A Guide to Building and Placing Birdhouses
Dimensions for Alaska's Cavity-Nesting Birds

range map
Build a specific size birdhouse for a bird species that occurs in your region and lives in the habitat in which you plan to place the house. The right size house won't attract the desired bird if it's placed in the wrong habitat.

Species Distribution Habitats
Used
Interior Dimensions in Inches
Height Width Entrance Hole
No We Sw Sc Ce Se Size & Shape Distance Below Roof
Bufflehead   x x x x x A* 16" 7" 2 7/8" round 2-3"
Common Goldeneye     x x x x A* 24" 12" 4 x 5" rectangle 2-4"
Barrow's Goldeneye     x x x x A* 9-52" 6-9" 3-4" round 2-3"
Common Merganser     x x x x A* 33-40" 9-11" 5" square 2-10"
American Kestrel         x   B* 12-15" 8" 3" round 3"
Boreal Owl   x x x x   C* 9-18" 6-7" 2½x4½-5"
ellipse
2-3"
Saw-whet Owl       x   x C, D* 9-18" 6-7" 2½" round 2-3"
Common Flicker         x x B, C, E* 16-18" 7" 2½" round 2"
Hairy Woodpecker       x x x C, E* 12-15" 6" 1½"round 3"
Downy Woodpecker   x x x x x C, E* 8-10" 4" 1¼" round 2"
Violet-green Swallow     x x x x A, B* 6" 5" 1½" round 1-4"
Tree Swallow   x x x x x A, B* 6" 5" 1½" round 1-4"
Black-capped Chickadee   x x x x   C, E* 8-10" 6" 1 1/8" round 2"
Siberian Tit     x   x   C* 8-10" 6" 1 1/8" round 2"
Boreal Chickadee   x x x x   C, D* 8-10" 6" 1 1/8" round 2"
Chestnut-backed Chickadee       x   x C, D* 8-10" 6" 1 1/8" round 2"
Red-breasted Nuthatch       x x x x 8-10" 5" 1 1/8" round 2"
Mountain Bluebird         x   B* 8" 5" 1¾" round 2"
Snow Bunting x x x x x x F* 8" 5" 1½-2" round 4" from the bottom of the hole to the floor
*Habitats Used: A = Near lake, river or stream in forested area; B = Open areas (forest opening, recent burned over forests, clearcuts, agricultural areas); C = Mixed hardwood-coniferous forest; D = Coniferous forest; E = Deciduous forest; F = Tundra areas