The presence of birds also contributes to pest control, flower pollination, weed control, and maintenance of native plants. Let’s begin by discussing the colors to choose for a birdhouse.
Stylish Birdhouse Painting Ideas That Are Also Bird-Safe
Many backyard birders enjoy attracting nesting birds, but they also want birdhouses to be attractive garden or yard decorations even if the houses aren’t active residences. Is painting birdhouses safe, or are painted birdhouses less beautiful or dangerous for the birds that use them? And if you want to paint, which birdhouse colors are best?
Designs for Painted Birdhouses
There are many beautiful painted birdhouses in every color and design imaginable. A simple solid, color birdhouse is easy to paint, whether in muted tones or bold palettes. At the same time, some artistic birders create birdhouses that resemble real homes’ paint jobs with coordinating colors and trim.
Themed houses are also popular, and a basic birdhouse can be transformed into a patriotic palace, country tea cottage, or whimsical ornament with different paint schemes.
School or sports team colors, rainbows, or bird-themed paint jobs are also cool designs. Not all of these paint schemes are best for the birds, however. For example, bright colors might attract unwanted attention.
Is Painting Birdhouses Good for Birds?
Birds that use houses aren’t always picky about their accommodations, and they will nest in painted birdhouses if the house’s size, shape, and placement meet their needs. However, painting isn’t always the best choice for birdhouses because a poorly chosen paint job can be dangerous.
- Bright colors for birdhouses: Bright colors can draw unwanted attention that will attract predators. Birds prefer camouflage or natural colors that blend in with their surroundings.
- Best paint types: Paints can be toxic to both adult birds and fledglings. When choosing paint, make sure you select an acrylic, water-based latex, or watercolor paint that is labeled “non-toxic.” Acrylic paints are odorless and tend to be more durable than latex paint. Latex is the cheapest option, paints on wood the easiest, and produces the least fumes of any paint option.
- Wood options: While cedar and cypress houses are naturally durable and do not require painting, pine or plywood birdhouses can be made more weatherproof and long-lasting with a good coat of quality paint.
- Dark colors: Dark colors in sunny areas absorb heat, potentially overheating the house, smothering young birds, or fostering toxic levels of bacteria growth.
There are times, however, when a carefully chosen paint job can be good for a birdhouse. Paint can help seal small cracks that would otherwise widen in the summer heat and destroy the house’s integrity, and a good paint job can revitalize an older birdhouse so it can be used for more nesting seasons.
Suitable Colors to Paint a Birdhouse
Your choice of color will depend on the type of birdhouse and its location in your garden or yard. Grey, light-green, and brown are good colors for nesting birds because they blend in with the natural surroundings protects them from predators.
If you paint the birdhouse with a colorful flower garden’s background, you can use more vibrant colors to blend in with the environment.
If the area is prone to bright sunlight, you could use white to reflect the sun’s heat. It is always better to avoid fluorescent, iridescent, or metallic paint because of the possibility of toxic metals and chemicals that could be harmful to the birds.
Do not paint the inside of the birdhouse and you may not want to paint a birdhouse at all!
Do not paint the inside of the boards that you use to make the birdhouse as this can peel and chip off, some birds may also peck at the wood and end up ingesting bits of pain.
Leaving the outside of the house unpainted also wouldn’t be a bad idea because the shade of the wood will blend in with the plants and trees quite nicely providing natural camouflage from predators (including outdoor cats!). But you would have to choose the type of wood that will survive well outdoors without paint or protect it with a natural finish like a non-toxic water-based sealant or pure plant-based finish.
Painting the outer surfaces of a birdhouse can offer some protection to the wood against the elements.
Safety Considerations
When you choose the paint of any particular color, ensure to use non-toxic paint. Some paints can contain zinc, lead, and other heavy metals. Hence, read the labels carefully before use. Also, keep in mind that your paint shouldn’t be so dark that it absorbs less heat. Bright colors may attract predators. Hence light colors are a suitable choice.
Never paint the inside of a birdhouse because the paint can emit volatile substances. This is particularly important in the case of young chicks who depend on naturally-textured walls to scurry around inside the birdhouse.
Handy Tips to Paint a Birdhouse
Here are a few valuable tips that should put you on the right track if you undertake to paint a birdhouse:
Choice of Paint
Use water-based latex paint. Avoid paints with toxic additives, but try to procure paints with natural derivatives.
Paint Outside Only
As we mentioned above, if you have to paint a birdhouse, paint the outside only. Other than the chemical emissions from the paint, it could chip off and be ingested by the hatchlings or get into their eyes.
Apply a Thin Coat
If you apply a thick coat, you stand the chance of blocking ventilation and drainage holes on the surface of the birdhouse. Hence, apply thinly and you can add another coat or two if you feel the need.
Install After a Few Days
Even after completing the painting operation, do not install the birdhouse immediately. Wait for two to three days for the paint to dry entirely, not to attract predators or cause an unpleasant odor for the birds.
Check the Surface Regularly
Now and then, when you are cleaning out the birdhouse, check for chipped or damaged paint. You can repaint the surface as required.
