Build a Better Birdhouse or Feeder [Paperback]

Malcolm Wells (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1996

Most birdhouses, according to "underground architect" Malcolm Wells, are "silly-looking boxes embarrassing us out of doors. We owe it to the Creator of the birds, if not the birds themselves, to give it our very best shot; to say, somehow, in human terms, what they say so movingly in grass and twigs and straw." The author has been giving it his best shot for over 40 years, creating little habitats of weathered wood that belong to and blend elegantly with the landscape. The 25 easy-to-follow designs presented here (with the author's humorous and philosophical asides) will make both birds and people happy.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Willow Creek Press (November 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572230495
• ISBN-13: 978-1572230491
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #470,875 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #20 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Science > Biological Sciences > Zoology > Ornithology
  • #23 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Home & Garden > Crafts & Hobbies > Woodworking > Projects
  • #86 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Science > Biological Sciences > Zoology > General

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Creative, But Not Technical, June 12, 2000

By 

Al the Pal "Al the Pal" (The Fruited Plain, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Build a Better Birdhouse or Feeder (Paperback)

Once you plow through the diatribe condemming man for destroying the bird's environment, there are a lot of creative ideas here if you want to build birdhouses and nesting platforms. The book is illustrated with freehand drawings that can be hard to follow, but this is not meant to be a book of plans, more as an inspiration to the creative.

There is a brief chart showing the diameter of entrance hole for a few species, but it is not as complete as other sources. He does not get into any great detail about where to mount houses, proper interior sizes or spacing for the different species.

Most of his designs are for pole mounted houses and he gives some creative ideas for poles. Several ideas are for wall mounted houses. He does have a few designs for hanging houses. One of the more interesting houses is a pole mounted "earth sheltered" nesting platform.

If you want more technical information, I'd suggest Scott D. Campbell's "The Complete Book of Birdhouse Construction for Woodworkers" (available from Amazon.com.) Campbell's book is an excellent companion to Well's book and a basic technical reference for building birdshouses. You can modify the creative designs in Well's book to conform to the researched standards in Cambell's book.

The more information you have before you start, the better your results will be!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good for inspiration, but not for beginners' guidance., January 2, 2001

By 

George Nolta (Citrus Heights, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Build a Better Birdhouse or Feeder (Paperback)

This book has some novel and interesting ideas for breaking out of the classical design mold which might be boring to some people. However, contrary to the claim on the backcover that it contains "...easy-to-follow construction drawings even the most hesiteant amateur will be moved to build...", the designs really require the skills of a moderately experienced carpenter or cabinetmaker to follow. If you're already experienced in woodworking and reading design plans, then the diagrams may appear to be "elegantly simple". However, to a construction novice like myself, the designs will be daunting. The book is worth the price just to get some nice new design ideas, but don't expect it to be a beginner's guide to construction.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Cool Bird house - unique well designed, February 15, 2010

By 

Ranleigh Hirsh "zhirsr" (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Build a Better Birdhouse or Feeder (Paperback)

The way I found this book was through a poorly copied version of just one bird house. I didn't know the author or what the book looked like. But, I was very impressed with the single design. I started searching the internet to find this book so I could see all the author's designs. Frankly, these are the best designed bird houses from an architectural perspective. I have built a few. They all receive much praise and complements on their uniqueness and eye appeal. Instructions are advanced so take your time -- its worth the wait. And the birds seem to like the designs too. I am planning on adapting one of the designs for a bat house soon.