Blue tit Great tit Nesting Distance (1 Viewer)

nobby · Mar 14, 2004

Does anyone know how close Blue tits/Great tits will nest to the same species?

My garden is around 40ftx150ft and I have 4 nestboxes in various places around the garden all with 30mm entrance holes. The garden either side of mine do not have nestboxes.
I only ever have one pair of Blue tits and one pair of Great tits nesting per season.

It would be interesting to know the greatest number of the same species seen nesting in one area.
Brett

smarting · Mar 30, 2005

nobby said:
Does anyone know how close Blue tits/Great tits will nest to the same species?

My garden is around 40ftx150ft and I have 4 nestboxes in various places around the garden all with 30mm entrance holes. The garden either side of mine do not have nestboxes.
I only ever have one pair of Blue tits and one pair of Great tits nesting per season.

It would be interesting to know the greatest number of the same species seen nesting in one area.
Brett

I've no info. on how close the same species will nest BUT I've just put up a new nestbox 7 metres away from one erected 5 years ago. The old one is attracting blue tits a plenty but nothing observed at the new ....yet. I'll let you know of the progress (if any).

Kiscokid · Mar 31, 2005

I also have 2 in the garden and one is looking like it might get used this year. They seem to be attracted to the one which is surrounded by foliage as opposed to the other which has a more clear entry.

Corax67 · Apr 1, 2005

Hi Brett,

The following piece of advice is taken from the RSPB site on wildlife gardens:

"Two boxes of the same kind may both be occupied if they are at the edge of adjoining territories and if there is plenty of natural food. Tits can, however, be very aggressive and seldom nest at densities greater than two or three pairs per acre. If you put up different boxes, you can attract several species."

There are also plans for making nestboxes with suggested hole sizes, etc - Hope this goes some way to answering your question.

Rhion · Apr 1, 2005

Last year I put up two nest boxes side by side, actually touching each other, in the hope of attracting the local House Sparrows. In fact they were both occupied by Blue Tits, and both fledged their broods, apparently without any serious friction.

We have a large tit population and a shortage of nest holes (one box I put up two years ago had a Blue Tit in it before I even had time to put the hammer down), which may account for it.

KnockerNorton · Apr 5, 2005

You probably had a polygamous male, Rhion. It's very unlikely that you'd have 2 males using adjoining boxes. One male and 2 females is more likely.

david2004 · Apr 5, 2005

It isn't unheard of Offord. My Blue Tit nesting story is a very confusing one. See my thread - http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=30752.

N.Grant · Apr 12, 2005

Nest Boxes

nobby said:
Does anyone know how close Blue tits/Great tits will nest to the same species?

My garden is around 40ftx150ft and I have 4 nestboxes in various places around the garden all with 30mm entrance holes. The garden either side of mine do not have nestboxes.
I only ever have one pair of Blue tits and one pair of Great tits nesting per season.

It would be interesting to know the greatest number of the same species seen nesting in one area.
Brett

Hi Brett, I have a Sparrow Terrace three enter holes of 32mm, Blue tits are building in all three, you can't get any closer than that, I must admit I was very surprised
Nev

david2004 · Apr 12, 2005

Hi Nev. Very interesting. I have a thread about my Blue Tits and the possibility that more than one pair are nesting next to each other in a House Sparrow Terrace!

Blue tit Great tit Nesting Distance (1 Viewer)

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