Bird houses come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are able to assist in the nesting of birds in the spring, provide shelter in harsh weather conditions, exist as a focal point of territory, and sanctuary on a migration pattern. Most migratory birds that were raised by their parents the season before will return to that point to do their own nesting in the following season. If attracting migratory birds is your goal, you will also need to provide more than one house as they will arrive in flocks.
As mentioned before, the benefit of having abundant birds in the backyard is the balance they create on the food-chain by predating on insects around the house, and mice and rodents in the case of raptors thus keeping the home owner in a more healthy environment and also in a position to not have to resort to insecticides and other synthetic pest control that can have a negative effect on the environment. Birds also passively contribute to the food chain by spreading seeds and recycling matter they eat through waste, which in turn fertilizes the garden.
Attracting raptors, notably owls to your garden is of great benefit as they will control any vermin and rodents that live in the area, owls can eat multiple rodents each night (keep in mind they are nocturnal). The difference between an owl box and a bird house is the size of
the entry hole and the height the box is positioned (around 12-15ft) furthermore nesting material should be provided for the owl at the base of the box. Birdhouses are an easy installment to the house and are very cheap to establish.
