National Nest Box Week takes place between the 14 and 21 February every year. It was established in 1997 by the British Trust for Ornithology and aims to encourage more people to put up nest boxes ahead of the breeding season to help support the bird population. In celebration, this blog post will cover all things nest box by looking at some of our frequently asked questions.
Why are bird nest boxes important?
Unfortunately, natural homes for birds are not as common as they once were. They would often nest in nooks in old trees, crannies in old houses but in today's society, these little hidey holes for birds are not as easily found, particularly in neat suburban towns, filled with new builds, and new trees. To support our bird population, nest boxes provide an alternative that promotes nesting, increases the bird population, and supports our relationship with the natural world.What type of bird nest box do I need?
Different birds prefer different homes. Some require lots of space, others something smaller. The type of nest box you require depends on what birds you have in your garden or want to attract.
Blue tits prefer a smaller house with a small round hole such as our handmade wooden bird boxes. Great tits need a little more room like our DeLuxe Bird Box. Robins prefer an open-faced box and you can easily remove the front panel from our bird boxes to accommodate them by simply removing two screws.
Different species of bird prefer different sizes of hole. Our bird boxes have 32mm holes but these can be made smaller with our plates or you can drill the hole larger to accommodate larger birds.
- 25 mm for blue, coal and marsh tits
- 28 mm for great tits, tree sparrows and pied flycatchers
- 32 mm for house sparrows and nuthatches
- 45 mm for starlings.
Blue tit in a nest box captured by our WiFi Bird Box Camera. @Laurels_Wood
When should I put my bird nest box up?
The best time to put your nest box up is as early as possible before nesting season. We would always say before the end of February but it's never too late. You may have already seen some of our customers sending us photos of Blue Tits checking out nest box real estate ahead of nesting season.
How can I encourage birds to use my box?
Birds are like humans, they try to choose a home that has lots of convenient local amenities. They look for a reliable food source, water, and to be away from predators. Keep a steady source of food throughout the year in your garden to encourage visitors, along with some water like a bird bath. If you have cats, put your nest box where the cats can't get to it.
Should I clean my nest box?
We have a covered everything to do with cleaning your nest box in a previous blog post.
Do you already have a nest box in your garden? Would you consider putting one up between the 14th and 21st of February? We'd love to hear more so please do get in touch on social media this National Nest Box Week and let us know what you're up to.
Find out more about the British Trust for Ornithology and National Nest Box Week.
Hi. How does the camera in the bird box get charged ? Is it true wireless or needs a power source ? Many thanks
Once again we have blue tits building a nest in our garden as they have done for the last three or four years in the same box. Every year they seem to abandon it once all the hard work is done. My question is, does the female put on weight at this stage and consequently find it difficult entering the 25mm diameter entrance. I have just finished making a new nest box with a slightly larger entrance which will hopefully be more successful next year. The birds first showed an interest weeks ago and at the moment their nest is still under construction but if the past is anything to go by this is about the time when they disappear.