Orientation, location and more

the essentials in brief

• When hanging up the nest box, the ideal direction for the entrance hole is east or south-east.
• Bird lovers really hang up nesting boxes at a distance of 10 m for the same design or 3 m for different designs. There is no special distance to be observed for colony breeders.
• A closed one nesting box(€ 8.99 at Amazon *) with an entrance hole is hung in the tree at a height of 1.5 to 3.5 m. A half-cave nest box is attached to the house wall at a height of 2 to 4 m.

Hanging up the nest box - which direction is the right one?

If the entrance opening points in the right direction, you can look forward to a fully booked nest box. So that pattering rain doesn't put the birdhouse under water or blazing sun turns the nest into a sauna, do it right:

• ideal direction: Nest box entrance hole faces east or southeast
• alternative orientation: The entry opening points to the north or northeast

Going west is taboo because in Central Europe from this point of the compass it is particularly frequent that the bird feeder is hit by storm and rain. Going south is unfavorable because hours of sunshine cause the tender chicks to languish in the nesting box.

Digression

Nest box closed or semi-cave - what's the difference?

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

Tit boxes should be hung quite high

The location and suspension height for a nesting box are closely related to the species of bird that is to be used in its kindergarten. Nesting aids with a small entrance hole, such as a tit box, are best placed high up in the tree. The house wall is the ideal place for the half-cave box, because the wide access means a safety risk for the feathered residents. A location on the smooth facade prevents the robin nesting aid from being accessed by predatory predators. The following table gives a summarized overview of where and at what height you can hang a nest box in an exemplary manner:

The following rule of thumb applies to the perfect hanging height: the larger the bird species, the higher a nesting box should hang. Please make sure that there are no dense branches in the tree that prevent the birds from approaching. On the house wall and on the balcony there should not be any trellises with climbing plants in the immediate vicinity that clever cats could misuse as a climbing aid.

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

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

Bird lovers with a large garden don't stop at a lonely nest box and hang up several breeding grounds. This praiseworthy undertaking, however, is only welcomed by picky bird ladies if the nesting boxes are not too close. The correct distance is directly related to the bird species in question. The bird experts at NABU advocate the following distances between the nesting boxes:

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

An exception applies to colony breeders. Sparrows and starlings prefer to breed in sociable coexistence with no distance rule.

When is the best time?

Autumn is the best time to hang the nest box

For a variety of reasons, autumn is the best time to hang up a nest box. With the onset of the dark, cold season, the starting signal is given for the handicraft season, which is already setting the course for a lively garden next year with self-built birdhouses. In fact, a nesting box also fulfills the life-saving function as winter quarters for birds, insects and small mammals, such as outside of the breeding season Dormouse or squirrel.

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 of the bird species have completed their search for accommodation, moved into quarters and started family planning. Anyone who does not attach the nesting aid for tits, robins and starlings until spring will complain of vacancies in the first year and will not be able to admire the first chicks until the next breeding season at the earliest.

Hanging a nest 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 lush boxes, pots and tubs as a blooming snack garden for insects is very popular in our bird world. Wherever insects are buzzing in droves, it is easy for Mr and Mrs Titmouse to stuff the hungry beaks of their chicks. What else to look out for when you hang a nest box on the balcony, the following tips get to the point:

• Minimum height 2-3 m
• Cardinal direction from the entrance hole or half-cave entrance: east, southeast or north
• Location partially to shady, ideally under a roof overhang
• sufficiently large distance to the seat
• no direct glimpse 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 hinders the stressed out bird parents when every approach to feeding the chicks is associated with a daring balancing act. Do not use a perch. For magpies, jays and other nest robbers, approach poles are a welcome opportunity to land and attack the chicks.

How can you hang nest boxes in the tree?

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

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

Material and tools

• nesting box
• ladder
• 2 screw eyes
• Binding wire
• Wire cutters
• Garden hose
• Knife or scissors

Step-by-step instructions

1. Screw in a screw eye on each side wall in the upper, rear corner (nest box should later lean slightly forward)
2. Cut the binding wire (the correct length fits around the trunk once and can be twisted at the eyelets later)
3. Garden hose cut with knife or scissors
4. Push the wire into the hose section (the ends of the wire protrude far enough to be twisted)
5. Put one end of the wire through the eyelet and tighten it
6. climb the ladder, wrap the sheathed wire over a thick branch around the trunk
7. Twist the second wire end tightly with the eyelet

By placing the sheathed binding wire around the trunk over a side branch, you optimize the stability, because now the nesting box cannot slip off.

frequently asked Questions

When should you hang nest boxes?

The best time is in autumn. If you hang up one or more nesting boxes before the start of the cold season, you will benefit from numerous Insects, birds and small mammals use the wooden houses as winter quarters and protection from the clattering Cold. If you missed the autumn deadline, there is nothing wrong with hanging up your self-made nest 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 a squirrel nesting box be hung?

The nest box for squirrels is called Kobel and, unlike the bird box, has at least two entrances or exits. There is an opening in the floor as a safe escape route from voracious cats and martens. To protect against predators, keep a squirrel goblin high up in the Treetop hang up, ideally at a height of 4 to 5 meters.

Where should you hang a nest box?

It is best to have a nest box in the Penumbra or shade, well protected from the blazing midday sun. The entry opening points to the east, because rain and storm mostly come from the west. It is helpful if you hang the nest box so that it is inclined a little forward. In this way, rain can run off well and does not find its way into the bird's nest.

Why is a nest box not being used?

Frequent causes of yawning emptiness in the nest box are a location in the blazing sun and an entrance opening to the west. Birds leave the most beautiful nesting boxes on the left when direct sunlight hits them at noon. If it rains in, young birds are doomed. For this reason, east is the perfect point of the compass for the entrance gate.

Tips

Hanging a nest box on the balcony is the first step on the way to a bird's oasis of well-being. The perfect equipment also includes bird baths, a sand bath for plumage care, flowering herbs, privacy bushes as hiding places and delicious ones Strawberries in the balcony box. Not to be forgotten are pretty stickers for the window pane so that your feathered lodgers don't bump their heads.