Either a portable or permanent Huber sparrow trap can be built from these instructions. The letters refer to corresponding letters on the drawing.
For the portable trap, cut a 4″ x 8-1/2″ piece of plywood (or a size that will fit your birdhouse). Bore a 1-3/4″ hole to give you a little leeway when aligning the trap hole with your bluebird nest box hole.
PARTS:
- Steel plate 1-1/8″ x 3″ x 1/8″ thick.
- Brass rod or coat hanger wire bent to use as the trigger. Joe calls it the “trip rod.”
- Insulated electrical staples to mount the trip rod on the box and act as a hinge.
- Stop screw (1/2″ #6 round head wood screw).
- Pivot screw (1/2″ round head screw or slotted hex head screw).
- Additionally, a U-shaped clip made out of the same wire as the trigger works well to hold the portable trap board in position inside of a top opening box, The span of the clip equals the combined thickness of the box front and the portable trap boards.
For side opening boxes, a wood screw driven through the front of the box will engage the trap board to hold it in position.
STEPS:
- To install the trip rod, measure down four inches and draw a line. This is where the trip rod is attached with the two insulated staples. The rod must be bent to shape before attaching.
- Attach the trap plate, then the stop screw, followed by the trip rod.
- After completing the portable trap version, be sure to turn it over and file off the points of the staples and screws flush that may have penetrated the board to the other side.
Note: these images were scanned by Jim McLoughlin for the Bluebird Box website, from Dorene Scriven’s Book, Bluebird Trails – A Guide To Success
More Information and Resources:
- Bluebirding Giants, including Joe Huber
- House Sparrow Management, including trapping
The trap that can be ignored is no trap.
– Charlie Jane Anders
