Nest box

Not to be confused with whelping box, also known as a nesting box.
"Birdhouse" and "Bird box" redirect here. For other uses, see Birdhouse (disambiguation) and Bird Box (disambiguation).
For the episode of the series Ozark, see Nest Box (Ozark).
Eastern bluebird at the entrance of a nest box

A nest box, also spelled nestbox, is a man-made enclosure provided for animals to nest in. Nest boxes are most frequently utilized for birds, in which case they are also called birdhouses or a birdbox/bird box, but some mammals such as bats may also use them. Placing nestboxes or roosting boxes may also be used to help maintain populations of particular species in an area.[1]

Nest boxes were used since Roman times to capture birds for meat. The use of nest boxes for other purposes began in the mid-18th century, and naturalist August von Berlepsch was the first to produce nest boxes on a commercial scale.[2]

Nest boxes are getting more attention because increasing industrialization, urban growth, modern construction methods, deforestation and other human activities since the mid-20th century have caused severe declines in birds' natural habitats, introducing hurdles to breeding. Nest boxes can help prevent bird extinction,[3] as it was shown in the case of scarlet macaws in the Peruvian Amazon.[1]

  1. ^ a b Olah, George; Vigo, Gabriela; Heinsohn, Robert; Brightsmith, Donald J. (2014). "Nest site selection and efficacy of artificial nests for breeding success of Scarlet Macaws Ara macao macao in lowland Peru". Journal for Nature Conservation. 22 (2): 176–185. Bibcode:2014JNatC..22..176O. doi:10.1016/j.jnc.2013.11.003.
  2. ^ "The history of nest boxes". The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
  3. ^ Dulisz, Beata; Stawicka, Anna Maria; Knozowski, Paweł; Diserens, Tom A.; Nowakowski, Jacek J. (2022-01-01). "Effectiveness of using nest boxes as a form of bird protection after building modernization". Biodiversity and Conservation. 31 (1): 277–294. Bibcode:2022BiCon..31..277D. doi:10.1007/s10531-021-02334-0. ISSN 1572-9710. S2CID 244640243.