ANNA MERRICK VINTEN

EASTERN PHOEBE BIRDHOUSE

Main Objective

For this project, students were instructed to design a birdhouse for a specific breed of perching bird based on a well-researched understanding of the feeding habits, food preferences, social interaction tendencies, and protective strategies of the bird species chosen, in my case, an Eastern Phoebe.

✰ Eastern Phoebes are plump songbirds with a medium length tail

✰ Usually around 5.5-6.7 in long, 0.6-0.7 oz in weight, and have a 10.2-11 in wingspan

✰ Diet consists of flying insects such as wasps, beetles, flies, etc. in which they like to perch and catch midair in small trips

✰ Although they prefer live meals, Eastern Phoebes can also be attracted with suet traps

✰ Although they are considered loners, Eastern Phoebes mate for life and often take turns caring for their young

✰ Are attracted to human structures, and often build nests on flat surfaces near houses

✰ Do not typically like closed in spaces and are more like to nest on a shelf-like structure

RESEARCH

EARLY SKETCHES

I wanted to create a very open design, due to the fact that Eastern Phoebes typically don't do well in closed spaces, while still allowing for shelter and and places for the bird to perch during hunting. I also needed to consider the size of the design in order to fit both a male and a female during mating season.

ITERATIONS

This design was directly inspired by outdoor lighting. My thought was that since Eastern Phoebes tend to nest around houses that this design might blend in more and be more pleasing to he eye. I wanted to stick with the open feel while still allowing structure with the spiral shape. However, I didn't this this design was sturdy or open enough to attract an Eastern Phoebe.

For this design, I wanted to play with the idea of a simple shelf design, since Eastern Phoebes tend to be attracted to just simple platforms that are sheltered from the rain. The suet trap would be place in the top of the box, with a door that can be opened to refill it. Ultimately, I decided this design was too simple and looked very similar to many already existing birdhouses.

For this design I experimented with a kind of "S" shape, where the shelves are still present, but alternated. I visualized what this might look like with both a square and circular design. I ended up choosing the circular design for the final product because it is more visually interesting and less box-like. A suet trap would be placed in the bottom, connected with a magnet in order to be easily removed and refilled, however, I was not able to include that part of the design in my final product.

PROCESS

First, I took a large hollow cylinder and cut it into 3 separate rings.

Second, holes were drilled in each of the rings.

Next, the rods were measured and cut in order to fit in each of the sections needed to hold the birdhouse.

Then, each of the rings were given a ridge on the needed sides in order to hold the walls.

The walls were then measured, cut and shaped in order to fit into the birdhouse.

Finally, the platforms were made from the faces of cans, which were cut out with a can opener and then placed inside the rings.