When I was researching screech owl box plans, everyone seems to have converged on a shape about 8 in sq and 10-12 deep from the entry hole which is about 2.5-3” diameter about 3-4” below the roof. So deep cavity like a hollow in a tree, basically. You might get away with attaching a latch to the mailbox door, drill a 3” hole in the bottom near one end, then hang it vertically so that hole is now on the top of the outward facing side, assuming it started out as a ‘normal’ mailbox shape. You probably should add a slanted piece of wood or cedar shingle as a roof and drill a couple small holes (3/4-1”) in the floor for drainage and a couple small holes just under the roof eave for ventilation. The latched door can be opened to clean it out every year or two after the occupants leave.
Otherwise, a plain ol’ box has some chance of being adopted by something: mine attracted Great Crested Flycatchers who fledged 2 young last year! Followed by a gray squirrel who built an elaborate and comfy winter home in it (now cleaned out, hoping for owls again this winter). ______________________ Chris Pelkie IT Support Assistant Bioacoustics Research Program Cornell Lab of Ornithology 159 Sapsucker Woods Road Ithaca, NY 14850 On Jun 29, 2014, at 17:57, Robin Cisne <rfci...@gmail.com<mailto:rfci...@gmail.com>> wrote: I hope you'll excuse this being somewhat off-topic, but I could use some sage counsel. I have an old mailbox that I was thinking I could nail up in a tree in hopes an owl would roost in it. Am I deluding myself? If this is a realistic possibility, are there things I could do to make it more attractive? I put up a bat house a couple of years ago and am disappointed that it remains unused. Thanks for your help, Robin -- "I met a traveller from an antique land Who said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert...." P.B. Shelley -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> Rules and Information<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> Archives: The Mail Archive<http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> Surfbirds<http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> BirdingOnThe.Net<http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> Please submit your observations to eBird<http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>! -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
