Window Bird House: A Birdwatchers Guide to the 6 Top Picks

Window Bird House

A bird house is a wonderful and helpful thing for any birdwatcher to have – it provides an easy, safe and secure place for “cavity-nesting” bird species to build their nests, as well as providing a great way for you to see and understand these birds and their habits.

And one wonderful option is the window-mount birdhouse, which can let you get even closer to the birds and their inner world – so today we’re going to look at a few of the best window mounted bird houses on the market.

If you’re in a hurry, and want to get to the top picks, here is my top choice and favorite window-mounted bird house:

Best Overall Window Mount Birdhouse

Spy Birdhouse Bird House for Window Mounting with One-Way Mirror

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Spy Birdhouse - Two Way Bird House Windows for Houses & Bird Nest Outdoor - Bird House Kit for...
  • BIRD WATCHER GIFT window bird house for bird or nature lover. The see through bird house for window is educational for children and adults....
  • FANTASTIC CRAFT BIRDHOUSE - Window birdhouse live nest box camera, educational for Kids bird houses for outside clearance, suction cup...
  • PREMIUM MATERIAL - The one way window bird feeder is light and durable small house windows and bird houses for outside. 100% high quality...
  • INSTRUCTION TO ALL CUSTOMERS The one-way mirror, also called two-way mirror works when one side of the mirror is brightly lit, and the other...
  • HOUSE WINDOWS MEASURE for the spy birdhouse one way mirror bird feeder: The birdhouse on window bluebird box is easy to assemble with not...

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What is a Window Mounted Bird House?

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First of all, in case you don’t already know, a bird house (also known as a nest box, nesting box or bird box) is a structure that people put in their yards, gardens or elsewhere which provides a protected cavity in which certain birds can build a nest and set up house.

The window mounted birdhouse is exactly the same thing, but one that is open on one side, with suction cups on that side to affix to the outside of your window, and usually a clear panel or a kind of one-way mirror so that you can see them but they are unaware of your presence. That way, the birds still have a warm and secure place to build their nest, and you have a unique, really close-up view of their home through the transparent wall.

This is a fantastic idea, especially since no matter how many bird houses, bird feeders or bird baths we have in our yards, or how good our cameras or binoculars are, we will never get such a relaxed and intimate – and again, really, really close up! – view of the nesting and behavior of birds as you will from a stick-on-window birdhouse.

The birds can relax in their new house, and you can relax in yours, delightedly looking through the glass at their inner world!

I should mention that this is very different from the more popular window-mounted bird feeders. Those are meant to be filled with bird seed, and thus don’t provide an appropriate space for birds to build their nests – still fun, and also a brilliant idea, but in many ways a very different experience.

So, speaking of close looks, let’s explore the best products you can find, with my reviews of the six top window bird houses in 2022. At the end of the article, in the Bonus Section, I’ll talk briefly about how to take care of your new bird house, so stick around!

6 Best Window Bird House Options for 2022

Nature's Way Bird Products CWH4 Cedar Bluebird Viewing House
Spy Birdhouse - Two Way Bird House Windows for Houses & Bird Nest Outdoor - Bird House Kit for...
ColorfulLaVie Window Bird House with Strong Suction Cup and Lanyard for Outside - See Through...
Spy House Wooden See Through Two Way Mirrored Bird House - Suction Cup Window Mounted Bird Nesting...
Nature's Way Bird Products CWH4 Cedar Bluebird Viewing House
Spy Birdhouse - Two Way Bird House Windows for Houses & Bird Nest Outdoor - Bird House Kit for...
ColorfulLaVie Window Bird House with Strong Suction Cup and Lanyard for Outside - See Through...
Spy House Wooden See Through Two Way Mirrored Bird House - Suction Cup Window Mounted Bird Nesting...
Nature's Way Bird Products CWH4 Cedar Bluebird Viewing House
Nature's Way Bird Products CWH4 Cedar Bluebird Viewing House
Spy Birdhouse - Two Way Bird House Windows for Houses & Bird Nest Outdoor - Bird House Kit for...
Spy Birdhouse - Two Way Bird House Windows for Houses & Bird Nest Outdoor - Bird House Kit for...
ColorfulLaVie Window Bird House with Strong Suction Cup and Lanyard for Outside - See Through...
ColorfulLaVie Window Bird House with Strong Suction Cup and Lanyard for Outside - See Through...
Spy House Wooden See Through Two Way Mirrored Bird House - Suction Cup Window Mounted Bird Nesting...
Spy House Wooden See Through Two Way Mirrored Bird House - Suction Cup Window Mounted Bird Nesting...

