The 2 places you should never put a bird box, according to wildlife experts

There’s nothing quite as lovely as seeing all your hard work paying off when attracting wildlife to your garden. With the right feeders, bird baths and boxes, garden birds will love your outdoor space. However, wildlife experts say if you put your bird box in the wrong place, all your hard work will be undone.

If you want to know how to attract birds to your garden, the good news is that it's quite simple. Birds like you to provide food, shelter and water. But it’s equally important you give these feathered friends the right type of food and shelter.

Wildlife experts have revealed that you should never place your bird box in direct sunlight or at too low a height. This is everything you need to know.

1. In direct sunlight

‘Birds do not want to be caught in direct sunlight in south-facing locations; too much sun can cause the bird box to overheat and potentially be harmful, which can be especially detrimental to our baby nestlings,’ explains James Ewens, gardening expert at Green Feathers.

‘Direct sunlight is not only uncomfortable for adult birds, but it can even interfere with their ability to incubate eggs effectively and raise their young.'

'Along the lines of weather conditions, you should never place your bird box in west-facing locations - where harsh weather like wind and rain can make a bird box less hospitable and potentially dangerous.’

Just like attracting robins to your garden, who are fussy when it comes to bird box placement, the best place to put your box is in a north-east direction.

‘For the best chance of success, face your bird box between north and east,' says Anton Baskerville, Wildlife Expert at Woodlands.co.uk. 'This helps protect it from the worst of the wind and rain, and keeps it cooler during the warmer months. A box that overheats or gets too soggy inside isn’t going to be a very appealing home for birds raising chicks,’

2. At the wrong height

Another factor you need to consider is the height at which you position your bird box on the wall. This is because different birds like their boxes at different heights. For example, if you want to attract swifts and swallows, then they prefer their boxes to be up in the eaves of your home.

‘A general rule-of-thumb is to place the bird box around 2 metres high off the ground; this balances the accessibility for the birds, while protecting against predators like cats - who we know, can climb especially high!’ says gardening expert James.

‘For bird species like blue tits, the higher up the box, the easier for them to scan for potential predators before leaving the box. These birds can then establish a clear, safe flight path and hopefully avoid disruptions on their journey.

‘For robins, these birds prefer open-fronted boxes around 1.5 metres off the ground, so they can nestle into trees and shrubs for an extended shelter, nesting materials, and food sources.'

'Robins are renowned for nesting lower to the ground in log piles or hedges, low-lying locations, but still high enough to deter predators, are a great location for a robin’s bird box.’

Add to basket

If you've realised you've got some prime spots for a bird box in your garden, here are a few options to choose from.

Carefully selecting where to put a bird box is important if you want to increase the opportunity for wildlife to thrive in your garden.

As well as placing your box and the right height and place, you should also keep it clean and ensure it tilts slightly forward to keep the rain out. Then birds will feel like a welcome guest in your garden!