Birds will only chirp cheerfully from the nesting box when the direction, suspension height and distance are right. The ideal location depends on whether it is a tit box or a semi-cave. Read this guide on how to properly hang a nest box.

Direction and height are decisive features when hanging up the nesting box

Table of Contents

Show all
  1. the essentials in brief
  2. Hang up the nest box in the direction of the compass
  3. Where to hang nest box?
  4. Hang nest boxes distance
  5. Hang up the nest box Time
  6. Hang nest box on balcony
  7. Hang up the nest box in a tree-friendly manner
  8. frequently asked Questions

    9. the essentials in brief

    • When hanging up the nest box, the ideal direction for the entrance hole is east or south-east.
    • Bird lovers hang up nesting boxes at a distance of 10 m for the same type or 3 m for different types. No special distance needs to be maintained for colony breeders.
    • A closed nest box (€49.85) with an entrance hole is hung in the tree at a height of 1.5 to 3.5 m. A semi-cave nest box is attached to the wall of the house at a height of 2 to 4 m.

    Hanging up the nesting box - which direction is correct?

    If the entrance opening points in the right direction, you can look forward to a fully booked nest box. Don't let the pounding rain flood the aviary or let the blazing sun turn the nest into a sauna, do it the right way:

    • ideal direction: Nest box entrance hole faces east or south-east
    • alternate orientation: Entry port faces north or northeast

    To the west is taboo, because in Central Europe storms and rain hit the birdhouse particularly often from this direction. Heading south is unfavorable because hours of sunshine make the tender chicks languish in the nest box.

    digression

    Closed nest box or semi-cave - what's the difference?

    Bird experts from NABU (Nature Conservation Union Germany) distinguish between two different nest box models. The closed nesting box with entry holes of different sizes invites tits, sparrows and starlings to move in. In contrast, wrens, redstarts and robins prefer a half-open nesting aid, which is modeled on the natural breeding grounds in niches and crevices. Typically, a semi-cave nest box has a wide slit as its entrance, which lets in plenty of light while still providing a minimum level of protection against ravenous cats.

    Where and at what height should a nesting box hang? - Location table

    Tit boxes should be hung quite high

    The location and hanging height for a nesting box are closely related to the species of bird that is to set up its nursery in it. Nesting aids with a small entrance hole, such as a tit box, are best kept high up in the tree. The wall of the house is the ideal place for the semi-cave box, because the wide access means a security risk for the feathered residents. A location on the smooth facade protects the nesting aid for robins from predatory predators. The following table provides a summary overview of where and at what height you can hang up a nesting box:

    Nest box with entry hole half cave
    best location Tree trunk building wall
    alternative locations + house wall + balcony
    + garden house/shed + tree trunk
    height 1.5-3.5m 2.0-4.0m
    suitable for + tits + robins
    + starlings + wren
    + sparrows + Redstart
    height 4.0-10m
    + Jackdaw
    + tawny owl
    + little owl

    The rule of thumb for the perfect hanging height is: the larger the bird species, the higher a nesting box should be hung. Please make sure that there are no dense branches in the tree that prevent the birds from approaching. There should be no trellises with climbing plants in the immediate vicinity on the house wall and on the balcony, which clever cats could misuse as climbing aids.

    In the following video, a knowledgeable bird expert from NABU has his say with lots of useful tips on where and how to hang up a nesting box correctly:

    youtube

    At what distance can you hang nest boxes next to each other?

    Bird lovers with a large garden do not just leave it at a lonely nest box and hang up several breeding sites. This commendable undertaking, on the other hand, only finds the approval of choosy bird ladies if the nest boxes are not too close together. The right distance is directly related to the bird species in question. The bird experts at NABU advocate the following distances between the nest boxes:

    • nest boxes of the same type: Minimum distance 10 m (e.g. with hole diameter 26-28 mm for tits)
    • Nest boxes for different species of birds: Minimum distance 3 m (e.g. closed nest boxes next to semi-hollow boxes)

    An exception applies to colony breeders. Sparrows and starlings like to breed in sociable coexistence without a rule of distance.

    tips

    Treecreeper are happy about a special nesting aid with an entrance on the back. For this reason there is the extra treecreeper nesting box with a rectangular slot at the top of the back wall. Knowledgeable bird lovers hang the box on the tree trunk in such a way that the feathered climber can march straight into it.

    When is the best time?

