Platform Bird Houses (open face)

Our current platform bird houses are durable in design and built from solid cedar wood. They can be side mounted to a wall, fence post, or tree trunk. Find the perfect platform model for platform dwelling species of birds in your neighborhood.

Open Face Birdhouses

Open face platforms are structures with a combination of either 1 to 3 side walls, a floor, and a roof. Open-face designs are intended to give the motherbird a full view of at least one direction, allowing her the convenience of both a platform and a partially enclosed structure. Open-face platforms are usually built with at least one side wall (back-side) in order to support a roof.

Flat Platforms

Unlike an open-face design, a flat platform structure does not have a roof or any sides. This allows a motherbird to see in all directions, and enables her to make easy landings and take-offs. Flat platforms give her a high sense of awareness for her surroundings, especially bird species that are considered insectivores, as the motherbird can easily see a variety of insects from her vantage point. When foraging, it's easy for her to come and go when looking for food, as she can leave the platform from any side to swoop down on the ground below to catch crawling insects.

If you have a variety of birds in your area, consider a flat platform for a nesting site for robins, blue jays, swallows and dove. Depending on the species, they will choose a platform for different reasons based on their instincts. Whether it's an open-face or flat platform, they are both intended for birds that will not enter into a completely enclosed structure. In either case, whether it's only one side or completely open, a platform nesting structure must have at least one side completely open for view.

Shop Platform Bird Houses

Shop for platform models today.

Our bird platforms are built from pine and cedar wood. There are two mounting tabs, one each for the top and bottom. The tabs are integral for secure mounting. Platform models come with a 3" long fastener for the top, and a 1.5" nail for the bottom. There is also an option for pole mounting.

Birds Without Nests

While birds can be amazing at building their own nesting sites, there are a number of bird species that don't bother with nest building at all. Some that are worth mentioning here are the chuck-will's-widow, white tern, snowy owl, emperor penguin, peregrine falcon and common murre. Instead, they either lay their eggs in an open flat area, near brush, or inbetween rocks. Other birds, such as the brown-headed cowbird, lay their eggs in the nests of other birds.

Robins and dove prefer to nest on platforms. Because doves are not very good nest builders, a man-made structure is useful for the incubation and hatching of their eggs. Regardless of species, the best safety feature for any platform is one with a pole mount design because metal poles are difficult for predators to climb. For morning doves, you don't have to go very high when mounting, as 6-10 feet above the ground will do.

If you're fortunate enough to have robins in your neighborhood, they are a pleasure to have around. Their colors easily gets our attention and it's a pleasure to listen to their singing. It's also fun to watch them hop around in search of worms. Robins love leafy trees, so if you have a tall green tree in your yard, try mounting a platform as high as you can. Other mounting locations include the side of houses, garages, and fence posts.