Finchwold

Nest boxes

Which hole, how high, and when cleaning is allowed.

Nest boxesNest boxes: hole sizes, height and when to put one up

The BTO’s hole sizes, including where two BTO pages disagree, plus height, shelter and the February prospecting window.

The BTO’s 1 September to 31 January window, and what section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act says in England and Wales.

Nest boxesSparrow terraces and open-fronted nest boxes

Where a house sparrow terrace goes, where a robin’s open-fronted box hides, how to keep cats out of reach, and why an active nest is left alone.

Nest boxesSwift boxes and house martin nest cups on a UK house

Why swifts and house martins need the building, not the garden: height, aspect, eaves, droppings, and leaving existing nests alone.

Nest boxesStarling boxes and larger entrance holes

The BTO’s larger hole for starlings, why a bigger box is a different job from a tit box, and why a 38 mm camera-box hole is not a blue tit hole.

Nest boxesWhere to put a nest box in your garden

Choosing a spot for a nest box using the BTO’s siting advice: height, shelter, a clear flight path, distance from feeders and out of reach of cats, without disturbing an active nest.

Nest boxesNest boxes to buy: a shortlist checked against the BTO

The BTO’s buying rules (hole size, at least 15 mm walls, 130 square centimetres of floor, no perch, no metal or ceramic) and four Amazon UK nest boxes checked against them.