RSPB's Asma Faraz celebrates National Nestbox Week this month by encouraging everyone to put up a home for your feathered friends just in time for breeding season.
Blue tit peeking out of a nestbox credit: Ben Andrews
Valentine’s day is fast approaching and with it the beginning of National Nest Box Week, which runs from 14-21 February. Hot off the heels of Big Garden Birdwatch, hopefully you’re tuned into the birds visiting your garden and enjoying watching them tuck into your well-stocked feeders during these colder days.
Our feathered friends will soon begin to buddy-up and start families and you can help them by putting up a nestbox in your garden this month- giving your local birds a chance to settle in and roost before breeding season starts, typically in March.
Where do I put up my bird box?
Location is an important thing to think about when searching for potential homes – your garden birds need to feel protected. If you don’t have a tree or building to provide shade, face your box between north and east to avoid strong sunlight and heavy wind. Always ensure your garden birds have a clear flightpath to their entrance.
Most gardens may only support single pairs of birds. For example, one conventional box with a hole for Blue Tit and another open fronted box for a Robin. Multiple boxes spaced between 0.75 and 1.0m apart would suit those more colonial birds such as House Sparrow. Remember to keep box entrances well away from any nearby perches which may be used by a predator.
Preparing the bird boxes
You may already have some nest boxes up from last year. There’s still some work to do in preparing them for the arrival of new bird pairs. Now is the time to make any repairs whilst not forgetting the importance of cleaning them out to keep them clear of parasites and insects. Get rid of old nesting material, being sure to take care if working from a height, and wearing kitchen gloves and face mask so as not to inhale dust and germs
Discover more top tips on nest box maintenance here.
Putting up a nestbox, Credit: RSPB
Which birds will I attract?
This depends on the type of nest box you set up, where you put it, and how big the entrance hole is (32mm for tits and sparrow, 45mm for Starling) and also how big the box is. A Starling box is about a third larger than a box for sparrows. The RSPB sell a range of pre-made nestboxes to suit many bird species, take a look here. Families can also enjoy our Build a Bird Box Wild Challenge activity – a fun activity for half-term. Take part here.
To attract birds to your garden and keep them happy, leave out fresh food and water for them. Keep their food and water stations clean to reduce the spread of any garden bird diseases – follow our guidance here.
What can I feed my birds?
Giving your birds high energy foods during the nippier months will lend them a massive helping hand and as the days warm up you can shift to high protein foods. Birds need a daily source of water for bathing and drinking, so keep your bird bath topped up or provide a shallow dish of water with some stones in it for your feathered friends to perch on.
I like to make feeding my garden birds an activity to get up to with my younger brother. We make a weekend of putting together fat balls and sorting out the various seeds and nuts into the feeders. It’s a great way to spend time with the little ones and get them involved and interested in caring for your winged friends.
Mixed Birdfeeder, Credit:RSPB
Create a Healthy Garden
Having birds as tenants in your garden or on your balcony, is not only a plus for our winged companions, but helps to support healthy gardens too. During the summer months birds enjoy feeding on caterpillars, aphids, and other invertebrates (perfect for their chicks to digest), keeping our plants and flowers at their best for our pollinators to enjoy.
Provide a range of trees, shrubs and nectar rich flowering plants to provide a year-round variety of food, plus shelter and potential homes to nest – not all birds nest in boxes! We hope you enjoy making your garden bird-family ready this month – just think of the reward, hopefully watching those fluffy fledglings take their wobbly first flight this summer.