I made my owl shack out of a couple 1x6 cedar fence pickets, so the floor is much smaller than yours. My doorway is larger and square. I guess it's okay, they come back to it every year. It took a couple years for the owls to find it and the squirrels were a problem. Once the owls found it though, the squirrels stayed away. We are in the city, the shack is in my back yard, about 50 ft from the street. Nothing seems to bother them, even mowing the grass under the shack. They sit in the doorway with their eyes closed.
Love the tutorial! I'm a 21 y/o who made this as my first ever project and loved it, and here's what I've learned, as a woman and someone who's never used a saw before. -You'll actually need more than 8 feet of wood. Go to the "hobby wood isle" and get 2 8 foot pieces, which will give you some scraps and enough to practice cuts/holes with. -I borrowed a circular saw from my coworker. Wear safety glasses! start the blade a little before you make contact with the wood, and then keep the metal foot flush against the wood as you cut. You can adjust the angle of the foot to make the 22.5 cuts. -Get a carpenter square. It is much easier to line up than a ruler. -I don't own a brad gun, and I didn't use glue. I just had someone hold the pieces if I needed it. It's okay if it's not perfect, the owls won't mind. -I used "exterior deck screws". these are designed to be anti-rust. If you buy discount and shit wood (like I did) it might crack. Drill slowly with even pressure, and buy wood from Lowe's, making sure it's not too warped or gnarly. -Make the roof long enough that water will cascade off and not drip down the front, but not too long that the owl can't get in. I eyeballed it, and it was relatively effective. I found a few shingles at my parent's house and stapled them on, so if you have to overhang the shingles to achieve water diversion it won't look too noticeable if you cut the wood too short. -a 3.5 inch hole saw is expensive, but trying to use a smaller one to cut out a few smaller circles and then round it out with a hand saw didn't work. borrow this if possible. -when measuring the sides and making lines, use pencil so if you have to flip the side around you don't have pen marks (like I did) -making the shallow cuts on the inside for the baby owls with a circular saw is not at all easy. you can use a hand saw, or glue mesh/scrap wood to the inside to achieve the same effect. -Set up a trail cam to keep an eye on the inhabitants. -this owl house is BIG if you use the measurements provided. it's not subtle. -I did have help installing the box. have someone hold the ladder, and predrill some pilot holes in the mountable section of the back to make things easier. Use long screws, and make sure it's secured well enough to withstand some abuse from weather or predators.
I make tons of nest boxes, especially owls. I enjoy watching others making boxes, so I can get ideas. The floor was what I took from your build. Thanks
I have a deep connection to owls... Short story, built a box a month ago, male screech moved in within a week... Female is there with him now. Screech owls are everywhere. Build a box and give them a home!
For the floor - how about a 5mm hole through a side through to the floor to accommodate a dowel / peg to lock the floor in for critter issues? That way you need no tools in the woods to get the house cleared out.
I build Bluebird boxes and put them around the perimeter of my pasture, These owl boxes are about 4 times the size of Bluebird boxes, but I am eager to build me some, because I like owls as well and enjoy hearing them hooting down here in Alabama.
I get ground dwelling owls here in Southern Nevada. I have a two acre lot, and one acre belongs to them. I let the weeds grow there to hide their hole. I like owls of all kinds as well.
Hey Doug - love the build and good luck attracting a resident. I made a similar birdhouse with a push-up floor in it but what I found was that the residents packed so much material into the cavity that I could barely push it up to clean it out !!! My replacement is going to have a hinged bottom that swings down for cleaning. Take care. Mike
Owls are my favorite. When we lived in the southeast US we had a pair in the woods around our house. You could hear them hooting at night. We loved opening the bedroom window and listening to them as we fell asleep. Now that we're in the central Arizona I don't know what kind of wildlife we'll have. So far just rabbits, ground squirrels, road runners and tweetie birds, no large predator birds, maybe come spring we'll see more.
Good idea about the bottom for cleaning. Audubon society directions uses a hinged top. I glad the one I'm building is with my 7 year grandson, cause he only has a 5 minute attention so it's still not done. Now I have a better design. It's amazing how they fly in the dark through thick brush to hunt. Most of my property is so thick you can't walk through it. However the owls love it.
