Wildlife experts have revealed the best type of bird box to attract wrens to your garden and where to place it.
One of the most popular garden birds in the UK, wrens are tiny, active birds that have a surprisingly loud voice compared to their small bodies. Energetic with complex songs, they are popular and very welcome garden visitors.
While there are plenty of fuss-free methods to attract birds to your garden, different species have different preferences, and wrens prefer deeper, open-faced bird boxes. Here’s why.
What bird box do wrens prefer?
One thing that gardens that attract lots of birds always have is, of course, a bird box. Providing a safe area of shelter for your garden wildlife they are a worthy investment. But it’s important to remember that different birds like different boxes. While attracting robins also requires an open-fronted box, other birds like swifts require a specific swift box (£30 at Amazon) to call home.
‘Wrens and robins are slightly different, nothing new there! Wrens like smaller, deeper, open-faced boxes because they mimic their natural, sheltered habitat. They also prefer to be lower down, around one to two metres off the ground, and hidden away in foliage - ideally tucked away into thickets, thorny bushes, or foliage to protect them from predators,’ says James Ewens, wildlife expert from Green Feathers.
‘Wrens prioritise safety like most bird populations, so think sheltered, dry, well-concealed, and hidden away in dense foliage for their protection and comfort.’
When to put up a bird box
Now is also one of the best times to put up a bird box, as garden birds often need a little extra boost during winter.
'Don’t wait for the heat of spring … birds start scouting for homes in late winter, making February the ideal time for installation in your garden,’ says Kate McRae, wildlife expert that goes by WildlifeKate, and who is working in collaboration with Protek.
‘Any space, even the smallest space, can support a nest box, so there are no excuses. Even if you have just a small balcony, a nest box can easily be popped on the wall.’
If you are investing in a bird box for the first time, James says there are a couple of things you can add to make it a comfy home for birds.
‘If starting afresh with a new bird box, you can always give your wrens a head start by adding some fresh hay or a small handful of dry leaves or moss,’ he says.
‘Birds instinctively know how to build their home from the ground up, though, so you can pretty much let wrens do their own thing. One non-invasive way to help them is having building materials on standby for them, such as next to their bird box on the ground. Pile up some branches and sticks, and leave them to it!’
If you want to hear the beautiful chirp of a wren’s song this spring, now is the time to make your garden a welcoming place for them.
