The Cornell Lab's NestWatch project offers free nest box plans on its All About Birdhouses page, from House Wren to Osprey (61 species listed in October 2026). Each species page gives the mounting height and placement tips, the box size for enclosed boxes, and a plan to download. This hub links the plans for 16 backyard birds, shows the numbers each page states, and flags where other published specs differ. For one combined table of dimensions and box spacing, see our birdhouse dimensions by species.
Quick read
Getting the plan: each species page asks for an email address before the download, and NestWatch says downloading subscribes you to the Cornell Lab and NestWatch eNewsletters.
Difficulty: NestWatch tags each plan simple, moderate, kid-friendly or complex.
Not sure which bird? NestWatch's Right Bird, Right House tool asks for your region and one of 11 habitats (from desert to town) and shows likely nesting birds with their plans.
Plans by species
Figures as printed on each NestWatch species page: hole and box sizes in inches, mounting height in feet. Some pages print the numbers without units. "—" means the page does not list it.
| Species (NestWatch plan) | Difficulty | Entrance hole | Width × length | Depth | Mount height |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| House Wren | Moderate | 1 | 5½ × 5½ | 8 | 5–10 |
| Carolina Wren | Kid-friendly, simple | 2½ | 5 × 6½ | 7 | 3–6 |
| Black-capped Chickadee | Moderate | 1⅛ | 5½ × 5½ | 8 | 5–15 |
| Carolina Chickadee | Moderate | 1⅛ | 5½ × 5½ | 8 | 4–15 |
| Tufted Titmouse | Moderate | 1¼ | 5½ × 5½ | 8 | 5–15 |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | Moderate | 1¼ | 5½ × 5½ | 8 | 5–20 |
| Tree Swallow | Moderate | 1⅜ | 5½ × 5½ | 9 | 5–6 |
| Eastern Bluebird | Moderate | 2¼ | 5½ × 5½ | 9 | 4–6 |
| Western Bluebird | Moderate | 1½ | 5½ × 5½ | 9 | 4–6 |
| Mountain Bluebird | Moderate | 1 9⁄16 | 5½ × 5½ | 9 | 4–6 |
| Northern Flicker | Moderate | 2½ | 7¼ × 7¼ | 24 | 6–12 |
| Eastern Screech-Owl | Moderate | 3 | 9⅝ × 11¼ | 17⅜ | 10–30 |
| American Robin | Kid-friendly, moderate | Shelf | — | — | 5–25 |
| Eastern Phoebe | Moderate | Platform | — | — | 3–16 |
| Barn Swallow | Kid-friendly, moderate | Shelf | — | — | 7–12 |
| Mourning Dove | Kid-friendly, simple | Nest cone | — | — | 6–10 |
NestWatch disagrees with itself in places: its Eastern Bluebird page gives 4–6 feet, but its placement tips table gives 3–6 feet; the Tree Swallow page says face the box south or east, the table says east.
Build notes from the species pages
- Northern Flicker: use 1½-inch-thick boards, cut ¼-inch-deep grooves every ½ inch from floor to hole as a climbing ladder, pack the box to the top with white pine wood chips (fresh each year by April 1), and mount it tilted slightly forward.
- Eastern Screech-Owl: add 2–3 inches of wood shavings; a nearby branch helps young owls climb out but should not block the hole.
- Chickadees and nuthatch: 1 inch of wood shavings for Black-capped Chickadee and White-breasted Nuthatch. Carolina Chickadees do little excavating, so chips or sawdust are not needed.
- Tree Swallow: add a fledgling ladder (shallow saw cuts or hardware cloth inside, under the hole) and a predator guard on the pole.
- Bluebirds: where House Sparrows are a problem, drill a second entrance hole beside the first (Eastern, Western, Mountain pages). Keep Mountain Bluebird boxes at least a quarter mile from buildings and off utility poles. More in our House Sparrow guide.
