A winter bird house isn't the Taj Mahal, but on a ten-degree night it's the best room in town. Nobody's nesting in January, so the birds moving in aren't starting families. They're roosting: packing in to sleep somewhere out of the wind.
Here's what we'll cover:
- whether birds use winter bird houses (and which ones do)
- how a roosting box differs from a regular nest box
- features of a good winter bird house
- our favorite bird houses for winter
- 5 tips for setting one up
Do Birds Use Bird Houses in Winter?
Yes, but for sleeping, not nesting. According to NestWatch, most cavity-nesting birds will use nest boxes as a warm, dry place to sleep at night, and in a cold snap they'll share. Birds & Blooms has reported as many as eight Eastern Bluebirds leaving a single box on a winter morning, which is either adorable or a fire code violation.
Should you leave bird houses up in winter?
Yes. NestWatch says you can leave your box up over the winter so birds can use it as a roost. Just clean out the old nest first (more on that below).
Nesting vs. Roosting: Why It Matters
Bird houses serve two purposes:
- Nesting: seasonal breeding behavior. Birds build a nest or choose a site to lay eggs and raise young, mostly in spring and summer.
- Roosting: resting or sleeping, for shelter from weather and predators. It happens year round.
Not all birds will visit your bird house. Many birds don't sleep in cavities at all. Where and how birds sleep falls into one of six categories:
Cavity nesters use bird houses for both nesting and roosting, while cavity roosters use them for warmth in winter but don't lay eggs there. Common cavity-roosting birds include titmice, chickadees, bluebirds, wrens, woodpeckers, and nuthatches. Birds that won't use your bird house include cardinals, finches, jays, sparrows, and robins; they sleep in dense shrubs and evergreens instead.
Did you know?
Birds puff up their feathers to trap a layer of warm air, and many birds roost together in winter to share body heat. Communal roosting serves two main purposes:
- security and safety
- shared body heat
Some birds still prefer to roost alone, for territorial reasons or to stay hidden. Solitary roosters include Great Blue Herons, Downy Woodpeckers, eagles, and hawks.
Roosting Box vs. Nest Box
A roosting box is a winter bird house built for sleeping, not raising young. The Cornell Lab's guide to roost boxes lists the key differences:
- The entrance is near the bottom, so rising body heat stays trapped inside. On a nest box, the hole is near the top.
- Staggered perches inside, made from small wooden dowels, let several birds sleep stacked at different levels.
- Fewer ventilation holes, because in winter you want heat in, not out.
- A bigger box, since a regular nest box is usually too small for a group.
Turn a nest box into a winter roost
You don't need a new box to give birds a winter roost. The Cornell Lab says you can convert an empty nest box by plugging some of the ventilation holes with weatherstripping or putty. Clean it out, plug the vents, and unplug them again before spring nesting so the box doesn't overheat. It's the reduce-and-reuse move, and it's free.
Types of Winter Bird Houses
There are 3 general types of winter bird shelter:
- Standard nest boxes: a simple bird house made for one nest, which doubles as a winter roost
- Roost boxes: designed for several birds to roost together, with interior perches and a low entrance
- Brush piles: a natural shelter built from stacked branches and cuttings
Brush piles are an accumulation of twigs, fallen leaves, and branches on the ground. They give birds cover from predators and cold weather, and plenty of small animals use them for shelter. Be mindful about when you clean up brush in your yard, and leave it alone in the wild. It might be someone's winter home.
You can also buy an owl box, which has a larger entrance hole (around 3 inches) and a bigger box. These suit birds like Eastern Screech-Owls and American Kestrels.
WARNING: If you put an owl box in your yard, place it far away from your bird feeders and bird houses. Many owls eat smaller birds.
Features of a Good Winter Bird House
Not all bird houses are made the same. Mass-produced products sometimes skip the features that matter, so look for these:
- Natural, untreated wood like cedar, pine, or cypress. Wood insulates well and lets heat and moisture escape in summer, so you (and your birds) can use the same bird house year round. Plastic and metal don't insulate or ventilate as well.
- Natural colors. Bright bird houses can attract predators, so stick to wood tones.
- The right entrance hole. Hole size depends on the species: a Northern Flicker needs about a 2.5-inch hole, while a bluebird needs about 1.5 inches.
- Ventilation you can plug. Vents are a must in summer. In winter, plug a few to keep birds warm.
- A clean-out door, so you can empty old nests before winter roosting season.
- No outside perch. A perch under the entrance hole just gives predators a handhold. (Interior perches in a roost box are a different story, and a good one.)
Our Favorite Winter Bird Houses
These cedar and pine boxes have the features above, and they work for spring nesting and winter roosting. Plug a few vents in late fall to winterize them.
