Advice needed on positioning bird box / rooster box

Hello everyone,

Im looking for some advice please on positioning new rooster boxes with an existing bird box.

I have a small garden but lots of birds regularly visit which is great. Ive had a bird box on the back wall for the past 3 years & have been very lucky to have blue tits nest in it 2 consecutive years. We made 2 Rooster boxes in January for small birds to rest in during our frequent storms. Ive seen blue tits exploring these but Im anxious that positoning them so close to the existing bird box which prevent either the rooster boxes being used and/or the existing bird box being used for nesting in the spring? Can anyone tell me please what is the minimum space needed between each box? As my garden is small I am limited to other areas to position these but would be happy to reposition things to make room, further away, if necessary? Please help

Many thanks

Wendy 

  • As a rule of thumb, nest boxes should be positioned opposite the prevailing weather direction. Here in Suffolk most of the grotty weather comes from the south west, so nest boxes should point north east (more or less, don't get paranoid about accuracy!). South facing boxes will get too warm in the summer anyway, so definitely avoid that. I wouldn't worry too much about a minimum distance between boxes, better to provide a few and let the birds decide - indeed, some actually prefer to nest communally (sparrows for example)
  • Hello. I am confused as I read to put the boxes near the feeders to encourage interest. Then I read that it might be too busy there. I have an old box with a perch that the sparrows are squabbling over. I have seen one enter the box. And one sit on the perch and ‘shout’ continuously! Maybe saying ‘Mine!’......but the newer boxes, sited nearby, for the sparrows [RSPB] do not have perches and are being ignored. The RSPB say thy don’t use perches as predators might gain easier access. 25 sparrows chatting and squabbling in my modest garden. Lucky me. One even chased a starling off one of the coconut shell feeders. Plucky little things. Happy me.