Tools
Handsaw; tape measure or ruler; drill; chisel or knife; hammer; screwdriver

Materials
You can use any wood; white pine is a good choice, because it is easy to obtain. (Do not use particleboard or plywood.) The wood should be at least 3/4" thick and should be left natural -- not painted or otherwise finished.

• a 11" piece of 1" x 12" wood (for the roof)
• a 23" piece of 1" x 8" wood, trimmed to 6 1/2" (for the sides)
• a 32" piece of 1" x 6" wood, trimmed to 5" (for the front and back) carpenter's glue
• 16 seven-penny (7d) galvanized box nails, or 2" deck screws
• 1 brass 1 1/4" wood screw, or 2" deck screw
• small tube of caulking compound
• 1 asphalt roof shingle,
• 8 3/4" roofing nails

Build the Best Bluebird Box
This design is by Warren H. Lauder, who has spent 38 years analyzing bluebird boxes. Assembling the Nest Box

• Cut the top piece of the nest box, 11 1/4" x 11".
  
  
  
  
• Cut the two side pieces. They should be 6 1/2" across; the rear edge should be 12 1/4" top to bottom, and the front edge, 10 3/4". Drill 5/8" vent holes 1" down from the top and 2" in from each side. Toward the top of the front edge, and 3/8" in, drill a 1/8" hole for a nail or a screw.
  
  
  
  
• Cut the front of the box, 5" wide and 10 3/4" long, with an entrance hole whose center is 2" from the top and 2 1/2" from each side. Using the chisel, cut deep crisscross scratches on the inside of the front panel. These will allow young birds to climb to the entrance hole and emerge.
  
  
  
  
• Cut the bottom, 5" square, with a 3/8" vent hole at its center. Cut each corner at a 45 degree angle, 3/4" in (to form an octagon).
  
  
  
  
• Cut the back, 5" across and 15" long.
  
  
  
  
• Glue and nail the side pieces to the back. The sides should be nailed flush, and the top of each side should align with the top of the back. The roofline should slope toward the front of the birdhouse.
  
  
• Glue and nail on the bottom of the birdhouse, recessing it 1/2" from the bottom of the side pieces.
  
  
  
  
• Attach the front of the birdhouse with two nails, through the 1/8" holes drilled earlier, near the top of the side pieces. (This will allow the front to swing open for cleaning.) Put the brass screw into the bottom to secure the front. Leave a gap of 1/2" at the top of the front for ventilation.
  
  
  
  
• Glue and nail the roof on, leaving a 2 3/8" overhang to the sides and a 3 3/4" overhang on the front. Seal the crack at the top rear of the birdhouse with caulking compound to keep the rain out.
  
  
  
  
• Cover the roof with the asphalt shingle, using 3/4" roofing nails; the shingle should extend 1/4 " over each side.

Jesse Grantham directs the National Audubon Society's Mississippi State Office.