It’s national nest box week this week (14th to 21st Feb) and the perfect time to think about adding some extra nest sites to your garden, house, garage or shed, ahead of the nesting season.
If you know the birds that frequent your outside space, whether you have a flock of sparrows, see blue tits flitting about or regularly spot robins - providing a box for them will massively increase their chances of raising the next generation successfully.
Different birds obviously have different requirements, in terms of size of box, type and size of entrance and location of the box.
House sparrows like to nest close to each other, so a sparrow terrace (a row of joined boxes) or several boxes located close to each other on the side of a building, at least 2 metres up, are perfect. They need a larger hole, around 32mm diameter, facing north or east to avoid the prevailing winds and bright sun.
Great tits and blue tits prefer single boxes, on tall fence posts or in trees, again at least 2m up to avoid predators, with cover and suitable foraging nearby, but a clear flight path into the box. Great tits need an entrance hole 32mm diameter, while smaller blue tits only need a 25mm hole. Depending on the birds that regularly visit your garden you might be lucky and get coal tit nesting.
For everything you need to know to make your own box, go to our website: Where To Put A Bird Box | Nestboxes - The RSPB
Birds like dunnocks and wrens tend to nest closer to the ground, so will benefit more from an untidy area with dense undergrowth, than a purpose-built nest box. Similarly, blackbirds and thrushes don’t often use boxes, but both like dense thorny bushes and hedges, like climbing rose, holly, blackthorn, hawthorn and pyracantha to prevent predators snatching their eggs and chicks.
Robins on the other hand will nest in all manner of places, dense undergrowth near the ground, sheds, garages and even in old teapots!! If you want to provide a nest box an open fronted one is best, not too high, but near/in shrubs or hedges.
A great alternative to an external box is a purpose made nest box fitted into the structure of your house, shed or garage, especially if you’re doing some renovations or extending your home. Starlings are declining and it’s thought this is in part due to a lack of suitable nest sites, they love nesting in buildings – up under eaves and slightly into roof spaces. For more advice, see our website: Bird Nesting Boxes In The Roof - The RSPB
If you’d like to make your own bird box, but aren’t sure how to go about it, why not join us for our next bird box making session and take home the finished article - Sat 25th Feb, 10am – 1pm at RSPB Arne: Family Wild Weekend - Build a Bird Box! Or you can always buy a nest box from our Arne shop or online: Bird Houses & Nesting Boxes for Wild Birds - RSPB Shop
Whatever you decide to do, we hope you enjoy the sight of tiny fledglings emerging from your nest boxes later in the spring.
Photos: all rspb-images.com top to bottom - Eleanor Bentall, Rob Carmier, Oliver Smart, Michael Harvey and Ben Andrew.