Putting a bird house in your backyard will attract many different birds to the area. Here's what you need to know about free bird house plans.

Why should I look for bird house plans?

The answer to that is simple. For one, free bird house plans will save you money, so you can spend a little more on your construction materials. They're also relatively easy to find and are pretty good at explaining exactly how to put the house together.

Free bird house plans will also give you the chance to make your own bird house. Making a bird house is not for everyone and if you're not interested in building one, that's OK. There are plenty of quality store bought houses. However, if you build a bird house you're more likely to learn about the birds as you're building the house because before you construct a house, you need to know what kind of birds come to your yard, what they eat and what kind of houses they like to live in.

Where do I find free bird house plans?

Free bird house plans can easily be found on the Internet. Sometimes in the spring newspapers will do a feature story on how to build a bird house or a bird feeder. You can also go the library and look through some bird books. Often times nature books that are geared toward children will include a section on how to build simple, free bird houses.

Get to know the bird

Before you build your bird house using your free bird house plans, you need to know about the birds in your yard. Not all birds will use your bird house. Some birds won't use it because they just would never nest in a bird house and others won't use specific houses.

Some birds, like bluebirds, like to feel secure in their bird house and really prefer a house that is closed off on all sides with a small entry hole. Other birds, such as the robin, do not like this kind of house. If you want to use your free bird house plans to attract a robin, you need to find plans that will allow you to make more of a platform bird house. This kind of house is much more open than a bluebird house and will increase your chances of attracting a nesting robin. Lastly, after you use your free bird house plans and the house is up and running, you need to make sure you install the house in a place that's attractive to the bird.