Species	Nesting Habitat	Box Height	Hole Size
Eastern Bluebird	open field or lawn; orchards; open, rural country with scattered trees and low or sparse ground cover;	3-6 feet	1 1/2" diameter
American Kestrel	pastures, fields, meadows, or orchards with mowed or grazed vegetation; place boxes on lone trees in fields, on trees along edges of woodlots, and on farm buildings	10-30 feet	3" diameter
Wood Duck	forested wetlands or near marshes, swamps, and beaver ponds; place boxes in deciduous trees, 30-100 feet from the nearest water, spaced 600 feet apart	6-30 feet	4" wide, 3" high
Eastern Screech Owl	forests, parks, woodland clearings, forest edges, wooded stream edges, under a tree limb. Add 2"-3" of wood shavings	10-30 feet	3" round north facing;
Great Crested Flycatcher	deciduous or mixed deciduous-coniferous forests, forest edges, woodlots, orchards, parks, on post or tree at forest edge	3-20 feet	1 3/4" round
Northern Flicker	pastures, groves, woodlots, orchards, fields, meadows, woodland clearings, forest edges, urban parks, on pole or tree at forest edge or along fence rows bordering crop fields; box should be completely filled with wood chips or shavings	6-30 feet	2 1/2" round; southeast facing
Tree Swallow	open fields near water, expansive open areas, marshes, meadows, wooded swamps; on a post in open areas near tree or fence, 30-100 feet apart	5-15 feet	1 3/8" round east facing
Purple Martin	broad open areas (meadows, fields, farmland, swamps, ponds, lakes, rivers) with unobstructed space for foraging on flying insects; there should be no trees or buildings within 40 feet of the martin pole in any direction; houses should be painted white	10-15 feet	2 1/8" round
Tufted Titmouse	deciduous forest, thick timber stands, woodland clearings, forest edges, woodlots, riparian and mesquite habitats; spaced one box per 8 acres, hole should face away from prevailing wind	5-15 feet	1 1/4" round
Carolina Chickadee	forests, woodlots, and yards with mature hardwood trees, forest edges, meadows, area should receive 40-60% sunlight, hole should face away from prevailing wind; 1" wood shavings can be placed in box	5-15 feet	1 1/8" round
White-breasted Nuthatch	deciduous woodlands, mature forests, woodlots, near open areas, forest edges, orchards, often near water; hole should face away from prevailing wind; wood shavings can be placed in box	5-20 feet	1 3/8" round
House Wren	variety of habitats, farmland, openings, open forests, forest edges, shrub lands, suburban gardens, parks, backyards; near trees or tall shrubs	5-10 feet	1 1/4" round
Carolina Wren	forests with thick underbrush, forest edges, woodland clearings, open forests, shrub lands, suburban gardens, parks, backyards; near trees or tall shrubs	5-10 feet	1 1/2" round
Prothonotary Warbler	lowland hardwood forests subject to flooding, stagnant water, swamps, ponds, marshes, streams, flooded river valleys, wet bottomlands; box should be over or near water Milk Carton Nest Box Plan	2-12 feet	1 1/4" round
Hooded Merganser	quiet, shallow, clear water pools surrounded by or near the edge of deciduous woods: small forest pools, ponds, swamps; add 3" of wood shavings; add ladder under inside of entrance hole for young to climb out	6-25 feet	3" high by 4" wide horizontal oval
Brown-headed Nuthatch	open stands of pine-hardwood forests, clearings scattered with dead trees, forest edges, burned areas, cypress swamps	5-20 feet	1 1/4" round

Species	Nest Description	Egg Color
Eastern Bluebird	built with fine grasses or pine needles with a fairly deep nest cup	powder blue or occasionally white
Swallows	built with grass or pine needles; cup is usually more shallow that the bluebird's; usually lined with feathers	white
House Wren	nest box filled with sticks; deep nest cup lined with fine plant fibers or feathers	tan, speckled with brown
Carolina Chickadee	moss and fine plant material; cup lined with hair	white covered with brown speckles
House Sparrow	tall nest of coarse grasses, often with pieces of scrap paper, cellophane, or other litter; forms canopy over cup with tunnel-like entrance	cream-colored with brown markings
American Kestrel	do not build nest	white, cream, or pinkish-white with fine brown specks and spots
Wood Duck	layer of grayish white down feathers	creamy white or buff colored
Eastern and Western Screech Owls	do not build nest, will form a depression from remnant materials in cavity	white to creamy white and slightly glossy
Northern Flicker	excavate cavities and use sawdust	semi-glossy, pure white eggs
Great Crested Flycatcher	twigs, leaves, pine needles, bark, moss, and rootlets; may line with hair, feathers, and fur	yellow white to buff to cream in color; densely blotched with red, purple, brown, and olive markings
Purple Martin	grass, stems, twigs, straw, bark, leaves, and mud; lined with fine grasses and green leaves	white, unmarked eggs
Tufted Titmouse	leaves, moss, dried grass, and bark strips; lined with feathers, fur, wool, cotton, hair, and sometimes snake skin	smooth, non-glossy white to cream colored eggs, speckled with red, purple, or brown marks
White-breasted Nuthatch	strips of bark and lumps of earth, cup is made of finer materials such as grass, and rootlets, and lined with hair, fur, wool, and feathers	smooth, slightly glossy white, pinkish white, or cream colored eggs are heavily marked with reddish brown, brown, and purplish red spots
House Wren	cavity is filled with small twigs, then cup is lined with softer materials such as feathers, hair, wool, rootlets, moss and trash	glossy white, sometimes pinkish or buff, marked with blotches of reddish brown or lavender pigment
Carolina Wren	dome shaped nest made from bark strips, dried grasses, dead leaves, sticks, pine needles, moss, feathers, straw, paper and string; nest is lined with hair or fur	creamy white to pinkish white, heavily spotted with purplish brown to rusty brown flecks
Prothonotary Warbler	moss, lichen, dry leaves, small twigs, and bark strips; nest is lined with fine grasses	glossy white with cream or slightly yellow tinge, may be marked heavily with reddish brown and purplish gray spots
Hooded Merganser	cup is lined with down feathers plucked from the female's belly	smooth, glossy white and almost spherical
Brown-headed Nuthatch	husks of pine seeds, bark strips, wood chips, rootlets, grasses, and pine needles; lined with hair, wool, feathers, and cotton	non-glossy, creamy or white, heavily marked with reddish brown spots

Species	Clutch Size (eggs)*	Incubation Period (days)	Nestling Period	Broods per Season
Eastern Bluebird	3-5	12-14	16-22 days	2, sometimes 3
American Kestrel	3-5	28-32	about 30 days	1 in North; 2 in South
Wood Duck	8-10	27-37	26-36 hours	1 in North; 2 in South
Eastern Screech Owl	3-4	26-30	28 days	1
Great Crested Flycatcher	4-6	13-15	14-21 days	1
Northern Flicker	5-8	11-14	24-28 days	1 in North; 2 in South
Tree Swallow	4-7	14-15	16-22 days	1
Purple Martin	4-6	15-16	26-28 days	1
Tufted Titmouse	5-6	12-14	15-16 days	1 in North; 2 in South
Carolina Chickadee	5-8	11-14	13-17 days	1
White-breasted Nuthatch	5-10	12	14-17 days	1
House Wren	6-8	12-16	15-19	2, sometimes 3
Carolina Wren	4-5	12-14	12-14 days	1 in North; 2 in South
Prothonotary Warbler	4-6	12	11 days	1 in North; 2 in South
Hooded Merganser	5-13	32-33	24 hours	1
Brown-headed Nuthatch	3-9	14	18-19 days	1