Nature's Way Bird Products CWH1 Cedar Wren House, 8" x 8.875" x 8.125", standard, Brown
NATURE'S WAY
- Sisterbird 2 Pack Cedar Bird Houses (assembly required)
SISTERBIRD 2 Pack Bluebird Houses for Outside, Warming Gifts Bluebird House | Blue Bird Houses for Outdoors with Copper Guard, Garden Decoration Bird House, Bluebird Finch Swallow, Assembly Required
SISTERBIRD
Bird House for Outside,Wood Birdhouses Outdoor, Wooden Bird House Bluebird Finch Cardinals Hanging Birdhouse for Garden Viewing
STARSWR
Want a true roosting box? Look for the design points above: a low entrance, interior dowel perches, and a tall cedar or pine box. If you're handy, it's also one of the easier bird houses to build.
5 Tips for Winter Bird Houses
1. Clean it out in fall
Birds rarely reuse an old nest for roosting because of parasites and mess. Clean out your bird houses in fall, once nesting is clearly over, so they're ready for winter roosting. NestWatch recommends a mild detergent at the end of the season. Check again in late winter, before spring nesting starts.
2. Face it south, out of the wind
Mount winter bird houses with the entrance facing south or away from prevailing winter winds, where they'll catch the most sun. Mount them on a tree trunk with no branches near the entrance, or on a smooth pole.
Bluebirds like open space, while titmice and chickadees prefer wood edges. Keep bird houses a few yards from feeders: birds don't like to sleep where everyone eats.
Bird feeders are best kept either very close to windows or several yards away, which keeps birds from flying into the glass. My grandma kept her feeders in the 8-foot lilac bushes outside her bay window. Every bird in the neighborhood visited, and so did every squirrel, who regularly scaled the lilacs and toppled the feeders. Sigh.
3. Deter predators
Predator guards are essential and easy to add. Baffles, cones, and stovepipe guards all work. For bluebirds, mount the house on a smooth metal pole with a guard to stop snakes and raccoons from climbing. Keep bird houses away from fences, ledges, and branches predators can use to get close.
4. Keep the pantry stocked
A crucial way birds stay warm is by eating enough to generate body heat all night. Calorie-dense foods like suet and black oil sunflower attract nuthatches, chickadees, woodpeckers, and jays, the same birds that use your bird houses.
Peanut butter suet and beef suet are high-calorie foods birds love, and the best way to attract woodpeckers. A nyjer feeder is popular with finches and juncos. Nyjer seeds are small, oily black seeds that make great high-energy winter food.
Did you know? Nyjer is often labeled "thistle," but that's a misnomer. It isn't related to thistle at all; marketers borrowed the name because finches love thistle seed.
Some birds stock their own pantries, too. Chickadees, nuthatches, jays, and some woodpeckers cache food to eat later, tucking seeds into bark and crevices. Leaf blowers and heavy fall cleanups can wipe out those hidden stores, which is one more reason to leave a little mess.
Please don't feed birds bread, crackers, or similar foods. They fill birds up without giving them the calories and nutrients they need to survive cold nights. Bread = bad, year round.
5. Keep unfrozen water nearby
Birds need water for drinking and preening even in winter. A heated bird bath or a bird bath heater for the bath you already own keeps water open all season. For low-tech options like moving water, dark liners, and insulation, see our guide on how to keep a bird bath from freezing.
Winter Bird Houses FAQ
Do birds use bird houses in winter?
Yes. Cavity-nesting birds like bluebirds, chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, wrens, and small woodpeckers use bird houses as winter roosts, often several birds at a time. They aren't nesting, just sleeping somewhere warmer than a bare branch.
Should I leave my bird house up in winter?
Yes. A nest box left up over winter becomes a roost site. Clean out the old nest in fall, plug a few vents to hold in heat, and reopen them before spring nesting.
What's the difference between a roosting box and a nest box?
A roosting box has its entrance near the bottom to trap rising heat, staggered perches inside so several birds can sleep together, fewer vents, and a taller body. A nest box has its entrance near the top and room for one family.
Where should I put a roosting box?
Mount it facing south or away from prevailing winter winds, in a sheltered spot that gets sun, and away from feeders and branches predators could use.
What birds use roosting boxes?
Mostly bluebirds, chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, wrens, and small woodpeckers. Cardinals, finches, jays, sparrows, and robins won't use them; they roost in dense shrubs and evergreens.
Spotted a bluebird slipping into your box at dusk? Share it with other backyard birders on the Sparkbird App.
Happy birding. And if a squirrel moves into your roosting box anyway, take it as a compliment to your carpentry and buy a baffle.
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