Screech Owl House Plans and Bird Box Building Guide

Screech owls (of the Genus Otus) are found throughout most of the United States, absent only from some parts of the Rocky Mountains. Following is some information about these birds, and about owl house plans and building owl boxes.

Three species of screech owls, the Eastern (Otus asio), Western (Otus kennicottii), and Whiskered (Otus trichopsis) are found in the states. The Eastern screech-Owl is found east of the Rockies, from the Canada border down into Mexico, and it is a in wooded areas. The Western screech-Owl is found west of the Rocky Mountains, and from Alaska down into lower Mexico. The Whiskered species is the smallest in size, found only in Southern Arizona, and in much of Mexico and Central America. These birds are all small, horned, and barred owls that come in shades of gray, brown, and red.

Owl House Plans: Materials Needed to Build an Owl Box

• Four pieces of wood, 18 inches by 10 inches by about 1/2 inch in thickness
• Two pieces of 1/2 inch wood, with 12×10 dimensions
• Hammer
• Nails
• Table saw or skilsaw, and a jig saw
• Drill with 1 inch paddle bit

Screech Owl Box Dimensions

Of the four 18×10 pieces of wood, one will remain that length, and it will serve as the back, longer side of the owl box’s four sides. The three others should be cut down about 4 inches so that they are 14×10. Of the 12×10 pieces of wood, keep one that length, and cut the other down so that it is 10.5×10 (the extra half inch is there because it will be the bottom, and it will have to cover the bottoms of the 10 inch sides, plus the thickness of the front, but not the back side).

Screech Owl House Building Guide

Cut the sides to length, so that there is one 18×10 side, three 14×10 sides, one 12×10 side, and one 10.5×10 side.

On one of the 14×10 sides, using the paddle bit, drill a hole about two thirds of the way to the top, in the center. Using the jig saw, widen this hole to about 3 inches in diameter. This will be the front side, with the screech owl’s entrance toward its top.

Nail the other two 14×10 sides to the 18×10 inch back, so that they are along its sides, and centered, with about two inches to spare above and below where the sides attach. Use one nail at the top, and another at the bottom of each side.

Nail the front side to the two others, so that the entrance hole is closer to the top.

Nail the top onto the tops of the three sides (the back side is too long, and the top, 12×10 side will be in front of it).

Nail on the bottom, so that it is below the other three sides, and a functional screech owl house should result.

Where Should You Place Your Screech Owl Box?

Nail the homemade owl house onto a tree in a wooded area, at least eight feet off of the ground.Owls hunt mainly in forested areas, and they will find the birdhouse faster, and be more likely to use it if it is attached to a tree.

Here is slightly different approach to making an owl bird box, but worth the watch: