Article: published on 24 August 2026
DIY expert Wayne Perrey
Wayne Perrey's DIY birdhouse and garden guide
- Published
Adding a birdhouse to your garden can give birds a safe place to shelter, roost or nest.
DIY expert Wayne Perrey joined BBC Morning Live to show how to make a simple wooden birdhouse using basic tools and scrap wood.
You will need
Hand saw
Pencil
Tape measure
Hammer
Nails
Wood
Wood glue
Wayne used a long piece of scrap wood, similar to wood from a pallet
The size of your birdhouse may vary depending on the wood you have.
Sizes of wood needed to assemble for Wayne's birdhouse
What to cut
Cut your wood into six sections.
For Wayne's birdhouse, the measurements were:
7cm
9cm
13.5cm
17cm, angled
17cm, angled
22cm
The two angled pieces form the sides of the birdhouse.
How to assemble the birdhouse
Once you have cut all six pieces, start by joining the two angled side pieces together with wood glue.
Attach them to one of the smaller pieces.
Stick on the back piece, then attach the roof.
Next, add the front piece towards the bottom of the birdhouse.
This should leave a rectangular opening underneath the roof.
Once the pieces are in place, hammer nails into the sides and back to secure the wood together.
Where to put a birdhouse
Put your birdhouse somewhere sheltered and secure.
The RSPB says boxes for tits, sparrows or starlings are usually best fixed two to five metres up a tree or wall, away from cats and curious hands.
Unless nearby trees or buildings give permanent shelter, the charity suggests facing the box between north and east, helping to avoid strong sunlight and the wettest winds.
Tilting the box slightly forward can also help rain bounce clear of the entrance.
Birds often spotted in UK gardens.
From left to right: great tit, house martin, swift, little owl
Which birds could you attract?
Different birds need different types of nest box.
A small garden bird box can attract birds such as blue tits, coal tits, great tits, house sparrows or starlings, depending on the size and shape of the entrance.
The RSPB says blue tits need a round hole of around 26mm, great tits around 29mm, house sparrows around 32mm, and starlings around 45mm.
Robins need an open-fronted box tucked behind thick climbers or bushes.
House martins nest in small cup-shaped nests fixed under the eaves of buildings. You can buy artificial house martin nest cups to help attract them.
Swifts need special bricks or boxes under the eaves of buildings, with a clear flight line.
Could you attract owls or kestrels?
Bigger birds need bigger spaces, so Wayne's simple birdhouse is better suited to smaller garden birds.
Little owls need a larger horizontal nest box, usually placed at least three metres above the ground on a wall top, beam or tree branch.
The Barn Owl Trust says little owls often prefer boxes in open-sided or open-fronted buildings.
Barn owls need a much larger box in a rural building overlooking open habitat. The Barn Owl Trust advises against placing barn owl boxes in urban, suburban or dense forest locations.
Kestrels also need a specialist nest box, usually in a quiet spot with suitable open hunting habitat nearby.
What else helps birds visit your garden?
A birdhouse is only one part of making your garden more wildlife friendly.
Food, water, shelter and safe nesting places all make a difference.
You can help by planting shrubs and climbers, leaving some natural cover, avoiding pesticides where possible, and keeping cats away from nesting areas.
If you feed birds, keep feeders clean and move them regularly to reduce the risk of disease.
Clean out nest boxes after the breeding season, once you are sure they are no longer being used.
