Expert: Julia Booth - 12/4/2008

Question
I recently built a wren house to give to my grandma. I was wondering if I should paint the wren house to kind of waterproof it or if the wrens would be too picky and not use my house if I painted it. I would appreciate any information you could give me.

Answer
Wrens are the least picky birds of all. They will literally nest anywhere. I once saw one nest in an old football helmet, inside someone's garage. They are the easiest to please with a house. If you live somewhere where weather is generally moderate, and you don't get much rain or snow, I wouldn't bother painting it. If you do decide to waterproof it, make sure you use non-toxic paints. But the bird is not going to care either way.

For wrens, six feet off of the ground is ideal. Make the entrance hole no larger than 1.5 inches in diameter. Wrens like their holes to be just big enough for them to go in and out of.

Hope this helps,

Julia