Catch A Peek Inside Your Birdhouse With A DIY Spy Window

The daily sight of backyard birds can be one of the greatest perks of homeownership. Our musical, feathered neighbors improve every walk taken outside, or cup of coffee sipped at a window. They're one of our most constant connections to the natural world, and many of us feel the urge to take a greater role in their lives, drawing them into our yards with feeders and birdbaths. Nesting season can be a great opportunity to see baby birds go from hatchlings to fledglings, but it can be hard to sneak a peak into a nest, depending on where it's located and how suspicious the parents are. That's why a DIY birdhouse with a "spy window" is the perfect way to keep up with the bird families that share your yard. This clear plexiglass viewing panel on the back of the house lets you look in on a nest without disturbing its residents.

Whether you've got kids you're trying to get more excited about nature, or you just want to get a closer look at the marvels of the hatching process, this straightforward project can accommodate nesting parents' need for safety and privacy while letting you be a part of the fun, per woodworker Anthony Altorenna. This DIY is a great fit for cavity-nesting birds, like chickadees, bluebirds, finches, and wrens (as opposed to species like cardinals and blue jays, who nest out in the open), allowing them to tend to their babies under your watchful eye.

Building this birdhouse starts with measuring and cutting the pieces of wood needed for the front, back, sides, and roof, as well as a piece of plexiglass for the window. You can choose from a variety of wood types as long as the pieces are in good condition, but it's recommended to use pine because it's inexpensive and easy to stain the color of your choosing, per Anthony Altorenna. When cutting the entrance hole, it's important to make it big enough for your bird of choice to fit through comfortably while still preventing larger birds with nefarious purposes, like starlings and sparrows, from invading. It can differ according to the specific species; bluebirds prefer larger entrances, while wrens are ok with a small hole. However, a diameter between 1¼ and 1½ inches will suit a range of birds. 

After the wooden parts are assembled with water-resistant glue and nails, ensuring a space is left open for the plexiglass, it's time to screw it on. Ensure it's easy to remove for cleaning and access to the inside. Two holes drilled through the peak of the roof lets you hang the house anywhere you'd like using a cable. Now you're free to sand the house and paint or stain it to your preference; just be sure to only paint the outside of the house to prevent your new residents from accidentally ingesting any paint.

As with any neighbor, privacy, and security are top-of-mind for your beaked tenants. If you have a hard time finding any takers on your birdhouse, the gaping window in the back might be making potential nesters nervous. A little privacy panel hung over the spy window with a single screw, can be a great way to compromise. The panel will allow peace and security for your birds when you're not around while allowing you to easily swing the panel up whenever you want to check in on the happy family.

Location is as important in bird real estate as it is for humans. Birds can be finicky about the proximity of their nesting sites to food sources or other birdhouses, so make sure you find a spot that's at least 6 feet away from feeders and birdbaths and 100 feet away from any other birdhouses. Predators are another big concern for birds when house hunting; you should hang your house at least 5 feet off the ground to keep it protected. The last thing to consider is weather conditions. Make sure your birdhouse is in a place that's sheltered from harsh elements and that the entry hole faces the opposite direction of the dominant wind (this is usually east). If you keep all these factors in mind, birds will be flocking to your house in no time.