Saturday, October 22, 2011

How to make a nest-box for a Spotted Eagle Owl

(Taken from 'Great Garden Birds' book by Sasol)

As far as nest-boxes are concerned, a Spotted Eagle owl nest box is easy to make. It is a deep tray - approx 600mm long by 450 mm wide and 270mm deep. Add a roof if you will erect the box in a more exposed positition (such as on the side of a building).

1. To construct a roof: screw wooden pillars (50 x 50mm) into the inside coreners of the box. For a flat roof, make the pillars 460mm long; for a sloping roof make the front pillars 460mm and the back pillars 360mm long. Cut the tops of the pillars at the correct angle for the slope of the roof. The roof itself should be approx 750mm x 600mm (five-ply plywood works well), so that it overhangs the tray on all sides. Place the roof on top of the pillars and attach by screwing through the roof into the pillars. With a sloping roof. it is an idea to reduce the height of the box at the entrance to 170mm deep. Remember that the front or entrance should be the width (450mm) rather than the length side.

2. Waterproof box with varnish or wood-sealant. Avoid anything that might be toxic to birds! If necessary, seek advice from your hardware store or paint manufacturer.

3. Erect the box so that the entrance faces away from the direction that your wet and windy weather comes from, and ensure that it is securely mounted on the wall or tree. Add a 10-cm layer of clean river sand to the bottom.


Alternatively, if you have a spare pot plant container, why not try get your own 'Pot Plant Owl' chicks?
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2 comments:

  1. Miss Slick OneOctober 24, 2011 at 5:32 AM

    Would love to do something like this, but I have cats, who happen to be magicians at climbing onto our roof and climb VERY high in trees.

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  2. UnknownJune 25, 2013 at 12:40 PM

    Hello I̲̅ am a falconery aprentice and I̲̅ have seen many cats even medium sized dogs try attack my mentors bird whilst he is in the open on his perch the cats try once and †ђД†§ it even after that they never try again because the birds attack them but don't worry they shouldent kill them well none of our cats have died. Hope my edvice helps. And sorry about the spelling

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