Many hobbyists build bird houses, not only because they love birds, but also because it's a way to releases some of the creativity within themselves.
What many would, no doubt, be surprised by is that many of their works of craft end up in the living rooms of the people who buy them instead of being placed outside where the birds can enjoy them.
That's because, for many people, these types of structures are art.
And even when they place the birdhouse in their garden, it is more likely to be looked at as a garden accessory rather than a place to attract birds to.
Nevertheless, most of these crafts people will continue to build homes for birds even though many of them will never actually house a bird family.
Even so, when constructing these homes, the builder must ensure that the structure is functional.
To this end, there are certain characteristics that each home must have.
It goes without saying that the house should be well constructed so that it doesn't fall apart easily.
But, assuming a well constructed home, at the top of the list of required features is that the home have a removable panel to make it easy to clean.
Because, if it doesn't, history shows that many homeowners will not be bothered with to clean it.
So, for most bird houses, this means that they be built with either a removable bottom, top, or back.
It is also important that the structure be protected from the elements.
When using wood, this usually means covering the outside of it with a minimum of two coats of polyurethane which, depending on the harshness of the weather, should protect it for at least a couple of years.
And, the last important thing is to ensure that the bird house meets the requirements of the bird which it is built for.
For example, the size of the entry hole is critical in determining whether a bird will be attracted to a particular bird house.
If you are building a structure with intent of housing a bluebird, the hole has to be much smaller than one that is meant to house a Red-Headed Woodpecker.
The bluebird would never move into a home with a hole that is too large because it would allow too easy of an access for predators.
So, for the craftsman toiling away in his wood shop, making bird houses to sell to the public, it's worth keeping in mind that he is really targeting two audiences.
The birds and bird house collectors.