Sparrows!

[ivan]

That's a really good idea - I'll try and get some made and installed. I bought a triple sparrow box many years ago, and fitted it to the highest part of the gable of the shed, but never had any birds in it. I wonder if they need more height than a shed. We have quite a lot around here - they love congregating in thick climbing plants like ivy / honeysuckle etc (and I think it's this habitat which they are losing) Not sure if they nest there, as I can't see in!

I'm very concerned about the decline in Swift numbers - when I was 10 I could lie on my back in the lawn and see countless hundreds of swifts high up in the sky catching insects. Now, in the same place, you see hardly any. Last winter I built a double Swift nest box (like sparrows, they prefer communal nesting areas), and hopefully I'll get another one built before spring. To attract them to the nest box, you need to play Swift music near the box (not Taylor Swift, but the sounds of swifts chattering to each other). I've got a tiny digital amp that connects directly to a memory stick, and hopefully will get it on a timer this year, so it plays automatically at certain times of day. Free plans for various designs of Swift nest box available from an enthusiast's website - https://www.bristolswifts.co.uk/ - with honest feedback about what works and what doesn't.

[resybaby]

Good to know. Couple of questions:-

What is the different coloured shape around the holes on some of your boxes? And is it important?

They are just some flat stones from my local beach, asthetic only, although in squirell prone areas some sort of guard around the hole is useful to prevent then eating their way into birdboxes to get to any eggs. You can buy aluminium plates for this if needed, but more than likely it wont be unless lots of squirrels around.

If you know: is there a consideration on placement that's important to the sparrows? (e.g. directly under eaves but not under roof (like inside my barn would be). Or minimum height off the ground? Does facing a wall put them off?

Mine are all installed as high as i can, i live in a bungalow so limited height (except on the gables). I have fitted some right under my soffits (no roof needed then) because of this, but i can happily say that the sparrows dont sem to mind and nest just as much in the lower holes as the higher ones.

Facing a wall is a bit of a no-no. When young fledge you need to give them a straight line to fly if at all possible, they struggle enough to maintain height at first let alone the steering, so id avoid close facing wall if you can. The 2.5m tower on my gable is approx 10 feet from an opposing wall and i have found a few casualties on the floor at the base of that i suspect couldnt steer away. If a facing wall is unavoidable, simply cut the entry holes in the sides instead at 90 degrees to the wall.

Recommendations also say dont fit boxes on south facing walls, as young can overheat in the summer. I have some other boxes on the front south facing wall, they are just as popular as the ones on the north west and east walls, but the summer temperatures down here in Cornwall are seldom anove 25c, and i guess that and a constant breeze helps. Id not fit them on south facing walls where i used to live (Midlands) as temps sometimes exceeded 30 there and it may of made a negative difference.


I've just looked into the triple box:- just spider webs . And I made it with a lid that lifts rather than a bottom that drops, alas (thought sparrows could do their own housekeeping).

Again, respected online wisdom says that if a birdbox isnt succesful in a position for a number of years, take it down and try a different spot.
With all of this of course, you could have the most ideal of boxes in the most ideal of locations - but if no birds about then you wont get nests.
Rather than try and increase one particular species, its probably best to observe whats in your area already and try and increase those primarily. For example in Solihull, we had millions of blue/yellow tits and robins. I had a huge oakwoodland at the bottom of my garden (hence the swuirrel issue), so i targetted those instead (smaller entry holes @ 25mm and non communal).

I do have 32mm holes though (32mm is a standard electrical gland size).

Ideal

Bugger, seemed to have goofed up the quoting tabs and mixed our posts together

[resybaby]

That's a really good idea - I'll try and get some made and installed. I bought a triple sparrow box many years ago, and fitted it to the highest part of the gable of the shed, but never had any birds in it. I wonder if they need more height than a shed. We have quite a lot around here - they love congregating in thick climbing plants like ivy / honeysuckle etc (and I think it's this habitat which they are losing) Not sure if they nest there, as I can't see in!

