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Nesting Box with Slate Roof |
Nesting Box with Shingle Roof |
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Encouraging
Birds To Nest In Your Garden
After food to eat and
water to drink and bathe in, nesting is the next most
important aspect of a bird's life. Gardens are an
important habitat for birds. The total area of gardens in
Britain far exceeds the area of nature reserves, so
providing a nest box is an excellent way to encourage
birds to your garden. The breeding season is triggered by
the start of longer spring days although some species
(Woodpigeon) seem to have no season at all and have been
recorded with eggs in almost every month of the year.
Birdsong
With the advent of longer spring days comes the dawn
chorus. Attracting a mate is obviously extremely important
and with so much competition, male birds select prominent
roof and tree top positions where potential mates can hear
them. Once a mate has been found (some species will have
more than one mate during the season), the nest can be
built.
Nest Boxes
Despite over 60 species being recorded using nest
boxes, finches, a fairly common sight on feeders and
tables, are unlikely to take to artificial boxes as holes
are not used in their natural habitat.
Sitting
Sitting a box often depends upon the particular bird
you want to attract, but as a general rule for garden
birds follow the guidelines below:
-
Erect the box in autumn/winter to allow the birds'
time to adjust to it.
-
Site the box 1.6-5m (5-16ft) above the ground for
best access for the birds and as a deterrent for many
predators.
-
Position the box with an easterly aspect between
north and south-east to avoid direct sunlight, wind and
rain. The early morning sun helps to warm up the box on
cold days.
-
Keep the box away from direct feeding areas i.e.
bird tables; the presence of rival birds may reduce the
chance of it being used.
-
Avoid sitting boxes too close together due to
rivalry - except with House Sparrow boxes, as they nest
in colonies.
-
It is important to remember that boxes are not
always used immediately - be patient! (If a box hasn't
been used after three breeding seasons it may well be
worth moving it!).
Building The Nest
The basic purpose of any
nest is to keep the eggs safe and warm. To do this a
variety of nesting materials are chosen for their
binding and insulating properties. Each nest is an
intricate work of art - an amazing feat when you
consider that they have only their beak to work with!
Materials from mud to feathers, twigs to moss are used
to strengthen the nest. More unusual materials used over
the years have been tin foil, coloured wool, garden
twine, cat hair and toffee wrappers!
Egg
Laying & Hatching.
Once the nest is complete the
eggs will be laid. Clutch sizes vary from species to
species but an average for a garden bird is three to
five eggs. Once these eggs have hatched, the birds find
themselves working constantly for the benefit of their
young. This is an excellent time to observe the birds as
they spend the majority of their time going in and out
of the box.
Threats to the Box.
Nesting birds are
particularly vulnerable to harsh weather, predators and
even humans in some instances. Place nest boxes in a
thorny bush to deter cats, woodpeckers, squirrels, jays
and magpies. If you have a Hole Nest Box you can add a
Nest Box Plate or Nest Box Guardian to the box. This
gives the entrance extra protection from predators
without deterring the nesting birds.
Maintenance.
Cleaning the box after the young have fledged will
encourage repeat visitors. Some species, such as the Tree
Sparrow, are late nesters so it is best to leave any
cleaning until October. If you can't remove the nest
cleanly, scrape out the remains. Where parasites are
present we recommend washing the box out with hot water.
Take care when opening boxes as they could be used by
species other than birds.
