SEARCH
MENU
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Shop
Creative & Frugal Home & Garden Ideas

Empress of Dirt

  • Grow
  • Make
  • Ideas

New here?

Dig in!

Start here

Make a Chickadee Nesting Box (Free Plans)

Published on May 13, 2020Last updated October 6, 2021 ♛ By Melissa J. Will

This post contains affiliate links.
Read full disclosure statement here.

Share on FacebookShare on PinterestShare on Email

Build a chickadee nesting box with these free plans. The hinged roof makes cleanup easy, so you can reuse the box year after year.

I also have plans for making a wren nesting box and bluebird nesting box.

Chickadee perched on a branch.

Nesting Box Tips

Chickadee and a chickadee nesting box.

When making a nesting box for birds, design, location, and materials matter.

For example, a mama bird may start nesting in a generic birdhouse but, due to wrong dimensions or slippery surfaces, the babies find themselves trapped at fledging time, unable to climb out.

Perches can enable predators to attack the nest. It’s worthwhile to learn about the right choices so your birds can enjoy greater safety. It’s not an easy out there in the food chain!

This shares what to look for when choosing a safe nesting box.


Contents

  • About Chickadees
  • How to Make a Chickadee Nesting Box
    • Wood
    • Box Placement
    • Cutting List
    • Hardware & Supplies
    • Assembly
  • Resources

About Chickadees

Black-capped chickadee.
Black-capped chickadee

Black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapilla) Vital Statistics

Chickadee bird.
  • size: 5.5″
  • number of eggs: 5–10
  • length of incubation: 11–13
  • broods per season: 1
  • Food: insects, berries, and seeds
  • range: year-round in the northern half of the United states and most of Canada

Chickadees, both the Black-capped and the Carolina, are vocal, energetic birds, and we’ve all probably heard their familiar chick-a-dee call. But their loud voices do not match their size; the average chickadee weighs a mere .4 ounces, equivalent to the combined weight of a quarter, nickel, and dime.

They are readily seen around bird feeders and have specialized leg muscles that enable them to hang upside down. The Black-capped Chickadee prefers deciduous and mixed deciduous-coniferous woodlands, but it is also found in suburban areas as long as there is suitable nesting sites and adequate food.

They gather in flocks and have a pecking order in that a main pair will dominate over all other individuals. During winter, chickadees have an amazing ability to enter a state of “controlled hypothermia” on cold nights, and they can drop their body temperature by 18–22° Fahrenheit to conserve energy during the night.

A common visitor to bird feeding stations in the northern United States and most of Canada, for me, the chickadee signals winter and snow. Even though the bird is present in summer (and in fact doesn’t generally migrate), it’s in the winter around my bird feeders where I hear them singing their long-drawn-out chick-a-dee-dee-dee call.

While this house (which the Carolina Chickadee in the South will also use) may look a bit more complicated than a basic box-style house, it’s actually fairly basic to build provided you have a jigsaw. Because you can change the angle of the jigsaw’s blade, the tool makes it easy to make the 45° cuts that this house requires.

Chickadees are quite tame, and it’s not uncommon for them to eat sunflower seed out of your hand, provided you are patient and remain still. This post has tips for learning to hand feed wild birds.

Also consider adding bee, bat, or owl boxes if you have a larger property.


Turning scrap lumber into a bee house

Related: Build a Bee House From Scrap Lumber


How to Make a Chickadee Nesting Box

Chickadee nesting box.

These plans are from the book, Easy Birdhouses & Feeders.
All text and images used with permission by Cool Springs Press / Quayside Publishing Group who also provided a review copy of this book.

Wood

Birds are not picky critters; provided you’ve built the birdhouse according to the dimensions needed for a given species, they won’t care what type of wood you’ve used.

You should use wood best suited for the outdoors.

  • Species such as cedar, cypress, and redwood are naturally rot resistant.
  • Pine, fir, and exterior-rated (or marine) plywood are also suitable choices.
  • Avoid treated lumber.

Box Placement

Chickadees prefer to nest along forest edges and are especially prevalent along the edges of farm fields where forested areas have been disturbed. With that in mind,
follow these guidelines for best house placement:

  • Mount the house 4–15 feet above the ground.
  • Choose a location that receives sunlight 40–60 percent of the day.
  • Locate the house along edges of forests or other heavily treed areas.
  • Place about 1 inch of wood chips or shavings in the bottom of the box.
Building plans for a chickadee nesting box.

See larger view of plans (jpg)

Cutting List

All pieces use 1×12 lumber (3/4-inch thick).

