Margaret A. Barker & Elissa Ruth Wolfson 
The Birdhouse Book 
Building, Placing, and Maintaining Great Homes for Great Birds

The Birdhouse Book is the most authoritative book available for creating safe, sturdy, and easy-to-build homes for many of North America’s favorite birds. This updated edition includes important new and timely topics including impacts of climate change on birds, nestbox monitoring for community science, native plants, and how birders can help birds.



Written with those who truly want the best for birds,  
The Birdhouse Book explains how to build and place functional 
DIY bird homes  that are safe and appropriate for 
more than 20 classic North American species , from wrens to raptors. Each of the 
easy-to-build boxes and shelves  within is accompanied by 
cut lists ,  
specially created line diagrams , and 
step-by-step photography , making the projects accessible to those with even the most rudimentary woodworking skills. In addition, this practical and beautifully presented guide is packed with 
color photography  and 
information about the bird species covered:  Wrens, Warblers, Bluebirds, Flycatchers, Swallows, Titmice, Owls, Flickers, Kestrels, Chickadees, Ducks, Mergansers, Swallows, Doves, Swallows, Robins, Finches, Phoebes, Loons, Swifts, Herons, and Ospreys.



Detailed information will help you 
properly place and maintain the homes  to attract birds. And because these projects are the product of 
years of experience and field-testing , you can be sure you’re getting the best advice regarding 
proper design, safe construction materials, and correct home placement  to mitigate exposure to elements, pests, and predators. Finally, beyond the birdhouses, you’ll find out how you can 
contribute to the larger birding community  and even enhance your birding experience.

Over de auteur

Elissa Wolfson has written and edited numer­ous environmental, botanical, ornithological, and veterinary publications. After graduating from Cornell University, she worked as an environmental educa­tor for a decade, earned an MS degree, and transitioned into environmental journalism. Her clients include the National Audubon Society and Cornell University’s Laboratory of Ornithology and College of Veterinary Medicine. She is former editor of E, The Environmental Magazine, and Cornell Plantations Magazine, current editor of Rationality and Society, author of 101 Cool Games for Cool Cats, and co-author of Birding Adventures for Kids, The Birdhouse Book, and the American Museum of Natural History Pocket Birds of North America, Eastern and Western Regions.