Birdhouse Perches

I've heard you shouldn't put perches on nest boxes because they help predators get to the birds inside. Is this true?

—Robert Ludden, Vestal, New York

George: The debate is never-ending about whether birdhouse perches encourage predators. But birds don't need them, so why take the chance? The natural cavities many birds nest in don't have perches. They've flourished this way for millions of years—long before we came along and began building houses with convenient perches. This is one birdhouse fixture that should go the way of the dinosaur.