UK Robin friendly roost box (1 Viewer)

Hi,

I've been looking for a good quality roost box to setup in my garden, more so now as the winds have picked up.

I haven't had any luck online. So I was hoping to make one.
http://www.shawcreekbirdsupply.com/plans_roost_box.htm

What size does the entrance hole need to be to allow a UK robin to enter?

Do I need to provide any additional support on the outside of the hole to allow the robins' ease of access?

Again i'd like to make it as friendly as possible for UK robins and birds of similar or smaller sizes.

They seem to get on well in the garden, going from garden to garden pretty much together, so was hoping to provide a place to sleep at night safely.

Your recommendations will be most welcome.

I believe a 1.5 inch entry hole would be ample for a roost box for any of the small garden birds to enter.
Their nesting boxes might want smaller or larger openings, robins for instance are happier with an open entry, tits not so.

Thanks.

Was going to purchase a bird guardian (without the holes), but am going to fit the end of a transparent plastic bottle instead after scouring the interior base to the entrance with sandpaper for grip.

Do you think it's wise to drill a couple of 50-60mm holes and seal them up with transparent perspex above the entrance hole to allow the birds to see out?

EssDoubleYou said:

Thanks.

Was going to purchase a bird guardian (without the holes), but am going to fit the end of a transparent plastic bottle instead after scouring the interior base to the entrance with sandpaper for grip.

Do you think it's wise to drill a couple of 50-60mm holes and seal them up with transparent perspex above the entrance hole to allow the birds to see out?

Click to expand...

Interesting idea, to put windows in a roost box. It is surely not needed, as the knotholes and such that small birds take shelter in don't offer that luxury. My only concern is that they might get confused and be trapped trying to get out through there.
For the entry guard, it would probably be fine to just double up the wall around the entry so the entry is a bit of a tunnel. I don't know how well the birds would take to the bottle entry.
You seem to be handy, so you might consider putting in a small computer camera into the box. They don't give great pictures, just black and white lumps shuffling around, but it is fun to see your guests in real time.
Good luck and please keep us posted on whom shows up.

Thanks for that,

Will double up the entrance hole to provide additional protection.

The idea for the windows comes from the Robins' preferring to see out of the box for safety.

How about attaching steel mesh at the same gauge as peanut feeders onto the inside and outside of the perspex - prevents birds flying in, and provides hanging points for clingers on the inside.

What do you think?

EssDoubleYou said:

Thanks for that,

Will double up the entrance hole to provide additional protection.

The idea for the windows comes from the Robins' preferring to see out of the box for safety.

How about attaching steel mesh at the same gauge as peanut feeders onto the inside and outside of the perspex - prevents birds flying in, and provides hanging points for clingers on the inside.

What do you think?

Click to expand...

The wire covering should eliminate any concerns about the birds seeing that as a way out, so that seems good.
More broadly, your idea is innovative and worth trying. It is not currently out in the market, I've never seen a windowed roost box offered by anyone, but that just means people have not thought of it. One would like to do a test set, some with windows, some without, to see which the birds preferred, but that becomes a research project, not a hobby.
Hope you get lots of customers.

Haha!

Thanks, but I don't plan on taking this commercial.

I will provide pictures of each of the steps I take to convert the cedar nest box I purchased into a roost box.

I like your idea about setting up a control version of my roost box without any windows however funds are currently tight at the moment so I can only stretch to the one box and perhaps possibly a camera to monitor activity.

Thanks for the advice.