The Purpose Of Birdhouses

Bird houses, also known as nesting houses are very popular. And there are many reason why bird lovers build them. The main reason, naturally, is to furnish a place to live for many of the bird species. But that's not all. Quite a few people see bird houses as art pieces as well. As a matter of fact, you will find a lot of bird houses regaled as artistic creations in thousands of homes across the nation. But it's also worth noting that a prime reason that many people build bird houses, is that they simply love the process of building them.

The building of bird houses by humans is not new. We have been building bird houses for centuries. But why? Aside from the fact that there's always one or more persons in the group who are altruistic and simply love making life easier for our fellow earth inhabitants, the building of bird houses has a utilitarian reason as well.

For example, prior to the practice of raising chickens and hens in pens as a food source, some societies built their early versions of bird houses to attract birds to their area. Then as the birds matured, the homeowners would regularly poach the bird houses and consume the birds as food. This doesn't happen so much these days as the modern homeowner feels more comfortable in harvesting their birds (such as chicken, duck, turkey) from the local grocery store instead of an outdoor nesting area.

But man's relationship with the bird goes beyond being merely a food choice for us. Even in the early days of farming, they were one of our best allies as well. Insects are one of bird's main food sources. Very early on, before we had invented pesticides and become so dependent on them, farmers discovered that attracting birds that were the natural prey of many of the insects feeding off of their crops was a good way of protecting their foods. And even today, farmers who are intent on growing organic vegetables and fruits will often attract birds to their orchards and groves to control insect pests.

Birds and mankind have a long history of co-existing. Amateur naturalists have recorded the habits and adventures of their favorite local birds in their diaries since the earliest forms of drawing and writing. And this fascination with birds shows no signs of diminishing. Even today, bird watching or birding is one of the biggest hobbies in the United States. Over the course of a year, more people will be involved with bird watching activities than will be golfing, snowmobiling, or even sunbathing.

So the interest in bird houses is not new. What is new, however, is the explosion of places where one can now easily and fairly inexpensively get bird houses. This is especially useful for those who love to collect bird houses but have no interest in building their own. A quick search over the Internet, a click of the mouse, and the simple act of filling out an online order form is often all that's needed in order to have your bird house of choice in the mail and on its way for a prime spot in your garden or living room.

By: Ken Lawless

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