Peterson Bluebird House

This is my version of the Peterson Bluebird House I found on the USGS site here.  I’ve had really good luck getting birds to nest in it and wanted to make a second one with a cooper roof. This one has a shingled roof.

Measure and Mark Lumber

I first measured and marked the lumber for cutting using measurements that were close to the measurements the USGS used for theirs.  I like to estimate a lot when it comes to my measuring and change things up a bit.

Measure Birdhouse Side

I put a board behind the wood test fit and then traced out the front piece.

Trace Birdhouse Side

After cutting out the first side I traced it and cut a second duplicate of the first piece.

Drill Bluebird House Hole

I drilled a 2 inch hole in one side of the front pieces. The hole was drilled almost completely through then was turned over and I finished drilling from the opposite side. This prevents the wood from breaking out on the backside. Also note that I used a scrap piece of wood behind the piece I drilled. This scrap piece also helps prevent breakout and drilling into your table.

Angle Was Cut In Wood

Next the top and sides were cut into at an angle.

Wood Test Fit

The angle pieces were then test fix.

Peterson Birdhouse Wood Pieces

After all the pieces were cut and the hole drilled the Peterson Bluebird House was ready for painting.

First Coat Primer Paint

Everything got a good coat of white primer and then when that dried I painted everything a second time with white paint. Except the front and back pieces.

Peterson Bluebird House Sides

The Peterson Bluebird House front and back pieces were painted blue. The blue let the grain of the wood show through.

Nail Face Side

Now everything got nailed together. The front was nailed to the back piece.

Peterson Bluebird House Bottom

Next the birdhouse back side and top were nailed on.

Bottom Was In Screwed In Place

The bottom was put on with screws so that it could be removed later to clean out old birds nests.

Measure Cooper Roof

Next a piece of cooper flashing was measured and cut for the bluebird house roof.

Folding Cooper Top

The edges of the cooper roof were folded over to eliminate the sharp edges.

Cooper Roof Bluebird House

The cooper was tacked onto the top of the birdhouse after applying some weather proof liquid nails.

Peterson Bluebird House

The new Peterson Bluebird House was mounted on a column outside my garage.