird FEEDER. And you should never put any bird food anywhere NEAR a birdhouse, either. If you are doing that, that may be why no birds are using the birdhouses. Putting food near a birdhouse (or a bird's nest) will attract predators, such as other birds, rats, raccoons, possum, etc. - animals that will destroy the eggs or eat the chicks. When a mother bird picks her nesting site, she finds one that has an abundant food supply close enough to be convenient, but not close enough to attract predators and endanger her nest. So, if you have feeders near the birdhouses, or are putting food near them to try to attract birds, stop doing it and maybe some birds will feel safe enough to use your birdhouses. You need to remember, too, that birdhouses are not homes for birds - think of a birdhouse as a nursery - the parent birds make their nest in the birdhouse (also known as a nest box), they lay their eggs and they raise their family. Then they leave (or they stay and lay another clutch of eggs, repeat the process and leave at the end of that breeding season). They do not sleep in the birdhouse (unless they have eggs or babies in there), and it is not their year-round home. Hope that some of this info helps!