I have cut a lot of mini birdhouses and have used a lot of different hard woods. Walnut, maple, cherry, ash, popular and some unidentified as I used to be a woodturner and I have a lot of scraps left over.
I typically have used a blade with no reverse teeth. I use either a Flying Dutchman Polar blade #5 or a Pegas super skip #6.
I find that is is best to wrap the blank with packing tape as it seems to lubricate the blade.
I have done some things in pine or balsa too depending on the project. I teach a scrolling course and we do a tulip and an ornament and that is always pine and then I use a #5 or 7 Flying Dutchman Ultra Reverse as it leaves a nice finish. You have to make sure the blade is sharp.