Small Wonders

In the 1780s, American gardeners battled pesky insects by hanging pots or bottles to create homes for bug-eating birds. It wasn’t long before these no-frills nesting spots took an architectural turn, making way for wren boxes that were shaped like Greek temples and Colonial churches. By the mid-1800s, birds began living in style in pint-size abodes reminiscent of Gothic, Tuscan or Queen Anne mansions--sometimes copied from those nearby. Then, in the 1890s, the Audubon movement equated the building of homes for wild birds with patriotism, good breeding and old-fashioned social values.

Though they’ve never really fallen from grace, birdhouses today are more visible on the garden scene, both as outdoor ornaments and avian way stations amid diminishing natural habitats. More and more, they’re appearing in nurseries and garden catalogs as charming focal points for perennials and, if carefully chosen and placed, as enticements for birds to linger awhile.

Lorraine Brodek, a Maui landscape designer, built her first birdhouse 20 years ago, after the death of an old tree robbed her then-garden in Beverly Hills of a crucial nesting spot. Now that she spends most of the year in Hawaii, she has relocated her 30 Southern California birdhouses to her 13-acre Hana property.

The key to luring feathered residents, Brodek says, is to think like one: “If you were a bird, what would you want? What would you need? A good location. A landing spot. Clean water, fresh food, protection and shade.” She explains that birds are attracted to high spots, where creeping predators can’t reach them, and to houses with the smallest possible entry to keep large birds and rodents from popping in and snatching eggs. Birds also appreciate an inviting perch and a convenient feeder full of seed, or plenty of shrubs such as pyracantha or manzanita that offer berries or blooms to eat. And they like the leafy shelter of trees and a pond or basin in which to splash.

To tempt birds to come close, Brodek leaves nest-building materials such as string, twigs and raffia in her garden. Shortly after they disappear, she notices signs of family life. “It’s so thrilling,” she says, “when you hear and see those downy babies.”

Not all birds will nest in houses. On Brodek’s Beverly Hills lot, sparrows preferred to stuff straw into eaves and lay their eggs there. Just as resolute were the orioles, hummingbirds and doves in her life, which chose to camp in the open air, while the Western robins were too plump for the modest bungalows she provided.

Goldfinches and house wrens, on the other hand, loved being enclosed. Both are plentiful in Southern California. Less common are purple martins, which are more attracted to multi-unit or even multilevel boxes than other birds.

Some say the more you spend, the more appealing a birdhouse is as a garden ornament. But Brodek says birdhouses don’t have to be complex or expensive to attract residents. The truth is, birds don’t care about frills and may be put off by bright paint, which can attract predators. For most, a simple wood box nailed to a fence is domestic bliss.

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GARDENS, Pages 24-26: Many of the birdhouses shown are available at Garden, Sherman Oaks, (818) 788-3400, and at Lazy Hill Farm Designs, (800) 396-3566, www.lazyhillfarmdesigns.com.