Sparrow bird box help

[BADGER.BRAD]

Hello All,

I have for years had sparrows nesting in my roof through a hole in the cement at the side, As I have just brought my council house I need now to fill the hole as it getting worse , I was quite happy to share my house with the Sparrows before and feed them but this may now lead to costs from my own pocket (For me spending money hurts !) As a solution I'm going to build a bird box and put it within inches of the location.I have seen various plans some of which have multiple holes/compartments for more than one set of birds , My question is would multiple sets of sparrows nest so close to each other (I would have thought they would want to keep a distance whilst breeding) or should I just build a singular box ?

Thanks all

 

[rich p]

No idea but I have seen those multiple sparrow boxes, and the RSPB sell them, so they must be suitable.

 

[Glow worm]

My question is would multiple sets of sparrows nest so close to each other (I would have thought they would want to keep a distance whilst breeding) or should I just build a singular box ?

Thanks all

I think house sparrows will nest close together quite happily. I visited this farm last year where the Chris the farmer (and absolute top bloke) has drilled nesting holes into his yard outbuildings specially for sparrows. I forget exactly how close together the holes are but I reckon no more than a foot at most. There were perhaps 40 holes, almost all occupied (in June).

 

[Dave 123]

Sparrows are communal. You'll be fine.

 

[raleighnut]

Ours nest in the ivy up the side of the house and roost in it at night/over winter we think 3 clutches this year of chicks. They are communal birds who fly in families and sometimes the whole wall seems alive, as does the privet hedge that's near the feeders. Multi compartment boxes should be fine just put them up before the repairs to get them used to it.

 

[BADGER.BRAD]

Thanks all,much appreciated. We seem to get a lot of Sparrow activity in breeding time on my feeders then the numbers drop really quick the nesting Sparrows vanish at this point, not sure where they go. That said as
our garden has matured the numbers of other birds has increased blue/great tits ,Black birds and what sounds like a riot of Starlings all of which we never saw before hand.

 

[Deleted member 23692]

Check out sparrow terraces - they love having neighbours

 

[Paulus]

Couldn't you just repair the hole so it is a bit smaller, but not so small that the sparrows can't get in?

 

[annedonnelly]

Good on you for thinking about the sparrows. Like everyone says they like living together so a terrace is ideal!

I refuse to have anything done that might stop the starlings getting into my eaves to nest.

 

[slowmotion]

Sparrows actively want to nest very close to fellow sparrows. A solitary bird box is very unlikely to attract a pair. The best place for the boxes is high up under the eaves.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Couldn't you just repair the hole so it is a bit smaller, but not so small that the sparrows can't get in?

+1 on that. A bit of a hole isn't going to affect the roof/house. Let it be if you can

 

[Gravity Aided]

I have English (House) Sparrows living in a nest Robins made atop my downspout, the Robin fledged and the English Sparrows took over and have had a clutch of 2 eggs and now a second clutch of one egg. They do seem to like the eaves, but will sometimes nest solitary.

We had these, a few in a row along our carriage house eaves when I was a kid, I think we made them in the scouts.