Birds Choice Ultimate Bluebird House

I did a lot of reading before purchasing this bird house. This is exactly what you want when looking for a bluebird house. It has 2 side doors that open, 1 for cleaning, and 1 with plexiglass in front of it (so nesting material won't fall out when opened) for viewing, and each is labeled, so you can't make a mistake. There is a raised screen floor to reduce blow-fly infestations and some of the same screening is tacked onto the front wall to help the nestlings climb out. The 1 1/2" opening is perfect for Eastern and Western bluebirds (not mountain bluebirds, which are a little larger). There are proper ventilation gaps, the roof is slanted, there are no sharp projectiles inside, and the floor is recessed and completely covered by the sides and front of the box. The only reason I gave this 4 instead of 5 stars, is because the predator guard (the little square around the entrance hole) has to be removed to add a predator protector, and the predator protector doesn't quite fit perfectly, so there is a step down from the entrance. This could be a design fault from the predator protector, as most bluebird houses have approx. the same dimensions. I also thought they should mention what kind of mounting system there is. There are mounting screws for attaching it to a wall or tree. Unfortunately, this is not the ideal way to mount the house. The bluebird house should be mounted to a pole in a wide open space (preferably 100 feet from shrubs or trees), to avoid destructive competition from house wrens, facing away from prevailing winds. You will need to buy a sturdy pole and also a squirrel/raccoon baffle for the pole.The baffle should be a 24-inch stovepipe or 30-inch conical style. DO NOT make the mistake I made, by trying to make your own, as directed by the author of "Enjoying Bluebirds More." She claims it only costs about $8 to make one. By the time I was done, I had spent $125 and 2 days working on it with my husband, although I did have supplies for 2 baffles. The torpedo style squirrel baffle available at Amazon.com has excellent reviews. Note, that the torpedo style baffle will only fit on a straight pole, not a shepherd's hook. If you mount it on a post, which is also a good option, there is a raccoon baffle available at Drs. Foster and Smith (I don't know how well it works - it looks a little too narrow to be effective- the testimonials on the site are for the pole squirrel baffle.)

The construction of this is lovely. I was willing to spend the extra money to get the critter guard on the entrance and the mesh bed inside to form the nest bed. It is too early to start peering in the viewing side, but the door opens easily and the plastic window provides comfort that I will not alarm the babies too much. What I thought was missing was there was no insert that suggested what makes the best site to mount the house, or how to keep it clean for the birds during and at the end of the nesting season. For this much money, an instruction manual on how to attract the birds seemed logical, as well as, a recipe for the disinfecting solution that should be sprayed on the inside once a year to kill off bacteria and parasites that could harm the birds.Pros: Great design, should provide a safer house than the one without the guard. Cons: No literature on best use and care.update: put it up and now have a nesting pair with 4 eggs. I was very surprised when I opened the viewing side to see that the parent sitting on the eggs did not fly off, but just looked at me through the plexiglass. (I would not have opened it had I known the parent was in there.)

For my blue birds

Very happy.

This bird house was delivered promptly and in perfect condition. It is a quality product and is exactly as described by the seller. Although rather expensive, it is first-rate and I would both recommend it to a friend and buy it again.