The BTO Nestbox Guides

The new BTO Nestbox Guide, published in 2004, contains information about 24 species which commonly use nestboxes and are most likely to be found in gardens or woodland. Copies of the BTO Nestbox Guide (2004) are available from the BTO, priced £7.99 plus £3.95 post and packing.
To order please telephone your order to Catalogue Sales on 01842 750050 or send a cheque made out to BTO Services Ltd, for £11.94 (postage and packing inclusive) to BTO Sales, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU.

The previously published nestbox guide (1993 BTO Guide 23 Nestboxes), which includes information on all the other species not found in the latest guide, can be downloaded from this web page. The text is more-or-less the same as in the 1993 guide with only minor amendments. Some diagrams have been redrawn. The format of the species notes has been modified to make it easier to find the dimensions of boxes. In addition, the exploded view and cutting diagrams for the small hole-entrance box, which appear in the 2004 guide, can also be downloaded from this web page.

Since the publication of the 1993 guide, much more information has become available. It is hoped that this web page will eventually contain information about all species which use nestboxes or other artificial sites and that new information about species which are already described is also included. The existing printed guides have relied heavily on contributions from BTO members, and others, from their own hard-won experience. The Nest Records Officer at the BTO will welcome further contributions towards the web pages.

The table below lists species which have used nestboxes or other artificial sites. The fourth column indicates where information can be found. If instructions are included in the downloaded .pdf document, the page number of the document is given. Species which are covered in the 2004 BTO Nestbox Guide are indicated with 'BTO Guide'. A few species are not yet covered and these are indicated with 'not yet included'.

The above species index can be downloaded as a Word document (46Kb) by clicking here.

Download the BTO Guide 23 Nestboxes here (.pdf 2.46Mb)*.

* Needs Adobe Acrobat Reader - download a copy here

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