
The TiN (Titanium Nitride) coated twist drills are ground twist drills, which are coated in a PVD process at a temperature of 200-500°. It is better to use a cobalt-alloyed or TiN-coated twist drill, as with the other types the drill tip can quickly anneal and thus become unusable. Stainless steels are harder than normal steels. It is usually offered in a bright finish and is marked with the abbreviation HSSG. This takes longer, but the manufacturing process leads to a better result in terms of concentricity and precision of the outer diameter. Ground drills are ground from the solid material after hardening. Roll-rolled drills are usually black burnished and often the abbreviation HSSR is used. The process is fast and therefore cost-effective, the structure of the material is preserved. Roll-rolled drills are heated and then the helix is formed. A distinction is made between roll-rolled and ground twist drills. cuts are 1/2" apart and 1/4" deep.For most types of metal (iron, unalloyed steel, aluminium, copper, brass or zinc) a drill made of high speed steel (HSS) is used. Make four or five kerf cuts on the exterior of the box, the same width as the entrance hole. Measure and cut out the 3" entrance hole on the front piece (be certain you measure up from the bottom 10" to the bottom of the hole). Approximately thirty 2" exterior-grade deck screwsġ.Cut pieces according to the drawing.Two 1 1/2"x1 1/2" exterior hinges with hinge screws.One 1"x10"x8' cypress (used here) or cedar board (3/4" thick).Gehlbach’s book, Eastern Screech Owl: Life History, Ecology, and Behavior in the Suburbs and Countryside, is in its second printing (2008). Spacious lawns and open spaces are good places to hunt, and backyard bird feeders offer up small-feathered prey. Outdoor plywood, pine, and cedar all worked well: “The more weathered the better,” notes Gehlbach, and an 8-inch-square floor size was “just fine.” Gehlbach also found that these owls fare better in suburbia than rural areas. Gehlbach examined the owls’ natural tree cavity nests, created three different nest box designs, and tested them all. He has been studying the nesting habits of rural and suburban screech owls and telling their stories ever since. Upon moving to central Texas to teach at Baylor University in the early 1960s, he was intrigued by a pair of owls popping out of a fox squirrel box. Build DirectionsĪlthough biologist Fred Gehlbach also studies Western Screech-Owls in Arizona, he knows Eastern Screech-Owls best. Female incubates both parents feed young.ĭays to fledge: 28 days after hatching. Once chosen, the male guards and defends the area surrounding the nest site.Įggs: Usually four to five white or cream-colored eggs.Įgg-laying: he first few eggs are often laid two days apart, then one per day. Nesting habits: Males bring food to females at potential nest sites. (Data are for the more widely studied Eastern Screech-Owl.) Western Screech-Owls use nest boxes less readily than their eastern counterparts. Provide birdbaths for drinking and bathing and nest boxes for seasonal nesting, as well as for roosting and storing prey year-round. Nesting DetailsĮastern Screech-Owls begin nesting in February in southern states but may wait until July in far northern habitats. These nocturnal generalists eat night-flying insects, small mammals, and birds alike, then regurgitate pellets of feathers, fur, and bones. Both birds “bark” when alarmed.įeeding: Screech owls begin feeding after dusk.

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Western birds emit a series of short whistles described as a bouncing ball call. Voice: Eastern birds utter a mournful tremulous, descending trilling call, described as a whinny. Eastern owls are gray or reddish brown western owls are gray or brown. Although Eastern and Western Screech-Owls closely resemble each other, the bills are yellow-greenish in eastern owls and black in western owls.

Characteristic ear tufts are lacking in the young. Western Screech-Owls are found in the southwestern, western, and northwestern states up into Alaska.įield marks: These diminutive owls are about 9 inches tall with 20-inch wingspans and strongly barred underparts. Range: Eastern Screech-Owls reside year-round primarily east of the Rocky Mountains. Both Barred Owls and Great Horned Owls prey on the much smaller Screech-Owls.

The two species are also known to hybridize. Territories of these two species, formerly classified as one, can overlap. Western Screech-Owls choose higher, drier habitats. In fact, suburbs may provide more prey, milder climates, and fewer predators than rural areas. The eastern birds adjust well to human presence. Their small size, excellent camouflage, unfussy nesting habits, and varied diet make Eastern and Western Screech-Owls successful survivors.
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Barker and Elissa Wolfson. You can also download a printable PDF of the instructions here. This article has been adapted from the Audubon Birdhouse Book by Margaret A.
