Final run from Henning's garage workshop • In 14 active carts • 18 left
Henning's Robin-Ready Nesting Shelf
Henning's Robin-Ready Nesting Shelf
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Henning's Robin-Ready Nesting Shelf
Built by a Kentucky bridge inspector who watched the birds lose their ledges
Henning Ostrander, 68, checked more than 1,100 bridges in 34 years. Since 2009 he has built over 2,000 nesting shelves in his garage outside Munfordville, Kentucky. Shoulder surgery in January ends it. These are his last 86.
“Two phoebes nested on the same beam under the Lick Creek bridge for 11 springs. When the new bridge went in, they flew under it for days looking for that beam. There was nothing to land on. That same week I built my first shelf.”
Henning Ostrander · Munfordville, Kentucky
What comes in the box
Fully assembled, ready to hang
Jute, straw and cotton for the first bird
One screw is all it takes
Only a screwdriver needed
Why these four birds take it on the first try
An open front and a flat floor, like the old bridge beams. No hole, no door. The sitting bird can see out, so she feels safe enough to stay.
The roof sticks out past the front. Rain runs off in front of the nest instead of into it.
Two low rails hold the nest in place. Dove eggs don’t roll out, and wind can’t push the nest off.
One hole in the back wall, one screw. Under an eave, a porch roof, a carport or a shed. Up in five minutes.
Small gaps between the boards let rain drain away, so the nest never sits in water.
No paint, no stain, no chemicals where the eggs lie. Just bare wood, the way the birds like it.
Made for the birds that never use a birdhouse with a hole: American robins, Eastern phoebes, barn swallows and mourning doves.
“Every spring I get calls about robin and dove nests on porch lights and wreaths. These birds are open nesters. A closed birdhouse does nothing for them. A covered shelf hung under an eave, a few feet from where they tried to build, is one of the few things that really works. Henning builds exactly that.”
Linda Haskell · Wildlife rehabilitator · Bowling Green, Kentucky
Perfect for
Why Henning’s shelves work
- One simple design since 2009. Built the same way for 16 years, because the birds keep using it.
- Tested by the birds first. More than 2,000 shelves on porches, barns and fire stations around Hart County.
- Real cedar. Naturally weather-tough wood that turns a soft silver-grey outside over time.
- Nothing to fiddle with. No doors, no latches, no hole to measure. Hang it and step back.
- Ready the same day. Fully assembled, with a screw and a starter bundle of nesting material.
Hang it, give it a week, and if it isn’t right for your home, one email to info@cedarandtinco.com is enough. No forms, no hassle.
Henning’s one request. Hang it at least 6 feet high, under a roof or eave, out of the hot afternoon sun. If a robin is already trying your porch light, put the shelf two or three feet away from it. Hang it before March, when the birds start looking.
Product details
| Contents | 1 assembled open-front nesting shelf, 1 mounting screw, 1 bag of nesting starter |
| Material | Cedar, natural unfinished wood |
| Front | Open, no entrance hole — two low rails across the bottom |
| Dimensions | Approx. 13 in wide × 11 in tall × 6½ in deep (33 × 28 × 16 cm) |
| Roof | Two-board peaked roof, overhangs the front |
| Mounting | One hole in the back wall, screw included |
| Best for | American robins, Eastern phoebes, barn swallows, mourning doves |
| Where to hang | At least 6 ft high, under an eave, porch roof, carport or barn overhang |
| Care | Brush out the old nest once a year in late winter. No paint inside. |
| Made by | Henning Ostrander, Munfordville, Kentucky — final batch, 86 remaining |
The Last Winter
The Last Winter
A note from Henning's garage workshop:
Henning Ostrander inspected bridges for the state of Kentucky from 1980 to 2014 — more than 1,100 of them. Under almost every old bridge lived phoebes and barn swallows. When the old bridges were replaced with smooth concrete, the ledges were gone. In 2009 a pair of phoebes came back to the new Lick Creek bridge and found nothing to land on, and that week he built his first shelf. Since then he has built more than 2,000 in his garage outside Munfordville. Thirty-four years of hammering overhead have worn out his right shoulder; surgery is set for January, and there will be no further run. 86 shelves are left — when those are gone, there are no more.
Free US Shipping
Free US Shipping
Free shipping across the United States
- Delivery time: 3–5 business days
- Every shelf is hand-packed and ships from the US
- One assembled cedar nesting shelf, approx. 13 in wide × 11 in tall × 6.5 in deep (33 × 28 × 16 cm), plus one mounting screw and a bag of nesting starter
- Hangs with one screw under an eave, porch roof, carport or barn overhang, at least 6 ft high
- 30-day money-back guarantee — just email info@cedarandtinco.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Got a question? Here’s how to reach us.
Got a question? Here’s how to reach us.
Email us anytime at info@cedarandtinco.com. We answer Monday–Friday 9am–5pm and Saturday 10am–3pm (ET). Whether it’s about your order, where to hang the shelf, or just to say hello — a real person writes back.
Can I return it if it’s not for me?
Can I return it if it’s not for me?
Of course. 30-day money-back guarantee. Hang it, give it a week, and if it isn’t right for your home, email info@cedarandtinco.com within 30 days for a full refund. No questions, and US shipping is free.
How is it made?
How is it made?
Henning cuts every board from cedar on a table saw in his garage, then assembles the shelf by hand: a solid back wall, two roof boards that overhang the front, and two low rails across the bottom to hold the nest. No paint or stain goes on the inside, where the eggs lie. He has built them the same way since 2009, when he made the first one for a pair of phoebes that lost their bridge. Small differences in the grain make every shelf a little different.