DELTON, Mich. — Our trip to Delton in Barry County confirmed something I really didn’t know. Most of the area is very, very rural. That doesn’t mean there’s no beauty among the marshy areas, farmland, and rolling meadows…but what most of us recognize as suburbs is certainly not widespread in and around Delton. That said, we found a man who takes great pride in his work and is a developer, an artist of sorts, and someone who knows birds and their needs.
To some he’s known as the birdman, to others…Bill Stovall. He’s the founder and creator and Stovall Wood Products and has been making birdhouses for almost 25 years. His shop (with a few part-time employees) is literally in his backyard in rural Delton, and the smell of fresh cedar permeates as it’s cut, sanded, and planed. Stovall makes 80 different products including birdhouses, feeders, bird baths, bat houses, and other things.
They sell locally, nationally, and can be found on Amazon.com. 73 Year old Bill Stovall simply loves what he does. For a small handmade shop producing as many as 100 products per day, he’s set up a production line and has learned to streamline his small operation to reach even the biggest demand. He has a small warehouse just across the road where they hold a meager inventory of the popular styles and shapes.
“Cedar is the standard of the industry and they last long, they’re light, they’re easy to manufacture because the wood is easy to work with” says Stovall. Whether we realize it or not, one house doesn’t fit all birds. There are technical things to know such as entrance hole size, since larger holes can let predators in with smaller birds. Sometimes different bird species can use the house on different levels over one mating season.
Woodpecker houses are absolutely huge, especially in Colorado where wood houses are typically constructed for people. Buy a woodpecker house, and it may just save the woodpecker from gnawing a hole in the side of yours.
If you’ve ever thought about a birdhouse, feeder, or bird bath, consider locally made Stovall Wood Products. Stovall says people are always excited about watching the birds enter/leave the house year after year. They sing a great song and the entertainment can be priceless. There are a handful of stores locally that carry his products, or you can click here to see many of the items they make. Find their website here!
Stovall Products can be contacted directly at (269) 623-2729.
