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Fact Sheet Nestboxes for Wildlife

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Fact Sheet Nestboxes for Wildlife Fact sheet Nestboxes for wildlife A nestbox is an artificial enclosure provided for hollow-dependant animals to live and nest in. Providing a well- constructed and maintained nestbox on your property can provide a supplementary home for native animals where natural tree hollows are missing. Why install nestboxes? and microbats. Sugar Gliders often inhabit phascogale nestboxes and Owlet Nightjars may use rosella Many of our local native birds and small mammals rely nestboxes. Some examples of common nestbox on tree hollows to provide a safe home away from the dwellers are described in the following table. weather and predators. Tree hollows can take over a Animal Description Nestbox hundred years to form and only occur in large old trees. use Due to land clearing and logging, many areas lack old Brush-tailed Brush-tailed Phascogales are Shelter and trees with hollows, leaving few places for hollow- Phascogale threatened nocturnal carnivorous breeding dependant animals. (also known marsupials around 30 cm long, from June to as Tuan) distinguished by their grey body September Nestboxes are part of a whole of landscape approach to and black bottle-brush tail. They conservation. Our priority is to protect old trees and mate in early winter and most restore natural habitat. While artificial nestboxes in trees males die after breeding. Litters of seven or eight young are born cannot replace natural hollows, they give animals a safe from late June to early August. place to breed and rest. Young remain in the pouch for seven weeks and are then left in the nest while the mother forages at night. Juveniles disperse in early summer. Crimson These colourful parrots usually Breeding Rosella breed in spring and summer. throughout Females incubate the eggs, and September both parents care for the young. to January Chicks fledge at 25 days but remain dependent on the parents for a further 35 days. Striated These very small birds usually Breeding Pardalote breed in spring and summer. Both throughout parents share the tasks of building September The nestboxes supplied by Connecting Country are the nest, incubating the eggs and to February feeding the young. made and installed by a specialist nestbox builder. Nestbox design is based on available scientific research Microbat Microbats are active catching Resting and years of local field observation. All Connecting insects at night. During the day during Country’s nestboxes are made from quality materials they rest in dense colonies. They daytime and have a hinged lid, so it’s possible to evict any prefer having multiple roosts close throughout unwanted visitors, if they move in. by so they can move around in the year response to temperature, parasites and predators. Our local Nestbox inhabitants microbats breed in October to December. Once installed, it may take months or years before a nestbox is occupied. Activity can be seasonal, and different animals use nestboxes in different ways. For further information, or to lodge opportunistic observations of Tuans or other fauna please call us on Within the Mount Alexander region, nestboxes can (03) 5472 1594 or contact support animals such as the threatened Brush-tailed [email protected] Phascogale (Tuan), Crimson Rosella, Striated Pardalote Nestbox maintenance Like any home, nestboxes deteriorate over time and need maintenance. Regular inspections are essential to check for any unwanted visitors and ensure nestboxes are still usable. Species to look out for include introduced birds (such as Common Mynas), feral bees and ants. Common issues and solutions are detailed in the following table. Issue Description Action Bees European Use nestboxes that have an honeybees move anti-bee treatment. From into the nestbox 2019, nestboxes supplied by Brush-tailed Phascogale (Tuan) in a nestbox and establish a Connecting Country have a (photo by Jess Lawton) hive non-toxic treatment that discourages bees. Installing new nestboxes Contact your local beekeeper to remove the Nestboxes are available to buy or can be built by anyone bees. with basic woodworking skills. Each box should be Wait until bees move on, as most nestboxes are likely constructed in accordance with relevant guidelines for too small to sustain a long- the target species. For more information on nestbox term bee colony. guidlines see our nest box resources page. Ants Ants move into Temporarily prop the the nestbox and nestbox lid open to make it Ideally nestboxes should be installed on large native establish a colony less appealing to ants, trees, on or close to the main trunk. Climbing animals repeating as necessary. such as phascogales, prefer rough-barked trees, Avoid using pest strips as small birds and mammals whereas birds and bats are less fussy. Nestboxes may be affected by the should be placed high enough to be safe from predators poison. such as foxes, but low enough for safe monitoring and Introduced Non-native birds, Remove nesting material maintenance. Always keep safety in mind, especially if birds such as Common and eggs, repeating if Mynas or necessary. using ladders. Orientation facing south or southeast is Starlings, move Cover the nestbox entrance best, as this means the box is shaded by the trunk when into the nestbox hole temporarily, if birds are summer sun is hottest. persistent. Large Cockatoos and Do not feed cockatoos and Monitoring parrots galahs chew on galahs. the nestbox, to Spray cockatoos or galahs Although it’s good to monitor your nestbox regularly, maintain their with water using a water internal inspection of nestboxes should be kept to a beak condition or pistol or hose. minimum to avoid disturbing resident animals. It is gain entry to the Cover nestbox with bird nestbox netting or chicken wire generally done during autumn (March to May), when temporarily and wait until animals are active and looking for breeding partners. cockatoos lose interest. General Nestbox condition Leave the nestbox in place if Connecting Country advocates a sit and wait approach wear and deteriorates due inhabited by a native animal. to check nestbox occupancy, also known as a stag tear to weather If the nestbox is vacant, exposure, animal remove and repair it. Most watching. For observer safety and animal welfare it is use or other repairs can be done by a not recommended to use ladders or to climb trees to damage skilled handyperson, or by check nestbox contents. This should be done between contacting a local nestbox builder. the 15 minutes leading up to twilight and 15 minutes Aim to repaint your nestbox after. If an animal is not heard or observed in the allotted every five to ten years to half hour, then it is unlikely the box is occupied. protect the timber. Paint colour is not important, Another option is the use of a ground-based inspection although light colours are camera on an extension pole. Remote cameras or cooler in summer. observations from the ground can be also used to record nestbox activity with little disturbance. .
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