Most Solid Window Mount Bird House

Wakefield Premium Bird Houses See Through Window Nesting Box

Wakefield Premium Bird Houses See Through Window Nesting Box

The Wakefield window nesting box is a very solid product, with thick but lightweight wood construction – made from renewable Eastern White Pine – that provides just the right insulation and conditions for nesting birds.

And with four oversized screw-in silicone suction cups, it is just as solid when mounted on the window, and will stay put and stay stable all throughout nesting season, even with vigorous activity.

Wakefield is very sensitive to the idea of keeping birds comfortable and making them feel safe, and so this birdhouse does not include a one-way mirror, but instead a simple (but extremely high quality) clear plastic sheet – since so many birds might be scared off or assume the box is occupied when they see their own reflection.

So if you are willing to keep your blinds closed except when observing, and the room dark after dusk, this is a superior bird house – probably overall the best built, and the most suitable for a wide range of birds.

Pros:

  • Very Solid Construction
  • Premium Materials
  • Very Stable Mounting
  • Healthy and Comfortable for Lots of Different Birds

Cons:

  • Not the Prettiest…

Best for Bluebirds

Nature’s Way Bird Products CWH4 Cedar Bluebird Viewing House

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Nature's Way Bird Products CWH4 Cedar Bluebird Viewing House
  • Crafted from premium cedar with a water-based protective stain
  • Air vents allow for maximum air ventilation through wall and floor openings - Clean-out doors provide easy access for cleaning
  • Stay-clear, crack-resistant window allows for viewing while protecting young inhabitants
  • Predator guard extends the entrance hole to protect young birds against predators
  • Pole mount or flush mount installation options

I’m including this wonderful Nature’s Way birdhouse even though it is not exactly what we’re covering in this article – that is, this is not a window-mount birdhouse at all.

It does, though, have a window for viewing the nest and nesting activities – a clear plexiglass sheet which is normally hidden by a wooden plank that can be swung up to reveal the inside.

The Nature’s Way bluebird bird house has so many design features to make it just perfect for bluebirds – an elevated mesh floor for improved air flow and to control pests, a predator guard entry hole, grooves on the inside wall to help fledglings climb and see outside, and small but effective air vents.

Again, not a window-mount bird house, the Nature’s Way Bluebird house is designed for pole, beam or tree mount. 

This is a solid, well made and in every way premium bird house, which first and foremost gives Bluebirds a safe, healthy and comfortable home and, as an added bonus, lets you occasionally peer through the window to see just how happy they are!

Pros:

  • Perfectly Designed for Bluebirds
  • Premium Material and Construction Quality
  • Elevated Mesh Floor
  • Ventilation Holes
  • Predator Guard

Cons:

  • No Included Mounting Hardware

Best Overall Window Mount Birdhouse

Spy Birdhouse Bird House for Window Mounting with One-Way Mirror

Sale
Spy Birdhouse - Two Way Bird House Windows for Houses & Bird Nest Outdoor - Bird House Kit for...
  • BIRD WATCHER GIFT window bird house for bird or nature lover. The see through bird house for window is educational for children and adults....
  • FANTASTIC CRAFT BIRDHOUSE - Window birdhouse live nest box camera, educational for Kids bird houses for outside clearance, suction cup...
  • PREMIUM MATERIAL - The one way window bird feeder is light and durable small house windows and bird houses for outside. 100% high quality...
  • INSTRUCTION TO ALL CUSTOMERS The one-way mirror, also called two-way mirror works when one side of the mirror is brightly lit, and the other...
  • HOUSE WINDOWS MEASURE for the spy birdhouse one way mirror bird feeder: The birdhouse on window bluebird box is easy to assemble with not...

