Looking for a bat box but don’t know which one to buy? This article is the third in a three part series designed to help you to make the right choice. Here you will find our top 10 boxes for incorporating into the masonry of a new build or development. The previous two posts feature the best boxes for trees and woodland and for walls and fences.
For each box listed you will also find helpful information such as its dimensions and weight and the box type (e.g. whether it is for summer use, for hibernation or for access into an existing roost space).
The Glossary below provides a guide to the key terms used in the descriptions.
• Woodcrete/WoodStone: A blend of wood, concrete and clay which is very durable. It is also breathable and helps to maintain a stable temperature inside the box. • Summer: Summer boxes are suitable for the warmer months but are less likely to be used over the winter. • Hibernation: Designed to be larger and better insulated, hibernation boxes will provide a safe and warm space for bats over the winter. • Maternity: Suitable for the formation of colonies and raising of young. • Access: Provides an entrance to an existing roof space such as a wall cavity or loft. • Crevice: Provides one or more narrow roost spaces. Species which prefer this type of box include common, soprano and Nathusius pipistrelle, Brandt’s and whiskered bats. • Cavity: Provides a more spacious roost space. Bats such as brown long-eared, Daubenton’s and Natterer’s bats prefer cavity boxes. • Large cavity: These boxes allow space for flight within the roost which is preferred by brown long-eared bats in particular.
This guide is designed to help you choose the best bird box, based on the species of bird that you are hoping to attract, or that you know can be found in your garden or other outdoor space. Species are organised alphabetically by common name, and for each one we have included information about the preferred type of box and siting location. You will also find a handy list of suitable boxes available from NHBS.
• Box type: Large box with entrance hole measuring at least 150 x 200mm. An exercise platform for young owls is also beneficial. • Siting guidelines: At least 4m high in an undisturbed area, away from roads. Boxes can be installed inside a barn if there is a clear flight path to the entrance. • Suitable boxes: Barn Owl Nest Box Eco Barn Owl Nest Box Triangular Barn Owl Nest Box Flat-Pack Barn Owl Nest Box
Blackbird – Turdus merula
• Box type: Medium box with platform-style front. • Siting Guidelines: At least 1.5m high and preferably within a bush or shrub. • Suitable boxes: Blackbird FSC Nest Box
• Box type – Small box with 25mm entrance hole. Will also use boxes with a larger hole if there isn’t competition from larger birds. • Siting guidelines – Trees and walls in gardens and woodland. 1-5m in height with a clear flight path. Avoid direct sunlight and busy areas of the garden.
• Box type: Small box with 28mm entrance hole. Will also use boxes with a larger hole if there isn’t competition from larger birds. • Siting guidelines: Trees and walls in garden or woodland. 1-5m in height with a clear flight path. There is some evidence to suggest that crested tits will only utilise boxes if they are filled with sawdust or wood shavings. • Suitable boxes: Vivara Pro Seville 28mm WoodStone Nest Box Small Bird Nest Box with 28mm Hole Apex Bird Box with 28mm Hole
• Box type: Medium box with 50mm entrance hole. • Siting guidelines: On a tree at a height of 3 – 5m. Boxes should be stuffed with soft material such as rotten wood or bark. • Suitable boxes: Woodpecker/Starling Nest Box Woodpecker Box
• Box type: Medium box with 60mm entrance hole. • Siting guidelines: On a tree at a height of 3 – 5m. Boxes should be filled with soft material such as rotten wood or bark. • Suitable boxes: Large Bird Nest Box
• Box type: Small box with 32mm entrance hole. • Siting guidelines: On trees or buildings at a height of 2m or above. House sparrows are colonial nesters so multiple boxes can be sited near to each other, or terraced boxes used.
• Box type: Large box with 150mm entrance hole. • Siting guidelines: As high as possible on a building or tree (minimum 3m). Jackdaws are colonial nesters so several boxes may be placed close together. • Suitable boxes: Tawny Owl, Jackdaw and Stock Dove Nest Box
• Box type: Large box with open front. • Siting guidelines: On a tree or building at a minimum height of 5m with a clear flight path to the entrance. • Suitable boxes: Kestrel Nest Box Kestrel Open Nest Box
• Box type: Tunnel with rear nesting chamber. • Siting guidelines: Buried in a vertical bank beside a slow-moving river or lake. Only the entrance should be visible and it should be at least one metre above the maximum water level. Filling the tunnel with sand will improve the chances of occupation. If possible, two tunnels should be placed together, at least 70cm apart. • Suitable boxes: Vivara Pro WoodStone Kingfisher Tunnel
Little Owl – Athene noctua
• Box type: Tubular box with a 70mm entrance hole and internal baffle to reduce light. • Siting guidelines: On a horizontal branch at a minimum height of 3m. • Suitable boxes: Little Owl Apex Nest Box
• Box type: Small box with 28mm entrance hole. • Siting guidelines: In a woodland, preferably overlooking a glade. Boxes should be installed at a height of 2-4m. If competition with earlier nesting tits is a problem, the holes of several boxes may be blocked up until the flycatchers arrive. • Suitable boxes: Vivara Pro Seville 28mm WoodStone Nest Box Small Bird Nest Box with 28mm Hole Apex Bird Box with 28mm Hole
• Box type: Tunnel, approximately 100mm in diameter • Siting guidelines: Tunnels should be filled with sand and buried into an artificial or natural sandbank. (Banks should be vertical or slightly overhanging). • Suitable boxes: Sand Martin Nest Box
• Box type: Small box with open front. Front panel should be fairly low. • Siting guidelines: On a tree at a height of 2-4m and with a clear outlook (e.g. next to a lawn or woodland clearing). Alternatively on a building, nestled within ivy or other climbing plants. • Suitable boxes: Flatpack Bird Box – Open Front Robin Nest Box
Starling – Sturnus vulgaris
• Box type: Medium box with 45mm entrance hole. • Siting guidelines: On a tree or building at a minimum height of 2.5m. Starlings nest colonially so several boxes may be placed close together. • Suitable boxes: Woodpecker/Starling Nest Box Large Bird Nest Box Woodpecker Box
• Box type: Large box with 150mm entrance hole. • Siting guidelines: At least 3m high on a tree overlooking open fields or in an open barn. • Suitable boxes: Tawny Owl, Jackdaw and Stock Dove Nest Box
• Box type: Large box or chimney-style box with 150mm entrance hole.