- Robin and Barn Swallow shelves: mount on a building in a sheltered spot, under eaves or over a light fixture; keep the swallow shelf away from an active doorway and provide mud nearby.
- Eastern Phoebe platform: close to overhead cover such as an overhang or ledge, ideally with fresh water nearby.
- Mourning Dove cone: wire it into a horizontal fork of a limb in a shady part of the tree, with branches overhead.
Where other plans disagree
Before you cut, compare the plan with a second source. These are the figures each source states:
| Spec | NestWatch | Nebraska Extension (2010) | NC State Extension (2019, rev. 2024) | NABS (2018) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Bluebird hole | 2¼ in | 1½ in | 1½ in | 1½ in round, 1⅜ × 2¼ in oval or 1⅛ in slot* |
| Eastern Bluebird floor | 5½ × 5½ in | 5 × 5 in | 5.5 × 5.5 in | 4 × 4 up to 5½ × 5½ in |
| Eastern Bluebird height | 4–6 ft (species page); 3–6 ft (placement table) | 4–10 ft | 4–6 ft | Entrance at least 5 ft up |
| Mountain Bluebird hole | 1 9⁄16 in | 1⅝ in | — | 1 9⁄16 in |
| Tree Swallow hole | 1⅜ in | 1½ in | — | — |
| White-breasted Nuthatch hole | 1¼ in | 1⅜ in | 1⅜ in (nuthatches) | — |
| House Wren hole | 1 in | 1 to 1¼ in, or a 1 × 3–4 in slot | — | — |
| Black-capped Chickadee floor and depth | 5½ × 5½ in, 8 in deep | 4 × 4 in, 9 in deep | — | — |
| Northern Flicker depth | 24 in | 16–18 in | — | — |
* NABS: vertical oval or horizontal slot; it also calls a 1 9⁄16-inch round hole acceptable for all three bluebird species. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency's (TWRA) bluebird plan uses an oval entrance, and the agency calls the oval "critical for access by bluebirds." For more on the bluebird numbers, see our Eastern Bluebird nest box specs.
Build tips: where sources agree and differ
All five sources say no perch: NestWatch says birds don't need one and it can help predators; NC State says it gives predators and House Sparrows easier access, and the TWRA booklet says perches mainly help House Sparrows and starlings. Most also call for a sloped, overhanging roof and a box you can open. The details vary:
| Topic | NestWatch | Other sources |
|---|---|---|
| Wood and finish | Untreated, unpainted cedar, pine or cypress, at least ¾ in thick | NC State: don't paint or use preservative (heat, toxic vapors). Nebraska: cedar needs no paint; exterior latex on pine or poplar, never inside or on the hole. NABS: only nontoxic finishes such as water-based latex or raw linseed oil, interior generally unpainted, no pressure-treated plywood. TWRA booklet: preservative on the outside only, never green-treated wood or creosote. |
| Vents | Two ⅝-in holes near the top of each side wall | NC State: several ¼-in holes in the sides. Nebraska: a ½-in gap under the eaves or ¼–5⁄16-in holes. NABS: high under the eaves, drilled at an upward angle. |
| Drainage | At least four ⅜–½-in holes, or cut off the floor corners; floor recessed at least ¼ in | NC State: at least four ¼-in holes, or cut corners. NABS: ¼–½-in holes or cut corners. TWRA: recess the floor ¼ in. |
| Roof | Overhangs the front 2–4 in and the sides 2 in, with ¼-in gutters underneath; NestWatch's predator page suggests 5 in in front against raccoons and cats | TWRA: at least 2 in over the entrance. |
| Fasteners | Galvanized screws; no staples; nails can loosen | Nebraska: screws best; galvanized or aluminum, no points poking inside. TWRA booklet: galvanized nails can loosen; concrete-coated or ring-shank nails for cedar. |
| Opening | Hinged side with a latch or nail | NABS: every box must open; no bottom-opening boxes; pivot at the top or bottom. NC State: hinged roof or a pivot nail on one side. |
| Mounting | Metal pole away from trees, fence posts and brush piles; extended back with pre-drilled holes | NABS: smooth pole, not tree trunks. NC State: boxes on live trees get used less. Nebraska: boxes on metal poles are less exposed to predators than those on wooden posts or trees. |
- Roof: sloped, overhanging the front 2–4 in and the sides 2 in (NestWatch); at least 2 in over the entrance (TWRA).