I'm very concerned about the decline in Swift numbers - when I was 10 I could lie on my back in the lawn and see countless hundreds of swifts high up in the sky catching insects. Now, in the same place, you see hardly any. Last winter I built a double Swift nest box (like sparrows, they prefer communal nesting areas), and hopefully I'll get another one built before spring. To attract them to the nest box, you need to play Swift music near the box (not Taylor Swift, but the sounds of swifts chattering to each other). I've got a tiny digital amp that connects directly to a memory stick, and hopefully will get it on a timer this year, so it plays automatically at certain times of day. Free plans for various designs of Swift nest box available from an enthusiast's website - https://www.bristolswifts.co.uk/ - with honest feedback about what works and what doesn't.

Lovely looking box there Ivan, lots of work gone into that, those swifts (never seem one sadly) clearly enjoy the top end of the housing market

[AE-NMidlands]

A bit of a passion (weakness maybe) of mine.
We have gazillions of Sparrows around here, so during Covid while shielding at home i made up loads of birdboxes for neighbours.
I too discovered that sparrows prefer terraces of boxes and let my imagination run amok with (barmy) designs, some with considerable amounts of 'nest holes'.
Im happy to confirm that all of our multiple hole boxes are very very popular, some 'holes' being used two or three times per season, and some of the barmy designs having north of 50% occupancy - which equates to quite a few nests in a 27 hole variety! More flying things in the sky than Heathrow airport in my garden, but of course, we have a high population here to start with.

Resybaby
Thanks for your reply and the pictures, that is very reassuring. Do you think a triple box is at the lower end of what they prefer - or any good at all? I could make a roofless extension to bolt on underneath! It looks as though all of yours are "one hole one nest" versions, so that is not what stops this type being used. I like the idea of moving it round (or putting up more in other places) if it doesn't get occupied for a year or two.

I had thought that metal plates might be a good idea, I have seen lots of boxes drilled out by predators, and read that the culprits might be all sorts of things from woodpeckers and magpies to squirrels.

I am still tempted to try an "open plan" offering as well...
Thanks again
A

[Marcus]

Good to know. Couple of questions:-

What is the different coloured shape around the holes on some of your boxes? And is it important?

They are just some flat stones from my local beach, asthetic only, although in squirell prone areas some sort of guard around the hole is useful to prevent then eating their way into birdboxes to get to any eggs. You can buy aluminium plates for this if needed, but more than likely it wont be unless lots of squirrels around.

If you know: is there a consideration on placement that's important to the sparrows? (e.g. directly under eaves but not under roof (like inside my barn would be). Or minimum height off the ground? Does facing a wall put them off?

Mine are all installed as high as i can, i live in a bungalow so limited height (except on the gables). I have fitted some right under my soffits (no roof needed then) because of this, but i can happily say that the sparrows dont sem to mind and nest just as much in the lower holes as the higher ones.

Facing a wall is a bit of a no-no. When young fledge you need to give them a straight line to fly if at all possible, they struggle enough to maintain height at first let alone the steering, so id avoid close facing wall if you can. The 2.5m tower on my gable is approx 10 feet from an opposing wall and i have found a few casualties on the floor at the base of that i suspect couldnt steer away. If a facing wall is unavoidable, simply cut the entry holes in the sides instead at 90 degrees to the wall.

Recommendations also say dont fit boxes on south facing walls, as young can overheat in the summer. I have some other boxes on the front south facing wall, they are just as popular as the ones on the north west and east walls, but the summer temperatures down here in Cornwall are seldom anove 25c, and i guess that and a constant breeze helps. Id not fit them on south facing walls where i used to live (Midlands) as temps sometimes exceeded 30 there and it may of made a negative difference.


I've just looked into the triple box:- just spider webs . And I made it with a lid that lifts rather than a bottom that drops, alas (thought sparrows could do their own housekeeping).

Again, respected online wisdom says that if a birdbox isnt succesful in a position for a number of years, take it down and try a different spot.
With all of this of course, you could have the most ideal of boxes in the most ideal of locations - but if no birds about then you wont get nests.
Rather than try and increase one particular species, its probably best to observe whats in your area already and try and increase those primarily. For example in Solihull, we had millions of blue/yellow tits and robins. I had a huge oakwoodland at the bottom of my garden (hence the swuirrel issue), so i targetted those instead (smaller entry holes @ 25mm and non communal).

