With spring coming at us in full bloom, now is the perfect (and best) time to get your nesting boxes in place, before the breeding season begins.
Accessibility
A good rule of Thumb; make sure your nesting boxes are accessible to you. You want to have easy enough access to your nesting boxes to have the ability to keep it clean, especially come fall to prepare for the following nesting season.
Location
Location is obviously another important factor when determining where to put your nesting box. Birds are typically quite adaptable, but we recommend doing your very best to make the location as inviting as possible. The location also varies depending on bird species, IE: Eastern Blue Birds like meadow type area with a clear flight path in and out of the box as they hunt for bugs to feed their young. Let us help you with placement if you needed it.
Think of the nesting box as a place of refuge from the hot summer sun, and make sure your box is stationed somewhere that provides your feathered friends with some afternoon shade, in some cases air holes near the top of the box side walls are needed. We also recommend you choose to face your boxes away from the wind, where possible. Observe and note the predominant winds in your area, and make the necessary adjustments.
Safety
You will also want to ensure your birdhouse is a relatively safe haven for your backyard birds from any prospective predators. Locate your birdhouses on poles far enough away from trees or other surfaces that animals like cats and other ground predators cannot easily launch themselves at your birds. We also recommend predator guards over the box opening, this will stop predators such as raccoons.
Multiple Houses
Give your backyard birds some choice, and note your findings. Installing a few nesting boxes in your yard gives your birds some choice as to where they want to call home, and also allows you to test out different locations around your yard and chart your findings. It’s an easy way to find out what works best for the birds in your area. Having boxes with different size entrance holes and nesting cavities will attract a larger verity of species also, that said the relationship between the hole and the cavity need to correspond, let us know if we can help. Keep some distance between them where possible and experiment! More is not necessarily better here, birds are territorial so only so many boxes per yard are recommended, we can help you with that.
Provide Food & Water
If you aren’t already, you should be feeding your birds and providing them with a water source when possible. Transforming your yard into an Oasis For Birds is not only limited to having the proper housing structures but making sure your birds have everything they need on site. A birdbath and some feeders will do a wonderful job of attracting birds to your yard, just be sure not to place the feeders too close to your houses, as this might generate too much traffic and deter birds from wanting to set up their home.
Setting up and placing nesting boxes in your backyard is often a trial and error type of undertaking. Have fun with it, and take note of the behavior of the birds you already have and make adjustments along the way.
Most importantly, have fun!
Wren House Kit – Available In-Store