Am I supposed to take down my birdhouses?

Image by tamdotcom via FlickrDo birds use bird houses in the winter months or do I take them down? What are roosting boxes? Do you know? Rob ~ Dimondale, MI

Yes, I do know. Wild Birds Unlimited sells both bird houses and roosting houses. Roosting boxes are similar to bird houses except the entrance hole is usually at the bottom of the box. The theory is that heat rises and when the birds perch inside at the top of the box, they'll be warmer.

Roosting Box has low entrance

There is no need to take down functional birdhouses for the winter. Birds will also use nesting boxes in the fall and winter months for roosting. One or more birds can use the houses as shelter from rain, snow and freezing cold winds.

Typical residents of the roosting and nest boxes are bluebirds, sparrows, chickadees, woodpeckers, nuthatches and more.