How To Build And Livestream A Nestbox
Nestbox plans.
Here are the plans we used to make our Barred Owl nest boxes. We made 3 and have nests in 2 of them.
You’ll need one, 8 x 4 sheet of exterior ¾” plyboard to make 2 boxes. Use stainless screws if you plan on box having a long life span.
Plan
The tricky part is getting the box mounted up the tree…SAFELY !!
It needs to be around 25ft up, which is beyond the reach of most homeowners.
Talking nice to your local arborist or tree guy…..is a good option.
They’ve experience with climbing trees…SAFELY… using ropes or a lift bucket.
We used lag bolts with wide washers, screwed through the box into the tree. Alternatively, use sturdy straps and sit it on a block of wood.
In our experience, it doesn’t seem to matter which direction the box faces, BUT…it needs an open flight path in to it which is clear of branches. Making a sturdy perch in front of the box is a recommended addition. It serves a 2-fold purpose. Providing the parents with a landing strip and giving the baby owl a front porch step to stand on while gaining confidence.
Have a realistic timeline on the owls choosing to nest in your box. It might take several nesting seasons for them to decide to move in….or, you may get an immediate resident.
One of our boxes has the owl visit the box throughout the year…just sitting on the front perch for a minute and flying away. The other box, the owl never visits till she starts her nesting….then she swoops right in, enters the box and stays there. They’re all individuals…like us!!
Stress again…SAFETY is important when mounting the box. It’s heavy, cumbersome and you’re a long way off the ground.
STREAMING.
Being able to watch the owls via a camera is a big step. The options available to you depend on whether the nestbox is within reach of good WiFi or even within 300 ft of your router.
Google makes a decent, cheap wifi camera called Nest. ( yes, really). It’s good for being able to watch the birds and download clips to share. It can’t live stream to Youtube or be shared, but is the easiest kind of camera to begin with. It needs to have a power source. We use Axis surveillance cameras, hard wired with ethernet. We use a service called Camstreamer, to process the live feed and send it to YouTube Live. Works seamlessly but is not cheap. Any camera installation MUST be done long before the nesting season. Good luck!! P.S. I’m happy to help with advice on the streaming aspect.
This hydraulic lift is available for day rent, from Herc Rentals in Raleigh, to pull behind an SUV & is much safer to use to install the owl box. Share with neighbors to put up Christmas lights, or prune trees.
The metal wrapped around the tree is to stop racoons climbing up and raiding the nest. Aluminum flashing roll from roofing dept at Lowes/HD.
The purpose of this website is to share the joy of watching these gorgeous birds raising a family. If you want tips or advice on how I did things, I can be reached at [email protected].
Owls living in homes financed by The Amy Bonis Mortgage Team.
Tel (919) 414-4430