• Siting guidelines: On a tree at a height of at least 2.5m with a clear flight path (particularly below the box).
• Suitable boxes: Tawny Owl Nest Box Tawny Owl, Jackdaw and Stock Dove Nest Box
Looking for a bat box but don’t know which one to buy? This article is the second in a three part series designed to help you to make the right choice.
For each box you will also find helpful information such as its dimensions and weight and the box type (e.g. whether it is for summer use, for hibernation or for access into an existing roost space).
The Glossary below provides a guide to the key terms used in the descriptions.
• Woodcrete/WoodStone: A blend of wood, concrete and clay which is very durable. It is also breathable and helps to maintain a stable temperature inside the box. • Summer: Summer boxes are suitable for the warmer months but are less likely to be used over the winter. • Hibernation: Designed to be larger and better insulated, hibernation boxes will provide a safe and warm space for bats over the winter. • Maternity: Suitable for the formation of colonies and raising of young. • Access: Provides an entrance to an existing roof space such as a wall cavity or loft. • Crevice: Provides one or more narrow roost spaces. Species which prefer this type of box include common, soprano and Nathusius pipistrelle, Brandt’s and whiskered bats. • Cavity: Provides a more spacious roost space. Bats such as brown long-eared, Daubenton’s and Natterer’s bats prefer cavity boxes. • Large cavity: These boxes allow space for flight within the roost which is preferred by brown long-eared bats in particular.
Here you will find our top 10 boxes for installing on a tree, in a garden, park or woodland. For each box you will also find helpful information such as its dimensions and weight and the box type (e.g. whether it is for summer use, for hibernation or for access into an existing roost space).
The Glossary below provides a guide to the key terms used in the descriptions.
• Woodcrete/WoodStone: A blend of wood, concrete and clay which is very durable. It is also breathable and helps to maintain a stable temperature inside the box. • Summer: Summer boxes are suitable for the warmer months but are less likely to be used over the winter. • Hibernation: Designed to be larger and better insulated, hibernation boxes will provide a safe and warm space for bats over the winter. • Maternity: Suitable for the formation of colonies and raising of young. • Access: Provides an entrance to an existing roof space such as a wall cavity or loft. • Crevice: Provides one or more narrow roost spaces. Species which prefer this type of box include common, soprano and Nathusius pipistrelle, Brandt’s and whiskered bats. • Cavity: Provides a more spacious roost space. Bats such as brown long-eared, Daubenton’s and Natterer’s bats prefer cavity boxes. • Large cavity: These boxes allow space for flight within the roost which is preferred by brown long-eared bats in particular.
Changes in land use can result in strong competition between species that have historically survived alongside eachother, such as goldfinches and chaffinches. Goldfinch by Tony Smith is licenced under CC BY 2.0.
Over the last century, land use in the UK has changed drastically. Small mixed-crop farms, traditionally separated by lanes, hedgerows and wild meadows have been replaced with larger, more specialised facilities. At the same time, the density of grazing animals such as sheep and cattle has also risen substantially. This combination of land-use change and agricultural intensification has contributed significantly to habitat degradation and biodiversity loss, and has led to huge, often dire, changes for the wildlife that call these places home.
Understanding these processes is of huge importance to conservationists, and a considerable amount of research has been conducted into the broad scale effects of land use changes on biodiversity. It is less well understood, however, why seemingly similar species can be affected to a different extent by local changes in their habitat.
A recent study, conducted by Dr Andrew Higginson at the University of Exeter, suggests that competition for nesting space may be a key factor in the differences observed. His study used a mathematical model to predict the likely outcome when populations of birds and bees are faced with a reduction in suitable nesting sites. Results indicated that larger, earlier-nesting species tend to fare better in these conditions, but at the expense of smaller, later-nesting species who, in the real world, would either fail to find a nesting site or be forced into using a poor quality or risky location.
Dr Higginson’s results illustrate that, whilst two or more similar species can co-exist together very happily when there are sufficient nesting spaces available, as soon as these become limited, competition and conflict become inevitable. In severe situations, species that have historically thrived in the same environment may suddenly find themselves battling for survival.
A key message from the study was that conservation efforts should ensure that priority is given to the creation and maintenance of suitable nesting sites. Conservation practices often focus on provision of food for wildlife, such as planting wildflowers for bees and providing food for our garden birds. Preserving and creating safe and accessible places for these animals to nest, however, is just as critical if we are to ensure their continued survival.
Looking for a bat box but don’t know which one to buy? This article is the third in a three part series designed to help you to make the right choice. Here you will find our top 10 boxes for incorporating into the masonry of a new build or development. The previous two posts feature the best boxes for trees and woodland and for walls and fences.
Vivara Pro Build-in Woodstone Bat Tube
2FE Schwegler Wall-Mounted Bat Shelter
PRO UK Build-in WoodStone Bat Box
1WI Schwegler Summer and Winter Bat Box
Ibstock Enclosed Bat Box C: Small
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