Why October is the ideal month to put up bird boxes

Bird boxes put up in gardens fulfil two important roles. The first is of course to provide suitable nesting habitat, and often in place of ever-dwindling natural nest sites like holes in trees. But whilst we don’t have to worry about providing for breeding birds right now as even species like Great tit – which are one of the first birds to start seeking out nest sites – won’t do so until January at the very earliest, who wants to be putting up nest boxes on a freezing cold and wet day in January! So use the relatively mild days we typically have in October to get the job done.

However, the other very important reason for nest boxes is that they give a host of different small songbirds somewhere to safely roost at night during the winter. What’s more, it isn’t just about safety from predators, but also protection from the cold and wet which can drain the small amount of fat reserves in small birds as they struggle to keep warm. So by putting up nest boxes now, you’re literally helping more songbirds survive the cold winter nights and therefore there’ll be more birds come the spring to successfully breed.

Choosing the right type of next boxes and knowing where to put them can be a bit of a minefield if you’re not familiar with the subject, so we’ve put together a comprehensive guide which includes helpful videos. Then, once you’re ready to consider buying nest boxes, you can view our range here.