You might consider, for longevity sake, angling the cuts so that rain will drop off instead of rolling down and under to rot out the end grain. Primarily a concern on the bottom cuts and the end of the lid
Hey Doug, thanks for the video. We live in a suburb (Vista) of San Diego. I have 2 massive barn owls in one of my trees. Building a house for those guys tomorrow, thanks to you!
I built an owl house put about 25 ft. up a tree and have had wood ducks nesting for the last 4 years. you should watch my jump videos there a little scary to watch but the ducklings bounce.
I tried to find you on Facebook to send you a picture, but I made a box based on this one today. My area has seen a lot of hedge rows getting cut down, so owls have been looking for new homes. Lots of them near roads, and I actually hit one with my car a while back. I have also noticed that I’ve been hearing them in town a lot more these last few years, so I decided to put up a box for one. Hopefully this will keep at least one out of someone’s windshield. I’m probably too late this year, but maybe next year I’ll get an owl neighbor. Thanks for the tutorial.
Enjoyed the vid! I'm in the middle of the city and don't have anywhere to hang one, but I can still appreciate it! Look forward to seeing any future occupants. And thanks for the "motage". My hubby is in the hospital with COVID right now, and the animals were nice and relaxing! Next stop is I'm going to watch the recording of your livestream, as in the midst of everything last week I forgot to account for timezone differences. Wish I could give you more than one thumbs up. Wishing you and your family the best, and good health!
thanks for the tutorial. My son built a duck box a few years back and put it down by the creek. Every fall and winter a little screech owl takes up residence in it. I think we're gonna build another one.
Another great video Doug, I really do enjoy them. You put out some great alternative video's when you can't bushcraft. Be clad to see some more of those.
My friend builds them and he made the floor so it can slide out....I have lots of barred owls around my off grid place, they sure are noisy , but I love it.... Thanks for the video.
Never saw someone make nesting boxes for Owls before. However; I had a friend who was a registered and certified Falconer. Over the years he saved numerous birds of prey and hunted with some as well. He once had a Screech Owl he kept in his house recovering from an injury. It was perched under a bird cage in the kitchen. These little fellows are amazing birds. When they are calm and resting they flatten into a rectangle size postcard with two big eyes. When I coax him onto my one finger he puffed up three times bigger. Birds of prey all look menacing; but this one was too cute and small to intimidate anyone. When all of them are well fed they are docile; this how they are trained to hunt. They are weighed and only trained when hungry. I also held a Golden Eagle on my arm once too. It was one scary bird to hold. They can break your arm if they wanted and just the power you feel thru the protective cuff of heavy leather is just no sense of safety what so ever! I am curious about such a large box made for such a small Owl. I would think a Screech Owl would likely nest in a much smaller box than the ones you made. How did you decide to make them the size you made? What luck have you had in the past of getting Owls to use this size box? I would be very interested to know more.
Some of the little owls do enjoy running around and playing in their nests (apparently the barn owl, though I'm not sure about the proper English name). So they do need quite a bit of space. But I agree: cool stuff!
Awesome little builds you got there can't wait to see any owls that take nesting And always looking forward to your trail cameras just to see what's about
I have checked e-bay for an owl box, I have been left gasping at not only the prices but they are all horrible. So thank you kind Sir, I have made one from your instructions, it is perfect, cost......20 english pounds , thumbs up to me and you
Too amazing Doug, right before I watched this a friend called me from Florida telling me about this Owl that has been outside his bedroom window the past few days. I am sending this to him and maybe the Owl can relocate to a new Doug Linker Owl Condo a bit further from his bedroom. Awesome like always Doug Nice job!
Where I live I have to put screws on the bottom board. I do not have raccoons just a neighbor who hates nature and will do anything to ruin the life of birds. Just like your box and will make me one in a week. Thanks for the design plans. Will keep the front flush. Do you recommend putting a metal shield to prevent squirrels from chewing up the opening ???? Thanks
Great video !! Out of all the Screech Owl box building videos (and I have seen dozens), I like this design the best. I am going to attempt to duplicate the build but I do wish you had explicit directions. This will be my first attempt to build such a box. Wish this old guy luck !
Not many know about the sawdust for the eggs Doug Great video I made hundreds through the years Make some for teh moskito hunting birds also Thanks for a inspiration channel Grandma in Taigan Sweden
Another awesome video. As mentioned in an earlier carving video, you are inspiring. I’ve been trying to describe you and your videos to friends…I just came up with the ideal description…you are so Canadian…hehe! Never give up, keep ‘em coming. A proud bluenoser!
