Birds need a plain old nest box, not a showhome

Brightly coloured novelty designs could be too hot for chicks and attract predators, warns RSPB

NOVELTY bird nest boxes in unusual colours and designs could be dangerous for birds, the RSPB has warned.

Bird houses decorated in bright colours or shaped to look like real houses, caravans or windmills have become popular in recent years.

But the RSPB has warned that the unusual designs could endanger the birds nesting inside them because bright colours could attract predators such as squirrels and cats, while poor designs may leave birds at risk of cold, damp or overheating.

Nest boxes should not be brightly coloured or have perches, and need to be well-insulated, waterproof and robust, it says.

Metal roofs “retain too much heat and can have fatal effects for baby birds on warm, sunny days” and ceramic designs are poorly insulated. Metal and plastic boxes also “suffer from condensation causing baby birds to get damp and cold”.

The wildlife charity is urging people to install traditional nest boxes to help garden birds such as sparrows and starlings, numbers of which are in decline.

Speaking during National Nest Box Week, which concludes tomorrow, Ben Andrew, RSPB wildlife adviser, said: “Rather than choosing unusual designs and materials, people should stick to traditional, wooden nest boxes; they really are the best and often the most cost-effective.”

Mr Andrew said the colour should be as inconspicuous as possible.

“People tend to forget that a nest box will eventually contain tiny, helpless, vulnerable baby birds, so the appearance of the box should be the last thing on your mind,” he said.

Colourful novelty nest box designs are available from a wide range of retailers, including Homebase, the DIY and gardens specialist. Models on sale at the retailer include a £29.99 cottageshaped birdhouse available in bright colours, and a £69.99 bird house designed as the “archetypal English pub… full of old English charm complete with pub sign and window boxes”.

A Homebase spokesman said: “As a socially responsible retailer, we ensure all of our bird boxes are suitable for nesting. The whole range is made from wood with more decorative boxes finished in outdoor, water-based, nontoxic paint.”