Nesting Boxes on Pasture
Nesting Boxes are man made structures that are built to simulate a tree cavity and provide wild birds a place to nest and raise their young. Design and location of the box will determine what type if cavity-nesting bird you will attract. I have had success with Tree Swallows, Bluebirds, Kestrels, and Northern Flickers. This article will focus on attracting Tree Swallows and Bluebirds to your pasture landscape. They both will use the same nest box design and entry hole size.
Benefits
- Both Tree Swallows and Bluebirds are insectivorous and will help reduce fly populations
- Adds beauty and diversity to the landscape
- Provides nesting site
Location
Originally I placed my nesting boxes on tree lines but, had very little success. I now have 15 nesting boxes centrally located in pastures with 100% occupancy. The boxes are spaced 100′ apart.
Design
I have used a few different box designs but, have settled on a basic Tree Swallow box with a side-opening door. This design is successful for both Tree Swallows and Bluebirds. I have also used the Peterson design but found the floor space too crammed. Pine and white cedar are both suitable building materials.
For other nesting box designs Click Here
Mounting
To mount the nesting box I attach 4′ x 1/2″ steel conduit to the back of the box, I then pipe clamp the conduit to a T post that is 2 feet below ground and 1.5″ above. This configuration allows me to remove the nesting box for winter storage but keep the T-post in place for remounting in spring.
Maintenance
I monitor my boxes for progress regularly and only intervene to remove deadstock and bedding material when the chicks have fledged. I do not like changing bedding when chicks are still growing as I find it difficult to reproduce a tightly woven nest and I have found nest changes to be more detrimental then the blow flies. The best way to reduce blow-fly pressure on subsequent clutches is to fully clean and scrap out the boxes, leaving them to air out with the door open for at least a week . Bluebirds and Tree swallows will use my boxes twice in the season, usually May-June and July-August.
