Love thy avian neighbor as thyself — by giving them a home as stylish as your own.
While it’s tempting to group them with lawn flamingos and garden gnomes, bird houses are more than just kitschy accoutrements to your yard. These tiniest of dwellings serve a noble, very practical purpose: giving our flying friends a safe space to eat, sleep, and roost away from predators and the elements, helping to keep their populations strong so you can channel your inner birder.
But that doesn’t mean form can’t follow function. Make outdoor life a little more fun by considering these scaled-down iterations of human dwellings. In exchange for your hospitality, and in lieu of rent, you’ll receive no shortage of services, from pest control to pollination.
Charleston Battery Birdhouse
Welcome wrens, finches, and like-sized flyers with some old fashioned Southern hospitality. Modeled after the iconic side porch houses of Charleston, South Carolina — a style commonly called the “Charleston Single” — this little beauty is crafted with sturdy plywood with red cedar shingles, not unlike like the real thing. Mount it on a tree or fence with the included bracket; the latched back even opens right up for easy housekeeping.
$179.95 at Williams-Sonoma
Montauk Lighthouse Birdhouse
Beach houses are luxury to us, but to migratory birds, they’re a necessity. This whimsical homage to the Hamptons’ beacon of record brings all the vibes of summer at the East End’s end no matter where you put it. The multi-family design boasts two nest boxes: one in the tower and one in the keeper’s quarters, each with a one and a quarter-inch opening. It’s the perfect way to celebrate America’s first public works project, commissioned back in 1792 by George Washington himself and fresh from a $44 million restoration that returned its beloved Fresnel lens.
$99.95 at Plow & Hearth
Indio Mid-Century Modern Birdhouse
Yes, mid-century modern birdhouses are a thing. Didn’t you know finches love breeze block? An Etsy search on the subject will turn up everything from an LA-style dingbat apartment complex to this Palm Springs style fever- (but hopefully not avian flu-) dream with a pool. While the options are plenty, they don’t get more perfect than this little number, lovingly handcrafted in Vermont from azec, PVC, and stainless steel. You might even find it too pretty to put outside, though it’s designed to withstand even the worst weather.
$299.00 from Pleasant Ranch on Etsy
Amish Log Cabin Bird Feeder
Looking straight out of the opening credits from The Beverly Hillbillies, this charmingly rustic Appalachian cabin is meticulously detailed right down to its real rock chimney. Each one is skillfully made by Amish woodworkers, designed to sit atop a four by four-inch post wherever said pile is driven. With both simulated grass and a rocking chair porch, don’t be surprised if you hear an ornery warbler chirping “get off my lawn!” at unsuspecting insects — unless, of course, they’re there for dinner.