Wood is a natural for a birdhouse. Birds have lived in
trees for eons, so wood is the material for natural housing
for birds, so why not use if for yours as well?
Some common wood species often used for wooden birdhouse
include:
Cedar - Cedar is favorite for many outdoor uses. It's
relatively lightweight, and if left unfinished will age to a
gray color, but can be kept well with a protective finish.
The smell of cedar is a real favorite, and it's almost
impervious to insects.
Cypress - This is a great choice for birdhouses. Many
times it is combined with other materials to create an effect
like a rooftop made of copper or other decorative materials.
Mahogany - An all time favorite wood species for use
in birdhouses, it's favored for use in some smaller
birdhouses. Mahagony is fairly dense so it weathers well, and
has a handsome finish for almost any style, but is the most
expensive as well.
One other material that can loosely be called wood is bamboo.
While it's technically a grass, it is also sometimes referred
to as green steel, and is used in cabinets and other
furniture because it is harder than some hardwoods, and has
great dimensional stability, so it performs as well as many
wood products. It's favored for birdhouses as it's often used
to create an oriental feel for the
bamboo birdhouse design.
There are many types of wood birdhouses to be found. Wood
works well as it's a natural material, holds up well over the
years, and is an easy product to work with.