Build a nest box for starlings yourself

The native bird species, including the starling, are increasingly being displaced in their habitat. Due to the high infrastructure and fewer and fewer nesting opportunities, it is not easy for starlings to care for their young. A nesting box can help here, which you can easily build yourself using the instructions.

Instructions for building a "star box"

What is meant, of course, is not the speed camera, known colloquially as a starling box, but a nesting box that supports the birds and encourages them to breed. A nesting box can create a completely new habitat for native birds in the garden, on open plains and in urban outskirts. It is important that the structure is tailored to the needs of starlings and adapted to their body size. The birds will accept the nest box and soon there will be happy twittering in the garden.

Materials for the nest box

Wood is mainly used for construction. The nest box builder can use either glued wood or natural wood. It is important that the wood has not been treated with insect repellants or other wood preservatives that are toxic to birds. You will also need nails and a little bit of roofing felt. A fretsaw or jigsaw and circular hole saw, a hammer and pliers are sufficient tools. So it is not difficult to build a breeding ground for the star using the specified materials and the appropriate tools and to invite the birds to your own property. The nesting box consists of a base and lid, two side walls, a rear wall and a front, into which the entrance in form

is cut. A board is also required to attach the nest box.

Step by step instructions for building

A nest box for starlings should not be less than 25 cm high and 20 cm wide. First, the individual parts are measured, marked and sawn. With the following tips and dimensions, the building can be built precisely and precisely for starlings.

• Back wall 30x19 cm
• Front 26x15 cm
• Side parts 2x with 30x17x26 cm (shorter at the front than at the back)
• Bottom 15x15 cm
• Roof 22x26 cm

It is applied at an angle to prevent rainwater from accumulating on the roof. This measure is used by the side walls, which are 26 centimeters high on the front and 30 cm high on the rear wall. The bevel can be made very easily with the jigsaw. Since the front is also 26 centimeters high, the roof rests on both the back and the front. Once all the components have been cut to size, the rear wall must be provided with a slight bevel at the top edge. This is the only way the roof can be attached at the end without a gap and thus absolutely tight and weatherproof. A hole saw with a diameter of 45 millimeters is machined in the upper third. The hole must not be made too deep, otherwise the young starlings could reach it and fall out.

Assembling the nesting box

Roofing nails are best. They are long and easy to hammer into the wood

and have a narrow head that does not pose any risk of injury to the birds. If a nail is hammered into the wood, it can be easily removed with the pliers. Under no circumstances should it remain in the nest box, as the injury would be enormous for young starlings, but also for the mother. This order is suitable for assembly:

• Connect the rear wall to the floor from behind (the floor is in the nest box)
• Attach the strip for fastening, here drive nails through from the inside or use screws
• Nail the side walls to the floor
• Put the front on and connect it to the floor and the side walls
• Put on the roof, fix it with nails on the side walls, the front and the rear wall.

If the nest box is to be protected from premature weathering by roofing felt and designed to be particularly moisture-resistant, the roofing felt is now applied. This can be easily cut with scissors and should stand one millimeter above the edge of the roof so that the moisture cannot collect between the roofing felt and the wood. Roofing felt is easy to nail. Shorter nails can be used for this. Since the star wants to go high, the nest box should be installed at a height of at least 4 meters, or even better a little higher. The most beautiful nest box will not be accepted if it is directly above the ground or at the gardener's eye level.

Not only starlings will be convinced

A nesting box for starlings not only attracts them, but also the reversible neck. This prefers the same nesting conditions as the star and finds the structure just as interesting. In a large garden, it is therefore advisable not to just build a nest box. Of course, the place where it is to be hung is also important. With a minimum height of 4 meters and a quiet location in nature, it is guaranteed to be accepted. Under no circumstances should a nest box be too close to the house or a busy road. The constant restlessness would disturb the birds during breeding and could lead to the mother starlings not returning to their young. Curious looks are also discouraged. Starlings need peace and seclusion in order to quietly care for their offspring and take care of the offspring. The gardener only sees the young birds when they take their first foray out of the nest box and into the garden

look around.

What is essential to pay attention to

The wood must not be treated and therefore not toxic. Natural wood is therefore ideal. But glued wood is also suitable, as long as it is not processed with wood preservatives afterwards. However, the nest box may be painted. A weather-resistant paint, which is made on a water basis, is suitable for this. Children's toy paint as well as other solvent-free paints can be used. Glazes, stains or paints containing solvents are dangerous for the star and must not be used for a nest box. Before hanging up, make sure that no nail is sticking out of the wood and protruding into the nest box. The risk of injury to the starlings would be enormous and would run counter to the goodwill of the construction project.

Worth knowing about starlings nesting boxes in brief

Starlings usually occur in larger groups. They are cave breeders and like to accept nesting boxes:

• The entrance hole in a starling box must have a diameter of 45 to 50 mm.
• The nest box should be attached in a cat-safe manner.
• The breeding space for a star is better dimensioned a little larger.
• The base area for a nest box should be around 16 x 16 cm.

There are quite new-fangled nesting boxes for starlings in stores. They look quite unusual, but offer some advantages for the animals. In this way, they provide good protection against predators such as magpies, jays and cats. The young birds can no longer be pulled out of the nest box. This is because the actual entrance hole is preceded by an anteroom. This is closed off from the outside by a metal grille. The brood chamber is therefore completely protected. Although this nesting box no longer has a perch, it is not necessary either. It only makes the work of the nest robbers easier.

• With starlings it is absolutely necessary to clean the nesting boxes before the new breeding season.
• Dirty star boxes are not accepted. In addition, vermin and parasites can threaten the brood.
• Star boxes should be hung with the entrance hole facing southeast to east. This location offers the nest boxes the best protection against the elements.

Instructions for building a nesting aid for starlings can be found on the Internet. Tip: In general, only untreated wood is used for nesting aids.