Bird Box
Putting together a Bird Box for your Garden.
One of the simplest designs is a plank nest box which can be
cut from a single plank of untreated timber. Once the different
sections are cut out the box can quite simply be nailed together.
 For nest boxes with holes it is necessary to hinge the lid to
allow access to clear out old nesting material and reduce
fledgling mortality due to disease. The hinge can be made using a
old cycle inner tube nailed to the back of the lid and the
backboard to make a flexible joint (old cycle inner tube can be
collected from your local cycle repair shop who normally have to
just throw damaged tubes away.). The lid should be then secured
with either a hook and eye or thin wire wrapped around two nails
to prevent access by squirrels.
Open front nest boxes for birds such as Robins have only the area
below the dotted line to the front of the box on the Plank Bird
Box design diagram above. Installing your box.
Make sure the box is secure and will not be blown down in the next
wind. I like to use more old inner tube as a strap to secure the
boxes in to trees avoiding nailing the box directly to the tree.
Make sure that the position of the box does not leave it open to
predators such as cats or larger birds.
The Bird boxes which need to be positioned lower down should be
hidden in bushes or dense ivy to protect them from predators.
Please remember that many birds are territorial and will not
tolerate another pair near by as they both would be after the same
food to bring up their young. Do not be disheartened if your box
or boxes are not used in the first year. It will take some time
for the birds to acclimatise to the new box or another factor may
be putting the bird off one that you or I did not foresee.
Further information:
Bird\ Dimension
Bird\
Dimension |
A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
F |
G |
H |
Hole Dia |
Height above ground |
| Total |
Width |
CM |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Blue Tit |
112 |
15 |
15 |
20 |
30 |
15 |
17 |
15 |
2.7 |
2 - 3m |
| Great Tit |
112 |
15 |
15 |
20 |
30 |
15 |
17 |
15 |
3.5 |
2.5 - 3m |
| Coal Tit |
112 |
15 |
15 |
20 |
30 |
15 |
17 |
15 |
3-3.5 |
1 - 2m |
| Tree Creeper |
110 |
15 |
15 |
20 |
30 |
13 |
17 |
15 |
open front |
1 - 3m |
| Wren |
74 |
10 |
10 |
15 |
20 |
7 |
12 |
10 |
open front |
1 - 2m |
| Robin |
105 |
15 |
15 |
20 |
30 |
8 |
17 |
15 |
open front |
0.5 - 1m |
| Sparrow |
112 |
15 |
15 |
20 |
30 |
15 |
17 |
15 |
3.5 |
2 - 3m as a terrace
of three boxes |
| Tree Sparrow |
112 |
15 |
15 |
20 |
30 |
15 |
17 |
15 |
3.5 |
2 - 3m |
| Black bird |
117 |
25 |
15 |
20 |
30 |
5 |
17 |
30 |
10 x 30
open front |
1 - 2m |
- Timber thickness 2.5cm of untreated softwood.
- It is acceptable to treat the outside with preservative.
- Nails 4cm x 25
- Length of old cycle inner tube for hinges.
- Also useful to secure
box into trees avoiding nailing box to the tree.
- Roof felt tacks for cycle inner tube x 10.
Bird Box for your Garden -
(PDF Version) |
