Putting up nest boxes gives you the chance to help birds while enjoying watching any breeding birds that you attract to your garden or green space. Learn about building, buying and siting boxes, and which box suits what species.
Why put up a nest box?
Natural nest sites for birds such as holes in trees or old buildings are disappearing fast as gardens are ‘tidied’ and old houses are repaired.
Providing nesting sites for breeding birds in your garden gives you the fascinating experience of watching breeding birds close at hand.
Which birds use nest boxes?
Nest boxes come in all shapes and sizes, and different birds prefer different boxes. A nest box can be hole- or open-fronted: hole-fronted boxes have a small hole for the birds to enter and exit, while open-fronted boxes have a much larger entryway. Some species require more tailored boxes, like Swifts, which prefer an oval-shaped hole.
- Detailed plans for building species-specific nest boxes are included on our Building a nest box page.
The list below includes some of the species most likely to take up residence in different types of nest boxes within the UK.
Small hole-fronted nest boxes
- Blue Tit
- Coal Tit
- Great Tit
- House Sparrow
- Marsh Tit
- Nuthatch
- Pied Flycatcher
- Redstart
- Tree Sparrow
- Willow Tit
Medium nest boxes with oval-shaped holes
- Swift
Large hole-fronted nest boxes
- Great Spotted Woodpecker
- Little Owl
- Starling
Very large nest boxes
- Barn Owl
- Jackdaw
- Kestrel
- Stock Dove
- Tawny Owl
Open-fronted nest boxes
- Pied/White Wagtail
- Robin
- Spotted Flycatcher
Building, buying and siting your nest box
Choose from the options below to find the right nest box for the right place, or read our short Essential Guide.
Build a nest box
Use our simple cutting plans and instructions to make a nest box yourself.
Buy a nest box
Read our advice on what to look for when choosing a nest box.
Where to put a nest box
Follow our advice on putting up your new nest box, and learn how to look after it.
Buying a nest box or bird house
We appreciate that not everyone may be interested or able to build their own nest box or bird house. If that’s the case for you, we highly recommend our partner, Vine House Farm, for high-quality nest boxes, bird houses, foods, feeders and more.
BTO and Vine House Farm
Vine House Farm is a conservation-award-winning farm, managed with wildlife in mind and environmental responsibility to the fore. Our partnership with Vine House Farm seeks to make a positive impact for birds.
Tell us about your nest box
If you have a nest box, you can tell us about the birds breeding inside it. This information helps us paint a picture of how well our birds are faring during the breeding season - vital data which can help us track population size changes and inform conservation.
Nest Boxes: Your Complete Guide
If you would like to know more, try our in-depth book, Nest Boxes: Your Complete Guide.
Written by Dave Cromack and drawing on the BTO’s expertise, this new book provides the perfect guide to building, erecting and monitoring nest boxes for a broad range of bird species.