A   1   Back   6 x 16-inches
B   1   Roof   6 x 10 -inches   (Cut top edge at 45 degrees)
C   1   Floor  6 x 8.25 -inches (Cut bottom edge at 45 degrees)
D   2   Sides  7.25 x 7.25 x 10.25 -inches (triangular pieces)

Hardware and Supplies

  • 1 x 12 x 6-foot board
  • 1 5/8 galvanized wood screws or 2″ galvanized ring-shank nails
  • waterproof wood glue
  • hinges for roof

SAFETY NOTE: Attach the roof with hinges for easy cleaning after each mating season.

Cutting wood for chickadee nesting box.
Hold a combination square tightly to the workpiece to serve as a straight edge as you make the 45° beveled cuts needed for the roof and floor.

Bluebird nesting box

Related: Build a Bluebird Nesting Box


Assembly

  1. Cut the parts to the dimensions listed in the cutting list. An easy way to cut the 45°bevels along the top edge of the roof and along the bottom edge of the floor is to first set the blade angle of your jigsaw to 45°. Use a combination square as a guide to help you steady the jigsaw as you cut, and work slowly across the board, letting the saw do the work.
  2. Use a hole saw or a Forstner bit to bore a 1½” diameter entrance hole in one of the sides. Note: other more recent bird studies suggest a 1 1/8″ diameter for the entrance hole is best.
  3. Use glue and 1 5/8″ exterior-rated screws to attach the sides flush to the edges of the back; then fasten the roof and floor to the sides and back in the same fashion.

Tip: Attach the roof with hinges (not screws as shown in images) so you can clean the box after each mating season.

Attaching roof on chickadee nesting box.
Instead of using screws as shown, attach roof with hinges to allow easy cleaning

Hang your chickadee nesting box in an appropriate location and see who comes to nest.

Here are some favorite moments at my backyard birdfeeders:


American robin in mud.

Related: Make a Robin Nesting Shelf (Free Plans)


Resources

Buy the Book

I received a review copy of this book from Cool Springs Press and it has become my go-to book for nesting box building plans.

Easy Birdhouses & Feeders book.

Easy Birdhouses & Feeders, Simple Projects to Attract & Retain the Birds You Want 

by Michael Berger

See it on Amazon

Includes plans for building 16 different nesting boxes, 10 bird feeders, and some birdbaths as well. Included is information on the needs of various bird species, which materials to use, where to locate the birdhouse, and what to expect when your birds are expecting.

The book includes birdhouse plans for the following birds:  America Robin, Mourning Dove, House Wren, Black-Capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Easter Bluebird, Flycatcher, Norther Flicker, Woodpecker, Wood Duck, American Kestrel, Barred Owl, Screech Owl, and Barn Owl.

Attracting Wild Birds to Your Garden

Bird nest with blue eggs.

Just like us, birds need food, water, and shelter.

  • Grow a diverse selection of plants including flowers, trees and shrubs that support the web of life.
  • Grow bugs. Many bird species eat a lot of insects and other invertebrates.
  • An eco-beneficial garden is a “messy” garden: dead and decaying things nourish life.
  • Provide fresh water. Puddles and ponds both help.
  • Avoid the use of any products toxic to birds and their food sources including caterpillars.
  • Keep predatory pets out of your garden.
  • Decorative birdhouses are not safe for birds.
  • Use nesting boxes intended to safely house specific bird species.
  • If using feeders, provide clean fresh water and the right types of seed.
  • Clean bird feeders frequently. Remove feeders immediately if you notice any sign of disease or problems like salmonella, trichomoniasis, aspergillosis, or avian pox are reported in your area.
  • Recommended Book: Bird-Friendly Gardening: Guidance and Projects for Supporting Birds in Your Landscape by Jen McGuinness
Cardinal at feeder

TIP:

Netvue Birdfy AI Smart Bird Feeder With Camera | To view the bird activity in your garden 24/7, an automated camera is an excellent option.

~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛

Chickadee and a chickadee nesting box.
Share on FacebookShare on PinterestShare on Email

Free Newsletters

Signup for creative & frugal home and garden ideas!

This site is spam-free and you can unsubscribe anytime.

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

Melissa J. Will - Empress of DirtWelcome!
I’m Melissa J. Will a.k.a. the Empress of Dirt (Ontario, Canada).
Join me as I share creative + frugal home & garden ideas with a dash of humor.
More: Contact/About
New here? Dig in!  |  Our Podcast

Handy Resources

  • Year-at-a-Glance Garden Task List
  • Create Your Garden Profile
  • Soil-Mulch-Potting Mix Calculator
  • Garden Name Generator
  • Printable Garden Planner
  • Favorite Garden Quotes
  • Botanical Plant Names 101
DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

Some articles on this site contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Affiliate and Ad Disclosure | Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 · Empress of Dirt Creative + Frugal Home & Garden Ideas