Do you have bluebirds in your area? I find them very interesting to watch, they nest more than once per year, don’t mind you checking out their nests, and are beautiful birds. Their nest boxes are generally fairly plain with a hole size requirement. I buy mine at WBU and have their pole system with the raccoon/squirrel baffle. You can buy a small mealworm feeder attachment and they love it.

Disclaimer....sometimes the chickadees will beat them to the nest in early spring but they are cute too and only nest once. Just clean out their nest after the little ones fledge.

Not sure what you mean by ones we like. Any bird house I have put up (well over 30 in my yard) it takes at least a year for birds to want to nest in it. I prefer non wood. Commercially made/craft fair wood bird houses last maybe three -five ..they fall apart in the elements. My son made a blue bird type house in boys scouts 22 years ago and that has always been the favored house by the birds in my yard. It's not painted, it's not shaped like anything it's just 2x4 constriction up on a 12ft tall pole. It is in the middle of my yard so no branches or bushes near by just out there alone.

I had luck finding folks who make sturdy birdhouses like Arcy describes on Etsy. The decorative ones are nice but usually end up with durability and usability issues. Baby birds need a rough interior surface in the birdhouse so when they get ready to leave the nest they can grab/hook onto something with their little feet. Also need to be able to reliably open it up and clean out the old nest inside for the next year. You might be able to get away with not doing it for a while, the birds can do it, but why make extra work for them. Also, best to start clean every year, there comes a point where the debris can be detrimental.

Bluebirds are very fun to have around, I had them for years at two different homes and it didn't take a year to attract them. Actually I think it took less than a month at the second home. You will get lots of little baby bluebirds, really interesting to watch. But their houses are ideally situated around five feet from the ground and aren't large. There are some really pretty purple martin houses, they are large because they're kind of like apartment buildings for birds, and they need to be high up. But you probably won't be able to attract purple martins because I'm guessing it's probably dense where you live and they need a lot of free open space. But they are very pretty houses if you just want one for looks!

I’ve always been pleased with ones from Plow and Hearth and Wild Bird Store:

https://www.plowhearth.com/en/yard-%26amp%3b-garden/birds-and-nature/birdhouses/c/5542

https://www.wildbirdstoreonline.com/collections/decorative-bird-houses

(Pre-pandemic, I got most of mine at craft fairs, art fairs, art festivals, etc. Sigh.)

OutsidePlaying, I have the great honor of having Western Bluebirds nest in my bird box year after year. One year there were three litters (I don't know what you call a batch of bird babies). They arrive early and build nests of dirt and rocks, grass and feathers. I don't know how they do it. They are beautiful little creatures.

My nextdoor neighbor has the Wild Birds Unlimited franchise in my town. The birds love it here! I would definitely visit a store such as that and choose a house that is right for the type of bird you want to attract. For me, aesthetics are way down the list because I want whatever the birds want.

I built my bird box at a workshop in 2005. I think it's recycled redwood fencing or barn wood. Something arcy said was true in my case. The first year I had the box no birds came. Then one year I had some major landscaping done and they stayed away that year too.

I love my bluebirds. They connect me with the Creator.

ETA: If I ever get a tattoo, and I'm not ruling it out, one of the things I've considered is a bluebird.

Try Walpole Woodworkers for beautiful birdhouses meant to last. They are somewhat local to you but also ship. Love looking at some of the beautiful fences on their website.

Dang, I see they sold the company...but still many pretty birdhouses! Now called Walpole Outdoors.

Bunny, that is interesting about the western bluebird nest. Ours are eastern bluebirds and they build the neatest nests, usually out of pine straw, with a little bowl for the prettiest blue eggs. The babies are called a clutch.

I just replaced a 20-year old cedar Wild Birds nest box that I put up after we built here. Poles are still fine, but the box was getting rather shabby and moldy. I have 3 others scattered around the property and we enjoy watching them come and go.

I have another box my neighbor built and gave to me. Some sort of wren nested in it a couple of times last summer but I can’t open without taking it apart it to clean it out.

Do you have a local bird seed store? Ours is a Wild Bird Store and carries all kinds of bird houses, too. One thig to be sure to check is the size of the opening-too large and predators including other birds will get in and destroy the nest and/or eggs. Sizes of the holes are very specific depending on the birds you want. We have a small one for wrens and have had Carolina wrens nest there. Have had two successful hatches over the two years and one failed one. Their songs are so lovely as they sing every morning.

Outside, every Oct/November I take the box down from its pole and clean it out. One side is hinged so it's very easy. This was last year's nest. It's taller than it appears. Most of the dirt is at the bottom and hard to see. I just can't imagine how many trips they have to make carrying dirt in their little beaks!

Every year I dread opening the box, hoping I don't find something sad. That only happened once in 15 years. In 2019 my neighbor rescued a fledgling from the clutches of a neighbor cat and put it back in the nest. Well, that one didn't make it and there was another in there that didn't either. It really broke me up. I felt so bad.

They’ve already been at my (their) cocoa liner. I get a new one every spring, and just set a hanging potted plant in it. Then I remove the pot in winter and leave the liner for them. When I get a new plant, I put the remaining liner in my decorative wooden wagon, right by one of their feeders. They continue to pick at it there. :)

It looked this last summer:

I also always throw straw from my fall display in the wild area behind our yard. I see them getting that, too.

jm, ahhh Walpole Woodworkers! That’s the company I was trying to think of earlier. Thank you. They have a nice looking 6’ obelisk that you can put a copper roofed birdhouse on...love it.

Thanks everyone!

I see one I like at plow & hearth too but it’s the same price as the obelisk and birdhouse together from WW.

The only thing I don’t like is the white color...thinking maybe I could paint the birdhouse using the off white trim paint from my house.... will need to check and see if it’s ok to paint the WW products.

I purchased two Audubon Coppertop Cedar Wood Bluebird houses by Woodlink several years ago. They are aging slowly and well-made. Easy to clean out. The Woodlink website has some fancier birdhouses with copper too.