How to get birds to nest in my bird boxes

We had a huge increase in magpies, a few years ago. I don't know why. Now it's fairly unusual to see them. Sadly, all bird numbers have dropped. When my children were young you could throw a slice of bread onto the lawn and it was surrounded by dozens of birds, almost before it hit the ground, and gone in a minute.

I had a nesting box which was occupied every year by bluetits. However, for the last two years the magpies have been waiting for the fledglings and killing them as soon as they left the nest. I have now removed the box - it was just too sad to watch, and not be able to do anything - and of course the magpies are increasing.

I have never had any luck with bird boxes, but starlings and sparrows have nested in my loft for many years. I wouldn't dream of having the tiny access gaps blocked up. I love to hear the chirps, and their little feet tip-tapping about when I am in bed.

@Cece44 Sparrows apparently live to live in clusters, so they prefer terraces of bird boxes. The RSPB will sell you one for £30. Lots more info there re best designs and locations for nestboxes for all birds.

My nesting box was installed at least 10 years ago. The blue tits peer into it. It is in what should be an ideal position, in the shade and adjacent to an ivy covered tree that they all visit but do they nest in the box - No! .

They have to be located in the right position sun wise. They want warmth for the young but not blazing heat. Also they should be fairly inaccessible to other creatures eg squirrels, bigger birds. Don't have too many close to one another. Don't have the feeders too near also as other birds visiting may disturb any possible nesting.

We had black birds in the bat box and wrens made a nest in the air vent above the shed door. We had to be on cat watch when the wrens fledged.

My boxes all face east... about eight foot from bird tables...and situated behind shrubs and bushes...blue tits nested the first year but since then nothing, despite nuts seed and fat balls all being available. First class accommodation I would’ve thought.

Trees and hedges around me get more nesting birds,only one of my boxes has ever had birds ( blue tits ) nesting every year and sorry but I dont maintain the boxes as birds nest in holes every year and noone clears those

We put up a three box swift box under the eaves last year - and the sparrows moved in.
The sparrow terrace had blue tits,
The blue tit box had a bees nest.
And the posh small bird box perfectly placed according to the instructions remained empty.
So far this year there are a couple of blackbird nests somewhere in the hedge and the wood pigeons keep laying eggs in the pine tree which overhangs the drive without bothering with much of a nest - so the eggs land on the car - and there’s a pair of robins somewhere in the ivy I think but daren’t investigate. We’re giving up on putting upon any more bird boxes.

OH bought me a camera for the nest box that had been used on two successive years. We were so looking forward to watching the nest building and eggs hatching on our TV. Since then that box has remained vacant

Bird boxes or nesting boxes for squirrels must never be painted and should be hung so there is no danger of cats sitting on the roof fishing out baby birds or sitting in front of the box to do the same.

Magpies, too, are a hazard, so no landing spars for birds going in or out, as the magpie, like the cat, will sit there to get hold of the baby birds.

My experience with blue tits is, that if a baby bird dies in the nest, they remember and don't come back to the same box ever again.

I found they used our boxes for a couple of years & then although they look them over, they don't nest in them- I'm going to try moving them next year- a bit late now.

Have you seen the CJ Wildlife site. They have live webcams inside many boxes or on outside nests and you can watch them LIVE. They are brilliant. There are already lots of eggs that have been laid and several chicks hatched. I catch up on them every day.

We had a nest box which had a hole just large enough for blue tits who used it for several years but one year we noticed a great tit pecking around the edge of the hole to make it larger and she used it that year. A couple of years ago we had a family of robins in our robin box - but not since, also coal tits nesting in a hole in a wall for several years but no longer.

Obviously there are better mansions around here now.

I think a lot of birds like the entrances to their nests concealed behind shrubbery or climbers, too

My neighbours in another village had house martins nesting in their eaves. he hated the mess so much that they used their garden hose to wash away the nest every time it was being built. Eventually the birds gave up. It is illegal to destroy a bids nest. Our bird numbers have plummeted and some species are about 10% of what they were 30 years ago.
Unfortunately cats destroy more than 6 million birds a year.

Another point to mention is that birds don't like their nest to be too close to a feeding station, it's just too busy for them.

Hi,

I think the best bird boxes for blue tits and indeed great tits are the silver birch ones available. They really do think they are a tree. I moved here ten years ago and every year they fledge I even recorded the babies fledging one year. I realised it’s because the box I put up behind the shed, next to a massive bush, out of the sun half of the day, near my tiny pond. They are in it on eggs at the moment. I noticed when I cleaned it last year some bug is eating it away inside so I’ll have to renew it. I also put a box guard on the front because of squirrels the metal ones you can get from C J Birds. They have the boxes on their website I think for about 9 pound, I don’t think they like the plywood boxes as much as these. Hope that helps, so imagine you were a little bird wanting access and privacy and somewhere for your babies to come out and rush to and you’ll get it right.

I have an old silver plated teapot that my mum gave me, I knew she wouldn't want me to get rid of it, but i don't drink tea and have very little storage, so I tied it into the honeysuckle, within days a robin had nested! But I do have a bird box, high on a fence, facing the right way with tree cover, been empty since I put it up 5 years ago. there'sno pleasing some birds!!

We have no nest boxes but several house martin nests in the eaves (used to be more) and for the last two years swallows have built and occupied a nest high up in our open porch - it must remind them of a barn! My only complaint is that their droppings make a mess right by the door we all use to go in and out through!

You can't 'make' birds next where you want them, just enjoy them coming and bathing and feeding

We have had a bird box with a camera on the side of our house. The first year we had blue tits and it was wonderful watching the eggs hatching and all 7 being fed by a rather harassed mum and dad. However we went away for a weekend and when we came back there were only 4 chicks which mum and dad massacred. It was horrible. Nature in the raw. Since then we have had a couple of years with sparrows who built their nest so high it covered the camera and we couldn’t see anything. This year we have blue tits again so we are hoping things will go rather better than last time. It is fascinating to watch.

Anyone one have sparrows? We have a little group! But I have had a sparrows nest box up for years and nothing!! It's west facing under the roof of the house, in the wisteria. What I am doing wrong??

crystaltipps
That's wonderful what an opportunity to see the developing young on video.
Unfortunately my skills are limited I have only just learned how to use the field camera I have.
Thank goodness for David Attenborough and the amazing team of photographers who do provide us with this.

One of my neighbours has a bird box with a camera in so you can view inside the nest, they did have blue tits last year, and we all watched them developing ( he shared the live stream on FB) so,far none this year. I was tempted to get one for my OH for Christmas, but think it’s a bit late now. We had robins nest in ivy near our house, but I think the cat was too interested and they aren’t back this year .