I do have 32mm holes though (32mm is a standard electrical gland size).

Ideal

Bugger, seemed to have goofed up the quoting tabs and mixed our posts together

no worries - it still makes sense to me.

Ok, the current location of mine might be the issue then: they're in the entrance of the tractor shed facing each other about 10 feet apart.

I definitely have sparrows - they make a racket and a mess in the barn. And swallows. I did wonder if the swallow were putting the sparrows off as they nest in the tractor shed.

[Moxi]

Not got any nest boxes up but we have a local flock of spuggies and we do feed they 365 days of the year along side the chickens - they are always pleased to see the corn feed bucket come out as they wait in the hydrangea then as the run gate is opened they amass on top of the bird nets that are up to stop everything from starlings and up in size from entering. Corn out they simply hop down through the nets and alight next to the chooks for breakfast, usually joined by the robin a wren and some yellow hammers, green and yellow finches and the occasional tit. ( yes yes enter your own gags here if you like )

The magpies jays crows and starlings hang around outside and get some fat balks to demolish - no wonder we have rats the way MiL scatters the food around - but the birds feed well and we have the numbers to prove it and as per last night I get to have a relaxing half to hour sat shooting ratus ratus on nice evenings - another juvenile lost the gamble last night after a forty minute wait through dusk

Moxi

[resybaby]

Resybaby
Thanks for your reply and the pictures, that is very reassuring. Do you think a triple box is at the lower end of what they prefer - or any good at all? I could make a roofless extension to bolt on underneath! It looks as though all of yours are "one hole one nest" versions, so that is not what stops this type being used. I like the idea of moving it round (or putting up more in other places) if it doesn't get occupied for a year or two.

I had thought that metal plates might be a good idea, I have seen lots of boxes drilled out by predators, and read that the culprits might be all sorts of things from woodpeckers and magpies to squirrels.

I am still tempted to try an "open plan" offering as well...
Thanks again
A

No worries at your very welcome.
I have quite a few triple boxes dotted about as well (some vertical some horizontal) and they seem just as happy with those as with the barmy monster ones so im sure you'll be good with what you have, besides you can always find half an hour or so to knock up a few more

Your right in that all my holes are separate residences as such, mini blocks of flats rather than a communal open plan as such, so, in my experience its definately what they like - but i do now wonder if thats experiment i could have a dabble with, a great idea id never thought of before so thanks for planting that little seed.

Another thing ive picked up over the years is the fixing method to the wall. A lot of the web based designs show a metal hook/clip/bracket fixed to the centre of birdboxes in general that is proud of the top, that you then screw them to the wall with. Being coastal, anything metal here tends to last only a few years before rusting away, leading to an elevator style drop to the floor for your feathered friends potential homes.
So nowadays i tend to fix then with an M6/8 drill through wall anchor type of fixing with a stainless penny washer inside and a long screwdriver. You can drill/access from a central nest entry hole then and it Keeps the fixing out of the salty air that way. When dealing with a large/heavy box it makes holding onto it all when installing/drillilng a lot easier.

Main thing though is to go your own way and have a bit of fun, the birds aint fussy and its good to have a bit of fun and play around with it all, so enjoy.

[spread-tee]

Brilliant, this is a hobby of mine too, did anyone remember the big garden birdwatch this weekend?
I have a selection of boxes around the garden, some with 27mm hole for blue and coal tits, some with 32mm hole for great tits and finches and a couple with half fronted boxes for robins and starlings. Nearly all our tenants over the last few years have been Great and Blue tits even though there are quite a lot of other species around. The sparrows round here seem only to nest in holes in the surrounding houses, I guess they are not called House Sparrows for nothing. Like all the different ideas for boxes here, but remember to make them cleanable, The RSPB recommends cleaning the old nest material out now and then, also keep feeders clean as there is yet another "plague" going around that kills particularly finches.

ATB

Desp
PS, one of our tenants last year, I had to wait ages to get this pic, after about fifty images of an empty hole