The Spy Birdhouse is my favorite window-mounted nesting box.

First of all, it is a very attractive and high quality product, made not just from natural wood but from premium New Zealand pine, which is thick, strong and well finished.

But more importantly this is just a well designed bird house – one that is clearly made by people who know and love birds.

There is a good one-way mirror included, but also a sheet of pine that you can insert instead into the same slot. This way, if you want to hang the birdhouse outside, like on a branch, pole or beam, you can be sure the birds will feel safe, and have the dark and secure space they need.

To facilitate this there is a hanging hoop already mounted to the top, and for window mounting the suction cups actually screw in, and are tighter and more secure than most I’ve tried. And the birdhouse has air vents, allowing the kind of air flow very important to nesting birds.

A fantastic window mounted bird house, the Spy Birdhouse gets my top recommendation!

Pros:

  • Premium New Zealand Pine
  • Includes both a Two Way Mirror and a Solid Wood Panel
  • Window Mount and Hanging
  • Slots for Air Flow
  • Extremely Solid

Cons:

  • None!

Great for a Wide Variety of Birds

ColorfulLaVie Window Bird House with Strong Suction Cup and Lanyard for Hanging

ColorfulLaVie Window Bird House with Strong Suction Cup and Lanyard for Outside - See Through...
  • ★Transparent design: Transparent sticker easy to observe the bird nest from the inside without disturbing the bird.Transparent sticker has...
  • ★Easy to Install: 2 powerful suction cups can make the bird house firmly fixed on the glass, which is convenient and quick to install,...
  • ★Perfect Decoration:Bird house craft is made of wodden. Size--21x13x10cm/11.8 x 5 x 4 inches(L*W*H).If you want to put warm grass in it,...
  • ★Upgraded Wooden Birdhouse: The upgraded wooden birdhouse is different from the plastic birdhouse. Made of 100% natural wood, has good...
  • ★DESIGNED TO MAKE BIRDS HAPPY:This lovely bird house will add beauty to your garden. Little birds will flock to feed in this cozy natural...

Often when I’m reviewing products, I see that something that is mentioned as a negative about a certain item – often mentioned again and again, by lots of different customers – is in fact a positive (if not fully understood) feature or quality.

And this is definitely the case with this excellent ColorfulLaVie wooden birdhouse, which doesn’t have a two-way mirror, but instead just a clear plexiglass sheet facing the window.

While many people say this is a big problem, because the birds can see you, this also means that the birds cannot see themselves. There are actually several kinds of birds which would not nest in a house with mirrors, since they assume it’s already occupied.

So with this window-mounted nesting box pretty much any bird will be comfortable building their home inside – but you need to make sure that you keep the curtains or blinds drawn when you’re not observing, and/or that it’s mounted on a window for a room with little or no activity.

With a rope loop on top, this can also be used as a hanging bird house, though in that case you would want to replace the observation window with a solid sheet of plastic or wood.

A well made and solid bird house, made from wood and with very secure suction cups, the ColorfulLaVie window birdhouse is a great product, which I warmly recommend.

Pros:

  • Great for Lots of Different Birds
  • Different Mounting Options
  • Natural Wood Construction
  • Secure Window Mount
  • Excellent Overall Quality

Cons:

  • Not Best for People with Cats

Inexpensive but Premium Window Mount Bird House

Spy House Wooden See-Through Window Mounted Bird Nesting Box

The Spy House wooden bird house is a great product for the money, and while it may look like so many others it is actually a much better netting box.

The thing is, there are a lot of plastic birdhouses – around this price and sometimes for a lot more – and they are usually really shoddy, light and flimsy. Besides, I would never use plastic for a bird house, since it doesn’t provide the right kind of insulation and temperature control, can’t breathe, and birds just don’t like it. 

But the Spy House is made from premium quality and very well finished wood, it is very strong and well crafted, and will last and last, even with exposure to the elements. And the one-way mirror is just right – clear and transparent enough from your side of the window to give a good view, but it will keep the inside of the birdhouse nice and dark, and the birds feeling safe and secure.

Just remember to peel the protective coating off of the plastic sheet before you mount the house on your window, or you won’t see anything at all!

