Screech Owl House
The finished Screech Owl House
How to make a screech owl house

Here is our screech owl house.  I will have more detailed plans up very shortly.  If you'd rather not build it, check out the screech owl houses we have available here!

This is a fairly simple project with the right tools.  It is built to specifications for a screech owl house, however sometimes squirrels will take over it in the summer months.  Screech owls can start nesting as early as January.  If you would rather buy this particular model, we do have it available for sale at Barn in the Sticks.  This also works well for sparrow hawks.

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Step One
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First, mark out your board.  You'll need a 1" X 10" 8 feet long.

Start by drawing on your lines for the cuts.  I used pine on my screech owl house, but you could also use cedar to get a little more life from it without having to stain it.

Drawing the lines
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screech owl-board

Here is how your board should be "mapped" out.

Cut the boards
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Next, cut out the boards and prepare for assembly.

If you are using a drill press, now is a good time to drill the 3" hole for the entrance, 11-1/2" up, from the bottom of the front on center.  Also, just above the entrance, space four 3/8" holes along the top, for ventilation.  As shown in the picture, you will also want to either round the corners on the bottom for drainage, or drill 1/4" holes in the bottom as an alternative for drainage.

Assembly
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Use some clamps to hold your new screech owl house in place while you glue and screw it.  Make sure to use screws that are suitable for exterior use. 

Take the back panel, and mark it at 4-1/2" from one side.  This will be where you start the sides on the house.  Next, clamp the sides to the back using your mark as a reference.  Now if your house is facing you, the beveled sides are facing downward toward you, and the bottom of the back board is 4-1/2" lower than the sides.  The top of the back is roughly 4" taller than the sides.

I glued the house well, clamped it, pre-drilled it, then used 2" deck screws to hold it together. 

The bottom fitted
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Here is the bottom, now fit into place.  You can see the corners clipped for drainage. 

Again, I clamped, glued and screwed the bottom on, after pre-drilling the holes.  Here you can also see the 4-1/2" the back will extend down below the floor of the house. 

The front
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I don't have a 3" hole saw, so I drilled several 3/8-1/2 inch holes in the front of the box, then used my jig saw to cut out the entrance hole. 

Cut the entrance hole 11-1/2 inches up from the bottom of the front of the house to the center of the hole. 

The finished project
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Owl House
The completed house 

Here is the finished house.

This can be used for a sparrow hawk, screech owl, or squirrles may take it over.  Either way, you are helping nature.  If you really don't want the squirrels using it, you can put a squirrel baffle below the house, (this also wouldn't be bad to prevent raccoon and other predators from trying to get in).  You'll want to have your house built and put up before January, Screech owls begin nesting in January.  Put it 15-20 feet up in the air in a large Oak tree.  Then sit back and enjoy!