Can these withstand the heat of the summer? I would not want baked bird in my back yard.

Heat is a common concern and as the designer/builder of these things it was originally one of mine as well. During the design the houses were temperature monitored with digital data loggers right inside the house and compared to the temperature buildup inside a traditional wooden house. You can check out the monitoring setup and results at http://tomdukich.com/monitoring%20setup.html. In sum, the stainless houses only get about a degree hotter than wooden houses. Why? I think the physics is complicated but basically it boils down to the fact that stainless is a relatively poor conductor of heat. Ever notice all the stainless coffee mugs? You don’t burn you lips. You would if they were made from other metals. Also, stainless radiates heat back to the environment at a fairly high rate (mugs are insulated). The pictures are birds that actually nested successfully in the Museum Houses in 2004 and 2005. Heat buildup wasn’t a problem. But your initial reaction is a common one and is difficult to overcome from a marketing standpoint even though the test data and actual field experience indicates heat isn’t a problem. And as already noted, it's a good idea to put ANY birdhouse in an area where there's shade during a good portion of the day. Tom Dukich

Susan, Metal to form more interesting shapes, for long lasting durability, and just as important, for aesthetics. Most birds do not stay in their nesting places through the winter but I have seen Chickadees go into a Museum Houses when it’s cold. Their feet are insulated from the cold by little dry scales so they won’t stick to cold metal like Ralphie’s nemesis Flick in A Christmas Story! Check out the birdhouse movie on my web page for more info: http://www.tomdukich.com/birdvideo.html. Tom Dukich