Screech Owl / American Kestrel Nest Box Plans
For Eastern and Western Screech-Owls, American Kestrels, Boreal Owls and Northern Saw-whet Owls
Screech-owls hunt at night and American Kestrels by day, but their nesting needs are much the same, so one well-built box can draw either. This one also suits Boreal Owls and Northern Saw-whet Owls. Its entrance sits well above the floor, which keeps the eggs and young away from it.
The design
- An oval entrance, 3" wide by 4" tall: big enough for both species, and small enough to help keep larger competitors out. No perch, which neither species needs and which may help predators.
- A side door that pivots open for the yearly clean-out and inspection, held shut by two half-turn buttons, with an eyebolt for a handle.
- A gap between the roof and the sides for ventilation.
- A floor with its corners cut off for drainage, set up inside the walls so water can't wick in.
- A roof with a drip kerf, sealed along its back edge.
- An optional brass hole guard, so squirrels and other birds can't chew or peck the entrance larger.
- The wide parts are glued up from 1 × 6 boards, laid out on the cut sheet.
I build the boxes to check the plans, and refine the instructions from what I learn. More about how the plans are made.
A page from the plan: the Front
What's in the plan
- A page for each part, with its dimensions, hole placements and construction steps: the front, right side, lower left side, door, back, roof and floor, and the optional hole guard.
- Step-by-step final assembly.
- Placement for each species: mounting height, habitat, and how far apart to put boxes.
- A sourced materials list, a cut sheet and an exploded view.
Materials
Two 1 × 6 × 8' boards of cedar, pine or another wood. Exterior screws, two half-turn buttons, an eyebolt, wood glue, exterior silicone sealant, and a sheet of 24-gauge brass for the optional hole guard. The materials list in the plan names each one.
Where it goes
Mount it 10 to 30 feet up, 15 to 20 feet if you can, on a pole or a tree, with a guard against climbing predators. Screech-owls like wooded edges, groves and spots near open clearings; kestrels like open fields, meadows and pasture with perches nearby to hunt from. How far apart to place boxes depends on the species, from 100 feet for Eastern Screech-Owls to half a mile for kestrels. Put 2 to 3 inches of coarse wood chips or shavings in the bottom.
Not ready yet? See a complete plan first: the Carolina Wren plan is free.