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To build a woodduck nesting box you will need a chop saw, jig saw or large hole saw, drill and screws, wire mesh and stapler.

One box can be built from a 1" x 10" x 10' long board.

Cut the board into the following lengths:
24" Front
23" Sides (2)
30" Back
8" Bottom
12" Top

Here I have enough for five boxes.

The hole should be either 3" tall x 4" wide or in this case I am using a 4" hole saw. Cut the hole so it is about 3" from the top.
The wire mesh should be about 4" wide and about 10" long for the outside and 12" for the inside.
Staple the mesh in place before proceeding to assemble.

Assemble the sides so they are flush with the bottom of the front.
Screw one side on completly and the other side only one screw near the top this will be used as a hinge point for cleaning the box out.
Next screw the bottom in place.

Next the back gets screwed on leaving a little extra room on the top for the roof to be put on.
A hole can be drilled thru the front into the side for a nail or screw to hold the side shut.

The top can be screwed on and pilot holes for fastening it to the tree can be drilled.

Save any sawdust you make during the process and it can be used to place in the box.
You will want to put about 3" of sawdust in the bottom of the box.

The finished product.
To make them last a little longer they can be painted and for added protection you can add shingles or rolled roofing to the top.


When hanging the boxes place them 12'-20' in a tree near the edge of a marsh, flooding or pond.
I have built many boxes over the years and have seen a definite increase in the number of birds in the area.
You can place quite a few boxes in one area as the young tend to return to the same area to nest.
If you have any questions please feel free to ask and I'll do what I can to help.

Very solid post. Thanks for sharing that.

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Very nice. I see there's a gap between the side and the roof, which I assume is for ventilation. Would it be detrimental at all to make the roof hang over more on sides and front in order to keep rain out?

banknote wrote:Very nice. I see there's a gap between the side and the roof, which I assume is for ventilation. Would it be detrimental at all to make the roof hang over more on sides and front in order to keep rain out?

Yes,it is for ventilation. It doesn't hurt at all to let the roof over hang the sides it's just more convienent to cut it from one board size.

Drying after a coat of paint.

JGUN wrote:

banknote wrote:Very nice. I see there's a gap between the side and the roof, which I assume is for ventilation. Would it be detrimental at all to make the roof hang over more on sides and front in order to keep rain out?

Yes,it is for ventilation. It doesn't hurt at all to let the roof over hang the sides it's just more convienent to cut it from one board size.

Cool. My dad builds a lot of bluebird houses. He has a friend who owns a cedar mill, so gets tons wood from him, including shake strips, which would probably make a sweet roof.

Do you need to clean the boxes from year to year or will they best in a previously used box?


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I've only ever cleaned them a couple times but they seem to use them year after year no matter what.

Hung the boxes today. Here's the view from one of the boxes.

Olly wrote:Very solid post. Thanks for sharing that.

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Agreed, this should be a sticky. Could be beneficial for memebers and when this site gets big.

Is there anything you do to keep coons out or just hang em up?


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NuffDaddy wrote:Is there anything you do to keep coons out or just hang em up?


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Predator guards. Make a sheet metal cone around the bottom of the tree you put the box on.

Here is one on a post.

NuffDaddy wrote:Is there anything you do to keep coons out or just hang em up?


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I just hang mine and put lots up but if you have the resources the cone guards like hammer shows are a good idea.

JGUN wrote:

NuffDaddy wrote:Is there anything you do to keep coons out or just hang em up?


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I just hang mine and put lots up but if you have the resources the cone guards like hammer shows are a good idea.

or Mel's dogs

Thanks for posting this jgun. My girlfriend has been bugging me to come into the daycare and do a project with her after school group for a while now. I think the kids will like this, and there is a creek behind the daycare that gets piles of hooded meganser traffic every spring. It's also a little educational project for them to clean the boxes and replace the bedding in the spring.

I found a nesting box this fall that I had forgotten about for ten years. The dead tree it was atached to finaly fell over and the box was destroyed. The good news is there were piles of broken eggshells in there, so it got used while it lasted. I shot my first and only drake woody there, not thirty feet from the box.

The wooden military boxes that everybody had a few years ago are easily modified into wood duck boxes as well. Sorry no pics

MuddyWaterWarlock wrote:The wooden military boxes that everybody had a few years ago are easily modified into wood duck boxes as well. Sorry no pics

Funny you say that because we have a few of those on the property too. We also have put dividers in those and drilled multiple holes to use as Swallow nesting boxes. They help keep the bugs down around the pond.