Nesting boxes placed in gardens often attract small songbirds during the spring.

The longer version

Cavity-nesting birds need a hole of the right size with a safe interior, and natural holes in old trees are scarce wherever dead wood is cleared away. A box supplies the missing cavity, and a small entrance hole excludes larger birds and mammals while letting tits, flycatchers and similar species inside.

Season matters because pairs survey sites before laying, and a box used for breeding in spring may serve for roosting in winter. Placement, hole diameter and height decide which species move in, and old nests and parasites need clearing out between broods. A badly placed box can draw predators instead.

Where this entry sits

Here you will find feathered trivia about flight, migration, nests, eggs, and the songs birds sing. Expect short surprising facts on penguins, owls, hummingbirds, and other familiar birds from gardens, forests, wetlands, and distant coastlines. The full list sits on the Birds page, where every entry is listed in order.