R. P. Funderburk

R. P. Funderburk

Olive Branch, MS

Wood / Birdhouses

Guild member since 2007

R.P.’s background as a carpenter enables him to use the tricks of the trade to ensure each of his birdhouses is well built to last for years. He uses old wood from buildings that have been razed, with new pieces of hickory, walnut, persimmon, cedar, and cherry from a local sawmill. He collects interesting twigs, mosses, and vines and saves pieces of barbed wire, wasps’ nests, pieces of old roofing tin, and antique square nails he finds while doing repair work. He adds the moss and twigs to make the houses more attractive to birds. Each birdhouse is made for specific species of bird which is native to Mississippi. To do this, he researches styles of birdhouses, then he puts them out in his yard and let the birds show him which model they prefer.