Bird House GeneratorLaser-cut nest boxes to NestWatch / Audubon specs
No problem — there's likely a public-library makerspace near you with a laser cutter. Many let you use the machines free with a library card; you just pay for materials.
Laser-cut nest boxes to NestWatch / Audubon specs — six species, flat-pack finger-jointed SVG. No signup.
Designer Bee's free bird house plans generator produces laser-cut nest boxes to the same dimensions Audubon, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and NestWatch publish for each cavity-nesting species. Pick a bird — bluebird, chickadee, wren, nuthatch, tree swallow, or screech owl — and the floor size, interior height, entrance diameter, and entrance height all snap to the right values. Adjust material thickness, toggle drainage holes, and export flat-pack finger-jointed SVG panels ready for any laser cutter.
Audubon, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and NestWatch all recommend omitting the perch. Cavity-nesting birds grip the edge of the entrance directly and don't need one. A perch mostly helps predators like squirrels, jays, and house sparrows reach the hole and harass the nest. Leaving it off is the correct design.
Floor sizes, interior heights, entrance-hole diameters, and entrance-height-above-floor follow the NestWatch "Right Bird, Right House" chart — the same specs Audubon and Cornell Lab publish. Each species has a specific entrance diameter that admits the target bird but excludes predators and competitors.
Untreated cedar, pine, or exterior plywood works well. Avoid pressure-treated lumber (chemicals can harm birds and chicks). The default thickness is 12 mm (about 1/2 in) which is the Audubon recommendation for weather resistance and predator deterrence. The smallest practical thickness is around 9 mm.
Four corner drainage holes (about 6 mm) let any wind-driven rain escape so the nest stays dry. They also improve airflow on hot days. You can disable them under Advanced — Floor, but Audubon and NestWatch both recommend including them.
The roof is the largest removable panel — leave it press-fit (no glue) and lift it off in late winter to clean out old nesting material before the next breeding season. Audubon recommends annual cleanout.