Open Fronted Next Box
An open-fronted nest box is the most common type of nest box for most birds in the UK. Since UK birds are quite small, they are happy to enter and exit a nest box with an open front rather than one with a large panel on the front and a smaller hole for them to come through.
An open-fronted nest box is precisely what it sounds like - a nest box with the front 'wall' removed. There is typically some barrier at the base of where the 'wall' would be since that helps the robin keep themselves, their young, and their nesting materials in there. An open-fronted nest box generally involves surface sunk staples in its construction in order to hold it together without providing a foothold for animals like squirrels or other animals that may be after robin eggs. Surface sunk staples are ideal in this way since they offer no traction at all.
Nest Boxes In General
Nest boxes are offered in gardens around the world since they're a great way to encourage birds to live and stay in your garden. They work well because they solve an essential problem in the world of birds - finding and keeping an ideal nest that will remain safe and dry for their young.
Security
While birds are typically pleased to build their own nest in a tree or somewhere similar, they will likely prefer the safety and security of a well-maintained and strongly-built nest box.
Wild Birds
Wild birds throughout the country, whether blue tits or other birds, will be on the lookout for a great nest box. They'll be happy to find one in any garden and most certainly happy to find one in yours.
Nesting boxes can encourage robins into your garden, most especially during breeding season - the birds will be thankful for a safe place to raise their young.
Where should I put a robin nest box?
The best place for a robin nest box is in the same type of place where a robin would construct its own nest - in a hollow at roughly ground level. Robins will generally construct their own nests in trees from branches, twigs, and pieces of moss, creating a walled-off room that serves to keep them safe on the ground. Nesting boxes will keep them safer from ground-based predators, because the boxes are more strongly constructed than a robin could manage.
Will robins use nest boxes?
Yes, robins certainly will use a nesting box. A nesting box is a great way to bring robins and other birds to your garden since they're always looking for the safest place to be and the safest place to bring up their young. In a nesting box, they can find both of these things.
How high should a robin's next box be?
Interestingly, we were wrong about placing a robin's nesting box before we looked it up - we had assumed it would need to be in a tree so they could fly into it. Conversely, robins prefer their boxes to be at ground level since that's where they're most likely to construct their own nests if left to their own devices.
When should you put up a robin nesting box?
You can put up a robin nesting box at any time of year - the birds will always be on the lookout for a new, useful spot to live.
The early bird gets the worm
However, putting the box up in January or February will give the box time to become 'normal' in the environment of your garden before nesting season starts in March.
Do robins use bird boxes?
Yes, robins do use bird boxes. Robins are only small birds, which means that they're virtually always looking for a place where they can be safe from larger, scarier predators and other birds around them. Therefore, bird boxes can be ideal for helping them stay safe.
Where do you put a bird box for robins?
From an environmentally friendly preservative, the best place to put a bird box to ensure that it doesn't upset the ecosystem is the place a robin would make their nest anyway - at ground level, under some shrubbery or similar shelter. Robins will find it there and will be happy to use it at their leisure.
What size should a bird box be for a robin?
A bird box for a robin should be just a little bigger than the rough size of a robin's nest - typically, this is seven by eight inches. Any nesting box a little larger than that will be perfect, and the boxes that we stock are all an appropriate size for robins.
How do you position a robin nesting box?
As we mentioned before, the best way to position a nesting box from an environmentally friendly preservative is to ensure that it's positioned such that the robins will use it. For that reason, we recommend positioning it at a slight angle, with the entrance/exit pointing a little skyward. This gives the birds a great view of their surroundings while ensuring that water drips off the box rather than leaking in.
How do you attract robins to nest?
Aside from attracting robins through a nest box, we suggest putting out some of their favorite food. They adore beetles and worms, so we'd suggest picking up some mealworms to scatter in your garden - this will certainly attract robins!
What if a robin doesn't use the nest box?
There is always a chance that a robin might not use your nest box - this is mostly determined by luck since a robin may have already picked out a prime nesting spot.
Relocation
If this is the case, try moving the nest box before the next breeding season - finding a new spot can make all the difference.
