There are many ways to attract birds to your own garden. One of them is hanging nest boxes. We'll show you what to look out for.
The chirping of the birds wakes us up in the morning and fills the garden with life. Our feathered friends feel particularly comfortable in an environment close to nature. Unfortunately, the habitat for birds, especially in cities, is limited and there is a lack of natural breeding grounds.
Bird lovers can enjoy titmice, blackbirds or sparrows by attaching nesting boxes. How to become a good host for native songbirds and which bird would like to move into which nest box will now be revealed.
Why should nest boxes be installed?
Just a few decades ago, twittering in many voices was guaranteed in the home garden. But many bird species have gradually lost their habitat. Even our forests often look like they have been cleaned by hand. Trees are cut down, hedges are removed and in the big cities almost all of the development work keeps the birds away.
Meanwhile, more than half of the bird species occurring in Germany are classified as endangered. Native birds can be helped by attracting them back to our urban habitats and offering them a bird-friendly garden. There are many sources of food and water in natural gardens. This creates the basis for setting up nesting sites.
Tip: No bird will nest in the garden if there are not enough food sources there.
By installing nesting boxes, we make a valuable contribution to nature conservation. We ensure the continued existence of endangered bird species and give native birds their urban habitat back. Nest boxes should be installed wherever trees have been felled, hedges and shrubs have disappeared and buildings lack suitable nesting niches.
A good reason for installing nesting boxes is also that bird lovers will have a lot of fun building them and will also have the opportunity to give their children a meaningful occupation and allow them to appreciate nature as a valuable and indispensable part of our livesto raise awareness.
How should a nesting box be designed?
The shape of the nest boxes is of secondary importance. You don't have to be afraid that the nesting aid will appear too big for the birds. You will lend a hand and pad the dwelling accordingly.
However, some factors should be considered when building a nest box:
- sturdy and solid construction
- solid wood
- no gaps
- stable attachment
- Adapt entrance opening to desired birds
- easy cleaning
So there's little point in just buying a random nesting box without first thinking about which birds are in the garden and which bird species you actually want to house.
An overview of different nesting boxes
Cave Breeder Box
Half Cave Breeder Box
Tree Runner House
Spatzenhaus
Swift Set
A rough subdivision can be made into the following nesting boxes:
Cave Breeding Box
The cave incubator is the most common nesting aid. Tits, sparrows, wrens and other small birds find a welcome breeding ground here. The boxes are self-contained and have only one entrance hole, which should be adapted to the respective bird species in different diameters. We will go into the corresponding dimensions in more detail. The nesting boxes can be easily attached to branches and should be installed at a height of two to ten meters.
Nest in Cave Brooder:
- Blue Tit
- Great Tit
- Star
- Nuthatch
- Pied Flycatcher
- Wingneck
- Tree Sparrow
- House Sparrow
Half cave incubator
Birds that do not build their nests in closed caves, but in crevices and niches, need a semi-cave nest box. The nesting box is closed at the back and should be secured in a sheltered placeso that the breeding birds are protected from jays or magpies. A closed nesting box with several entry holes also fulfills the purpose of a niche nest box.
Nest in semi-cave incubator:
- Robin
- Wren
- Wagtail
- Redstart
- Greycatcher
tree runner box
If there are already several trees in the garden, the natural breeding ground can be supplemented with a tree runner box. The box has an opening on the side and can be easily reached by the birds. The nesting boxes are installed at a height of three to four meters.
Nest in treecreeper box:
- Treecreeper
- Treecreeper
Spatzenhaus
Sparrows used to live in the cities. Today they are alarmingly rare. You can bring the cute birds back into the garden with a sparrow house.
The natural breeding room was once on house facades and roof gables. Most of the apartments have now been renovated and are well insulated. The breeding ground of the sparrows was lost. Sparrows are considered sociable birds and do not like to breed alone. Therefore, a large nesting box with several entrance holes will appeal to them.
Swift Set
The common swift is also a victim of modern housing construction. Attaching its nests to the outside walls of buildings is becoming increasingly difficult. If you want to provide shelter for swifts, you have to put three to five boxes under the roof of the house. It can also be attached to the garden shed. However, the height of the wall glider box should not be less than six metres.
Note dimensions
The look of the nesting box is secondary. Anything you like is allowed here. There are no limits to creativity and colorful villas and small castles are often created.
However, the diameter of the entry hole should be noted. This varies between the individual bird species.
| Diameter | Bird species |
|---|---|
| 28mm | • Blue Tit • Coal Tit |
| 32mm | • Great Tit • Crested Tit |
| 34mm | • Tree Sparrow • House Sparrow • Nuthatch • Pied Flycatcher • Redstart |
| 45mm | • Starling • Great Spotted Woodpecker |
| 80mm | • Jackdaw • Stock Dove |
| 130mm | • Tawny Owl |
In the following overview we have listed the common dimensions for nesting boxes.
| Dimensions nesting box (HxDxW) | Bird species |
|---|---|
| 140mm x 140mm x 250mm | • Blue Tit • Great Tit • House Sparrow • Tree Sparrow • Redstart |
| 160mm x 160mm x 320mm | • Stars |
| 170mm x 280mm x 110mm | • Common Swift |
| 250mm x 250mm x 350mm | • Jackdaw |
Attach nest boxes correctly
Nest boxes should not be placed too close to the ground. This would make the breeding sites easy prey for cats or martens. A nest box is placed at least two to three meters high.
The entrance hole should not face the sunny south side. Orientation to the west is also less favourable. Ideally, the entrance hole should face east or south-east.
A stable attachment is particularly important. Fixed wire brackets can be used to prevent damage to the tree. Alternatively, wood screws or aluminum nails can be used.
The attachment of nesting aids should not be done in spring, but in autumn. At the same time, a wintering place for birds, insects and small mammals has been found.
What else should be considered when attaching nesting boxes?
A sunny location should be avoided. The first warm days of spring can already dangerously heat up the nest box. Most of the time there is no protective canopy of leaves. Nesting aids made of metal or plastic are not recommended. Wood has the advantage of not overheating and being able to dissipate moisture easily.
So that the nest box can be cleaned easily, it should be easy to open. If, on the other hand, the nesting aid is nailed up all around, you will no longer have the opportunity to open and clean the nesting site. However, this should be done periodically after each season.
Clean nest boxes properly
Once the breeding season is over, the nesting aid needs to be cleaned. Late summer is the ideal time for cleaning nest boxes. Before the first frosts, you have to expect that tits, dormice or butterflies will settle there for the winter.
The incubator will be opened first. Gloves should be worn when doing this, as there may be fleas, mites or flies inside. The old nest is removed and discarded. Then it is sufficient to brush the box thoroughly. Do not work with water or cleaning agents.