- Gutters: ¼-in-deep grooves under the roof edges (NestWatch).
- Vents: high on the side walls; two ⅝-in holes per side (NestWatch), several ¼-in holes (NC State).
- Entrance, no perch: hole sized for the species in the table above (NestWatch, NC State, NABS, TWRA).
- Inside wall below the hole (shown dashed): roughened with coarse sandpaper, or shallow grooves for swallows and bluebirds (NestWatch).
- Hinged side with a latch or nail, for monitoring and cleaning (NestWatch).
- Recessed floor (dashed): at least ¼ in up from the bottom (NestWatch, TWRA).
- Drainage: at least four ⅜–½-in holes, or cut-off corners (NestWatch).
- Extended back with pre-drilled mounting holes (NestWatch).
- Untreated wood at least ¾ in thick, joined with galvanized screws (NestWatch).
- Metal pole and baffle: stovepipe baffle about 8 in wide and 24–36 in long, or a cone baffle about 3 ft across (NestWatch).
Build a box from a plan, step by step
- Pick the bird. Use Right Bird, Right House or the table above, matched to the habitat you have.
- Download the plan from the species page (email required) and check the hole size against a second source.
- Choose wood. Untreated cedar, pine or cypress at least ¾ in thick (NestWatch); boards sold as 1 inch are actually ¾ inch.
- Cut and drill: entrance, vents, drainage holes or cut corners, and mounting holes in the back board before assembly (NestWatch).
- Roughen or groove the inside wall below the hole (NestWatch).
- Assemble with galvanized screws, recess the floor, fit a hinged side and latch, and leave off the perch.
- Mount on a metal pole with a baffle. NestWatch says to put boxes up by February in the south and by mid to late March in the north, well before the breeding season.
- After the season, clean out old nests once young fledge so the box can be used again (NestWatch bluebird and Tree Swallow pages). Carolina Wrens roost in boxes in winter, so leave those up in colder areas (NestWatch); see our Carolina Wren nest box notes.
Checklist
- Species chosen for your region and habitat
- Hole size checked against a second source
- Untreated wood, at least ¾ in, nothing painted inside
- Vents high on the sides, drainage in the floor, floor recessed
- No perch; inside wall below the hole roughened or grooved
- Side or roof opens for checks and cleaning
- Metal pole with a baffle, away from trees and fences
- Up by February (south) or mid to late March (north)
Sources
- All About Birdhouses (species plan list and difficulty levels) — NestWatch, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Features of a Good Birdhouse — NestWatch
- Right Bird, Right House — NestWatch
- Tips on Nest Box Placement — NestWatch
- Dealing with Predators — NestWatch
- NestWatch species nest box pages (all linked in the table above): House Wren, Carolina Wren, Black-capped Chickadee, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Tree Swallow, Eastern Bluebird, Western Bluebird, Mountain Bluebird, Northern Flicker, Eastern Screech-Owl, American Robin, Eastern Phoebe, Barn Swallow, Mourning Dove
- Backyard Wildlife: Birdhouses and Shelves (G2002, 2010) — University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension (PDF)
- Building Songbird Boxes (2019, reviewed 2024) — NC State Extension
- Nestbox Recommendations (fact sheet, rev. January 2018) — North American Bluebird Society, PDF hosted by the New York State Bluebird Society
- Eastern Bluebird Nest Box — Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
- Woodworking for Wildlife in Tennessee (instruction booklet) — Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, adapted from Carrol L. Henderson's Minnesota DNR book (PDF)