National Nest Box Week
14th February – 21st February
Putting up your own nest box is fun, easy and brilliant news for birds! British birds are short of nesting holes so by putting up a nest box you are offering our feathery friends a secure place to call home and raise the next generation!
Remember, don’t forget that a good quality nest box will be appreciated by garden birds all year round. So don’t delay – get yours up now!
Which nest box to choose?
Our garden birds have their own preferences when it comes to choosing a nest box. The type of bird you attract will depend on the type of box and the size of the entrance hole. Here’s Britain’s most common garden birds and which nest boxes they prefer:
Small Entrance Holes:
Blue Tit
Great Tit
House Sparrow
Open Fronted Boxes:
Wren
Robin
Spotted Flycatcher
choosing the right location
Nest boxes should provide a safe, comfortable environment and protect the inhabitants from predators and bad weather. Nest boxes for smaller birds such as Blue Tits and House Sparrows should be placed high up a tree or a wall, roughly around 2 to 4 metres above ground level. It’s always a good idea to position your nest boxes near prickly or thorny bushes to deter any unwanted visitors.
Avoid placing your nest box in strong sunlight and the high winds and make sure that the birds have a clear flight path to the nest box. We’d always recommend fixing your nest box on an angle so that any rain will hit the roof and bounce clear.
How do you attract birds to YOUR nesting box?
Placing bird food and bird feeders near your nesting box will help attract birds to your nesting box.
Click here to follow our simple guide to wild bird food and bird feeders.
When’s BEST to put your nest box up?
You can put up your nest box at any time during the year but we’d recommend early winter, as many species of bird will start looking for a nest site as early as January.
