Garden Birdwatch: Spruce up your old nest box or choose a good-quality new one after a wet and wild winter!

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Garden Birdwatch: Spruce up your old nest box or choose a good-quality new one after a wet and wild winter!

7 February 2025
By James Hamilton

Great Tit by David Waistell / BTO

Our gardens and green spaces serve as ideal habitats for numerous familiar and beloved birds, including the Blue Tit, House Sparrow, Starling, and Robin. While some individuals may find suitable nesting sites in planted areas or around buildings, there is still a significant shortage of desirable nesting locations, particularly in urban and suburban environments.

The loss of appropriate habitat, alterations in land use, the adoption of “tidier” gardens with fake grass, plants and other factors have adversely affected many of the UK’s breeding bird populations. Consequently, it is increasingly imperative that we actively contribute to providing a haven where our feathered companions can raise their broods. By installing nest boxes, we can significantly enhance the well-being of many garden visitors.

Mid-February is when many wild birds start to pair up and seek out suitable sites for the imminent breeding season, so now is a great time to put up new nest boxes, or spruce up your old ones.

The market offers a wide range of nest boxes, catering to various bird species and providing homes for Blue Tits to Barn Owls, there are boxes designed to suit a range of different species. Whether you construct your own nest box or purchase a ready-made one, consider the specific birds you wish to attract. Observe the birds present in your garden to identify the species most likely to nest there. Larger gardens tend to attract a broader spectrum of birds, while smaller spaces may offer limited but equally valuable nesting opportunities.

As with our own homes, the location of the nest box is also crucial. Nest boxes designed for common garden birds should be positioned between 1 and 3 metres off the ground, away from bird feeders, and sheltered from prevailing winds, rain, and strong sunlight.

Another bird species that readily utilises artificial nesting sites is the Swift. These remarkable aerial acrobats have experienced substantial population declines in recent decades. Consequently, many homeowners are now providing specialised nest boxes for Swifts for these dynamic travellers, whose distinctive screaming calls were once a familiar summer sound in our cities and towns. Swifts typically prefer older buildings for nesting, where they raise their chicks beneath the eaves. However, modern household improvements and refurbishments have reduced suitable nesting sites.

In addition to providing a valuable home for our garden birds and offering householders a rare glimpse into their private lives, nest boxes can also contribute to important scientific data collection. The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) nest monitoring schemes provide an excellent opportunity for individuals to monitor the health of our nesting bird populations by submitting their records, which contribute vital information to our understanding of birds’ breeding success. For further information, please visit: www.bto.org/nest-monitoring

The BTO website also features a dedicated nest box page that provides information and guidance on the construction, purchase, and positioning of nest boxes, as well as the different bird species that can be attracted. For detailed information, please visit: www.bto.org/nest-boxes

Blue Tit chick by Tom Streeter / BTO

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Garden Birdwatch: ​Spruce up your old nest box or choose a good-quality new one after a wet and wild winter!

Garden Birdwatch: Spruce up your old nest box or choose a good-quality new one after a wet and wild winter!