Guide to installing a birdhouse in your garden

Offer a haven of peace to wild birds and discover all the steps to welcome biodiversity into your garden.

Install a garden bird box?

If you're lucky enough to live in a house with a garden, you need birdhouses!

Why is this important? Because birds are finding fewer and fewer places to nest in nature. And you'll have the pleasure and satisfaction of seeing the lives of these small animals perpetuated and their species thrive. This will also encourage the development of birds in your garden and provide very effective helpers in the fight against aphid and caterpillar infestations. Discover our recommendations for installing birdhouses in your garden.

What is a birdhouse for?

Birds use these small structures for nesting, that is, to build their nests. Be careful not to confuse a nest box with a bird feeder; there's nothing stopping you from installing both in your garden, by the way.

The "entrance hole" is the opening that allows the bird to enter the nest box, and for the young to take their first flight!

It's worth noting that natural nest sites, which birds normally use in the wild, are becoming increasingly scarce. A natural nest site can be a crack in a wall, dead trees, or wild hedges (garden hedges are trimmed, which disturbs nests). With increasing urbanization and the development of metropolitan areas, these natural nesting places are disappearing. This is why it's important, when possible, to provide small birds with artificial nest boxes.

Some species are protected in France, and it is strictly forbidden to destroy their nests. This is the case for swallows and swifts, which are migratory species finding it increasingly difficult to locate natural nest sites and therefore need artificial nests. Because their nests are removed by humans because they are inconvenient (e.g., house martins on windows), it is therefore important to preserve them if you have any on your property!

What are the types of birdhouses?

When should a birdhouse be installed?

Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to wait until spring to start putting up a nest box. Instead, you should think about it from late December to early January. Why at this time? Some species, such as tits, tend to start looking for a nesting site quite early.

Furthermore, nest boxes can serve – albeit rarely – as shelters against cold and bad weather; some species, like wrens, will seek refuge there in winter.

Finally, this can also allow birds to get used to their presence, thus increasing the likelihood that they will be well used.

How to install a birdhouse?

First, you need to decide where it will be placed. This could be a tree trunk or a wall. The most important thing is that it is protected from direct sunlight and wind. The best orientations are East, South-East, and North-East. Letterbox-style nest boxes can be attached to a trunk, while semi-open nest boxes are better suited for a wall.

If you wish to install several nest boxes on your property, this is entirely possible, provided they are intended for different species. This is because there is a concept of territoriality for bird nests of the same species. The recommended distance varies depending on the species, ranging from 20 to 60 meters minimum between each nest box: 20 meters for tits, 60-70 meters for redstarts, for example.

How high should you install the nest box? This can depend on the type of species you wish to attract, but generally, it is between 1.5 and 5 meters high. Depending on the chosen support and the type of nest box you have, you can place it, hang it, or nail it. If the support is a tree, it is preferable not to nail it... you should attach the nest box with coated wire wrapped around the trunk, ensuring that the wire is not in direct contact with the tree (insert small pieces of wood between the two).

Should you clean a bird box?

Firstly, you should know that an occupied nesting box should not be disturbed. Indeed, if you notice the presence of a bird in the small structure, let it live its life and do not try to open the nesting box (if it is possible) to see what is happening inside. There is a high probability that the bird will abandon the site if it feels disturbed.

If you wish to follow the daily life of the little feathered inhabitants, observe them from a distance or use binoculars! You can also install mini cameras (at the same time as you set up the nesting box).

You may be lucky enough to see the chicks fledge... after that, your nesting box will be abandoned. In the autumn, in October, you will need to clean it. If you don't, a new nest will be built on top of the previous one by the next occupants, which will leave less space for the new brood and place them too close to the entrance hole.

Furthermore, never cleaning a nesting box can lead to the appearance of diseases or parasites (red mites, for example) and also hide deterioration of the shelter.

Cleaning consists of removing everything that makes up the nest. Because a bird will not reuse a nest that has already been used. Once the nesting box is empty, use a wire brush inside. Then, disinfect it to eliminate any parasites or bacteria.

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Give a gift to your garden… and to the birds that visit it.
The birds will thank you in their own way, by singing outside your window!