How to Build a Wood Duck Nest Box | Audubon

Anthony enjoys spending time in the workshop, the kitchen, the garden, and out fishing. Many of his projects are featured in his yard. David Eppstein. The colorful plumage of the male wood duck makes it one of the most striking birds in North America.

The demand for these beautiful feathers nearly led to their extinction in the early s due to over-hunting by market hunters.

Fortunately, the populations have rebounded since then, thanks to tighter hunting regulations, habitat restoration and to the building of man-made nest boxes. Wood ducks prefer shallow, slow moving waters in wooded areas. They inhabit forested ponds, swamps, streams and marshes with standing dead timber, logs and stumps.

Floating vegetation and woody debris provides cover for the adult ducks and their chicks, as well as a wood duck box plan plants for food. They feed on plants including duckweed and wild rice, and they also hunt for aquatic insects, snails and other small invertebrates. Like many other cavity nesting birds, wood ducks cannot excavate their own holes in trees and they rely on finding natural tree cavities or abandoned woodpecker holes to raise their young.

Females may range as far as one-half mile from the water in their search for a suitable nesting site. If natural cavities are wood duck box plan plants, they will readily move into a nesting box to lay their eggs.

The hens are prolific egg layers, with the average clutch containing between 10 to 14 eggs. Once the eggs hatch, the mother hen calls to the chicks from outside of the nest box.

The little chicks wood duck box plan plants their way up to the entrance hole to leave the nest. A short video link below captures several little chicks as they take their amazing leap of faith from a nesting box placed high up in a tree before bouncing safely to the ground. Building a nesting box is an easy woodworking project. Cedar, redwood, pine and even plywood are suitable materials, and here's how to make this version of a wood duck nesting box.

Cut the top edge of the sides part C on a degree angle to create a slope for the roof. From one end, measure up 18" along one edge and make a mark. From the same end, measure up 16" along the opposite edge and make another mark.

Draw a straight line to connect the marks using a ruler or straight edge, and then cut along the line. Layout the location for the oval shaped entrance hole on the front section part Aand then cut out the opening using a jig saw. Wood ducks prefer oval openings approximately 4" wide wood duck box plan plants 3" high. Cut a degree bevel across the top edge, matching the slope of the roof and sides.

Clip off each of the corners on the bottom piece part E at a 45 degree angle, creating small gaps for drainage. Using weather resistant screws or nails holes, attach the bottom section to the back and side assembly. Use weather resistant screws or nails to attach one side part C to the front part A. This is the fixed side, while the other side is hinged to allow access to the finished nest box for periodic cleaning.

Attach the bottom part E to the sub-assembly. Position the partially assembled nest box to the back part Bleaving space both above and below the nest box assemble for mounting the finished box to a tree or pole. Attach the back to the nest box assembly with nails or screws. Cut a 30 degree bevel across the back edge of the roof part D. The bevel matches the angled sides, and allows the roof to fit snugly against the back part B.

Attach the roof to the back, side and front sections. Line up the remaining side part C. To create a hinge, secure the side with one nail or screw driven into each edge -- one through the front part A and one through the back part B to form a pivot point.

Position the hinge screws directly across from each other, enabling the door to open easily. Drill and countersink a screw hole along the center of the bottom edge. A single short screw will secure the door, yet allow easy access for cleaning.

Cut a 3" x 4" hole into the center of the entrance guard part F. Round off wood duck box plan plants edges with a file and sandpaper, or use a round over bit in a router to create a finished edge.

Mount the entrance guard on to the Front part A. Mount the finished nesting box between 4' to 10' above the surface of the water. Consider adding a predator guard to the supporting post to help prevent raccoons from climbing up to wood duck house.

Add 3" to 4" of pine shavings to the bottom of the finished nesting box. Wood ducks do not bring materials into the box to create their nests. The shavings provide cushioning for the eggs as well as adding insulation. If there is not enough shavings, then the hen cannot cover her eggs. Too much shavings can elevate the eggs closer to the entrance hole and within the reach of wood duck box plan plants hungry raccoon.

