hi,we have a tit box in our garden bought from the RSPB. As far as I’m aware it’s the generic tit box. I know that you can sometimes get a metal plate to go round the entrance hole to prevent larger birds than blue tits to enter. But as far as I know you can’t prevent great tits from entering.
I have no preference over blue tits or great tits using the box but I have seen online lots of videos where blue tits and great tits fight in competition and one of them is killed in the process. So my question is is there a box you can buy that specifically for Blue Tits and one specifically for great tits? Also, I don’t have a huge garden, so in regards to competition would there be a certain distance that would need to be observed between boxes? on that note how close to a human dwelling will blue tits or great tits nest to be comfortable? Many thanks
Hi,
Great tits are larger than blue tits (I did see one blue tit about 45 years ago that was the size of great tits, but that is the exception). Therefore, metal plates can and do keep out great tits. Occasionally, birds can get stuck, or sometimes one of a pair can just squeeze in and the other can't. Had that a couple of years ago locally where only the female great tit got in to feed chicks. Male had to make do from outside throughout, and nest was successful. However, you can't stop blue tits getting into a box targeted at great tits.
We have had both species in boxes each year. Distance and line of sight do need to be factored in.
There would always be competition for nest sites, even before nestboxes were produced, so conflict can never be prevented completely.