    Autumn is the best time to hang up the nest box

    Fall is the best time to put up a nest box for a variety of reasons. The start of the dark, cold season marks the start of the handicraft season, which sets the course for a lively garden next year with self-built birdhouses. In fact, a nesting box also fulfills the life-saving function as a winter quarters for birds, insects and small mammals such as dormice or squirrels outside of the breeding season.

    You should hang up nesting boxes in the garden or on the balcony by the end of February/beginning of March at the latest. By this time, most bird species have completed their home-hunting, roosting and family planning. If you only attach the nesting aid for tits, robins and starlings in spring, you will complain about vacancies in the first year and will not be able to admire the first chicks until the next breeding season at the earliest.

    Hanging the nesting box on the balcony - what should you watch out for?

    Balcony gardeners with a big heart for homeless birds hang up a nest box. The green balcony with lushly planted boxes, pots and tubs as a blooming snack garden for insects is very popular in our bird world. Where flocks of insects are buzzing, Mr. and Mrs. Titmouse have an easy time stuffing the hungry beaks of their chicks. The following tips sum up what you should also pay attention to when you hang up a nesting box on the balcony:

    • Minimum height 2-3 m
    • Cardinal direction of entry hole or semi-cave entrance: east, south-east or north
    • Location partially shaded to shaded, ideally under an eaves
    • sufficiently large distance to the seat
    • no direct insight of curious human eyes into the nesting box

    Please hang a nest box on the balcony so that it does not swing back and forth. It hampers the stressed bird parents when every approach to feed the chicks involves a daring balancing act. Avoid a perch. For magpies, jays and other nest predators, landing perches are a welcome opportunity to lay hands on the chicks.

    How to hang nest boxes in trees

    A nest box is best hung on the tree and not nailed down

    A tree shouldn't be damaged if you hang a nest box from the trunk. The following guide explains how to do it right:

    materials and tools

    • nesting box
    • ladder
    • 2 screw eyelets
    • binding wire
    • wire cutters
    • garden hose
    • knife or scissors

    Step-by-step instructions

    1. Screw in a screw eyelet in the upper, rear corner of each side wall (the nest box should later tilt slightly forward)
    2. Cut off the binding wire (the correct length fits around the trunk and can be twisted later at the eyelets)
    3. Cut the garden hose with a knife or scissors
    4. Push the wire into the piece of tubing (wire ends stick out far enough to twist)
    5. put one end of the wire through the eyelet and twist it tight
    6. climb the ladder, wrap sheathed wire around the trunk over a thick side branch
    7. Twist the second end of the wire tightly with the eyelet

    By wrapping the covered binding wire around the trunk over a side branch, you optimize stability because now the nest box cannot slip off.

    frequently asked Questions

    When should you hang up nest boxes?

    The best time is in autumn. If you hang up one or more nesting boxes before the start of the cold season, numerous insects, birds and small mammals will use the wooden houses as winter quarters and protection from the bitter cold. If you have missed the autumn date, there is nothing wrong with hanging up the self-made nesting box in the middle of winter. The nesting aid should be in place by the end of February at the latest so that the parents-to-be can move into the breeding ground.

    At what height should you hang a squirrel nest box?

    The nesting box for squirrels is called a Kobel and, in contrast to the bird box, has at least two entrances or exits. An opening is in the floor as a safe escape route from ravenous cats and martens. To protect against predators, you should hang a squirrel nest high in the treetop, ideally 4 to 5 meters high.

    Where should you hang a nest box?

    A nesting box is best placed in partial shade or shade, well protected from the blazing midday sun. The entrance opening points to the east because rain and storms usually come from the west. It is helpful if you hang the nesting box so that it is slightly tilted forward. In this way, rain can run off well and does not find its way into the bird's nest.

    Why isn't a nesting box used?

    Common reasons for yawning emptiness in the nest box are a location in the blazing sun and an entrance opening to the west. Birds ignore the most beautiful nesting boxes when direct sunlight hits them at midday. If it rains, young birds are doomed. For this reason, east is the perfect direction for the entrance gate.

    tips

    Hanging a nesting box on the balcony is the first step on the way to an oasis of well-being for birds. The perfect equipment also includes bird baths, sand baths for plumage care, flowering herbs, privacy bushes as hiding places and delicious strawberries in the balcony box. Don't forget pretty stickers for the window pane so that your feathered lodgers don't bump their heads.

Category:

Animals in the garden