Nothing fancy, just a well made and effective real wood window-mount bird box at a very low price.

Pros:

  • Wooden Construction
  • Well Made – Especially for the Price
  • Optimal Mirror for Both You and the Birds
  • Much Better than Similarly Priced Competition

Cons:

  • Not Quite as Solid as More Expensive Choices

Best Cheap Window Mount Bird House

Yinrunx Wooden Bird House for Window Mount

No products found.

The Yinrunx window bird house is the least expensive birdhouse I would recommend getting and using.

Like the slightly more expensive Spy House, just above, the Yinrunx is visually similar to a ton of other products – at this super-low price or a bit higher – but is actually made of natural wood, which is better for birds and which they greatly prefer.

A simple and effective product, there is actually not much to say about this birdhouse – it has strong suction cups that really stay put, and are also very securely attached to the house’s frame, it has an optimally sized hole for smaller birds that will keep larger birds and predators away, and it is very well made and solid, and should last for a long time.

And it is very, very inexpensive! There are so many cheap birdhouses out there – and cheap in all the worst ways – but the Yinrunx is the real deal, a quality product and a great value.

Pros:

  • Really Inexpensive
  • Real Wood
  • Solid and Well Made
  • Keeps Predators Out
  • Solid and Reliable Mount

Cons:

  • Small Size – Only for Smaller Birds

Bonus Section: Making Your Birdhouse More Effective and Attractive

I’m including this bonus section mainly because it can help you make sure your new window-mount birdhouse is as safe, comfortable and attractive as possible, providing birds with a good home and you with years of fascination and entertainment.

But I’m also including it because it seems the number one complaint about this kind of bird house attached to window is that the birds just don’t use them.

This is not, however, because there is something wrong with the birdhouses, or even with the idea of window-mounting, but most often simply because certain tips or guidelines aren’t being followed – but if they are followed, the birds are sure to come and to move in!

So let’s close by going over some very basic considerations, tips and techniques you can use to make your window-mount nesting box as effective and attractive as possible for the birds.

Shade and Shelter

Make sure you mount your bird house on a window that has some shade, or even a lot of it, which will make sure the interior doesn’t get too hot for nestlings, as well as some protection from rain and other elements.

Add a Nest

Well, not really, but it is often a great idea to put at least some nesting material in the box before the new tenants arrive. This will give them a head start on their work, and make the house smell more natural and be more attractive.

You can use twigs and tiny sticks, moss, dried leaves and grass and bits of bark, making sure that none of it has been sprayed or treated with chemicals.

Just remember to wear clean rubber gloves when gathering and inserting the materials, so that your human smell won’t keep the birds away (nothing personal – we all smell bad to birds!).

Keep Them in the Dark

You will notice that some of the choices in our list of best window mount bird houses have one way mirrors, and some have transparent sheets to view through, but either way it is a good idea to keep the room or space on your side of the window as dark as possible – even when you’re viewing, but especially when you’re not there – your new neighbors need darkness and a feeling of security.

It’s best, in fact, to keep the window shades, blinds or curtains completely drawn most of the time, and relatedly to keep activity, noise and energy in that room as low as possible all of the time.

Mounting They Can Count On

Make absolutely certain that the suction cups used to stick the birdhouse onto the glass will stay put!

This is best done by thoroughly cleaning both the glass and the cups themselves before sticking them on. And while it  makes sense to add a bit of water or saliva to increase adhesion, these can quickly evaporate and dry up, and a tiny touch of mineral oil is even better and longer lasting.

Keep it Clean

Between nesting seasons, make sure to clean out the bird house as thoroughly as possible, so as to prevent the smell of the brooding birds from sinking into the wood and possibly putting off potential new nesters the following season.

And do the same for any birds that have more than one brood during a single season, like Robins and Bluebirds.

Just make sure they have completely left before the maid comes in!

Keep it Up

As long as you keep it clean – occasionally cleaning and dusting it out even if there’ve been no residents or activity – you can keep the birdhouse up and mounted year round. It might provide protection for unexpected visitors during cold weather and a brooding space for other species of birds off-season.

Last update on 2023-09-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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