With the male's brightly colored plumage, the wood duck is arguably one of the most beautiful birds. They are relatively common throughout their range in North America but due to their preference for marshy ponds and woodland streams, few people have the pleasure of seeing them in their native habitat.

They nest in trees near ponds and stream, and they will even choose a site that is directly above the water. If suitable nesting sites are scarce near a water source, they may be forced to nest up to a mile away. Their feet have strong claws that enables them to perch on tree branches. Wood ducks build their roosts in holes in trees or nesting boxes built for this purpose. This lucky YouTube contributor had 14 ducklings hatch from their nesting box.

A day after they hatch, the ducklings leave the nest box, never to return again. Many different species of native birds make their wood duck box plan plants in hollow tree cavities including chickadees, woodpeckers, owls, bluebirds and wood ducks. As more woodland is lost to urban sprawl, it is becoming increasingly more difficult for cavity nesting birds to find suitable nesting sites to safely raise their young.

Fortunately, many cavity nesting birds will readily move into a man-made nest box. Birds are very fussy when it comes to selecting a nesting site. Every bird species its own nesting requirements including the size of the nest box, the size of the entrance hole, and the height of the entrance hole above the floor of the nest box.

Before buying or building a birdhouse, decide which species of bird already inhabits your yard, and which type you want to attract to your birdhouse. Then, build the birdhouse with their specific requirements in mind. This will significantly increase the chances that a pair of birds will take up residence in your handcrafted birdhouse.

Answer: Wood duck nest boxes can be placed over land or water. The house only needs to be about 6 feet above the ground, and should be mounted to a post that's protected by a predator guard.

Answer: According to the Wood Duck Society, woods ducks in the southern states may begin nesting in late January. However, some hens produce more than one brood per season. Putting out wood duck box plan plants nest wood duck box plan plants in mid-season might attract a late-nesting hen looking for a new place to raise another brood.

Question: What are your thoughts on mounting a wood duck nest box directly on a tree? Answer: Wood duck nest boxes can be hung in trees, however, it is often better to mount the boxes to a post that's completely surrounded by water.

This will help to protect the ducks from predators. For added protection, add a baffle to the post to make it harder for predators to reach the nest box.

Adding a Woodie nest for the first time around my pond I like that idea of the wifi wood duck box plan plants in the box. With these instructions I could make one myself. I'm glad I found your lens. Oh my goodness but those poor little ducklings making that brave bounce down to the ground. I would have never believed it if I had not seen it. Wood ducks are amazing birds.

Time to wood duck box plan plants those Wood Duck nesting boxes made and put in place I guess other critters like to try to move in too sometimes, so its important to keep a check on them. I just have to watch that video again I'm amazed every time I see the ducklings take that bit jump.

Well done! I love the way you have laid out the instructions - very clear and easy to follow. Great job! Amazing wood duck box plan plants of the little ducks jumping from the nest box - good thing they can bounce!

Appreciate the wood duck box plan plants for building a box - great info. Whew, now that's a wood duck box plan plants of faith for the little ones, they sure do hit down with a smack! Thanks for including the video here.

As usual, your plans and directions are concise and make sense, well done! Wood duck box plan plants this is different, my security word is 'rookegg'! Thanks for the wood duck nesting box plans.

Really enjoyed the video of the ducklings. The lucky one landed in the ferns.

Wood Duck Box Construction Specifications for Wood Duck Box Construction. Materials. Rough cut cedar, yellow pine or cypress boards 1" thick are preferred, but exterior plywood is an acceptable Sides (10" wide). Bottom. Top (12" wide). Front (12" wide). Back (12" wide). Predator Guard. WOOD DUCK NEST BOX Boxes placed on posts in water should be six to eight feet above the water. Wood duck boxes can also be placed in woodland habitat up to a half mile from lakes, ponds, marshes, and rivers. Since the hen must lead her ducklings to water after they hatch, the habitat between the house location and the water’s. Basic Wood Duck Box Dimensions and Placement Entrance Hole (0val) – 3 inches high, 4 inches wide for Wood Duck. Height of Hole above floor – 16 to 18 inches. Inside Floor Dimension – 10 inches x 10 inches to 12 inches x 12 inches. Total Height of Box – 24 inches to 25 inches.

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