When's the best time to put up a nestbox?

Traditionally, boxes for tits and other small birds are put up in early spring before the new breeding season starts. That’s why we launch Nestbox Week on February 14th – St Valentine’s Day – when birds are reputed to start their courtship.

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In reality, some species will already be hunting for nest sites long before this date. Juvenile birds may even begin to select potential sites during their first autumn and winter. Boxes that are in place by the autumn may well be used as roosting havens in extremely cold winter periods, so the best advice is to put up your box as soon as it’s ready.  

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How many nestboxes lie unused in garden sheds, waiting for that ideal moment? There’s no time like the present – put them up right now!