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Sparrow in my Chickadee box! (1 Viewer)

R

Robert Dunn

Member
Last year a sparrow got into my Chickadee/Nuthatch box and destroyed the eggs. The hole measures exactly 1-1/8". The local bird store said that sometimes a sparrow can just squeak in. Now, as I sit by my window I see a pair of sparrows at it again. The Chickadee chicks are just a day or two from fledgling, so I don't want to see them killed.
I'm considering making the hole a few millimetres smaller. Today's photo attached.
What do you think?
Bob
Calgary, AB
Canada
 

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Disturbance now could mean the desertion of the nest by the feeding parents - they and the chicks will notice the activity and any change to the nestbox entrance, Leave alone, try to dissuade the Sparrows another way till the young fledge.
 
Yes, thanks Pat.
I've been shooing them away, but they are persistent. I think I'll watch a bit.
When I said I might make the hole a few mm smaller, I meant when I build the next box.:)
Bob
 
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Drill bits of greater than 1" usually go in 1/8" increments. So, 1" is too small, but is 1-1/8" (the next size up) actually the best for Chickadees? Perhaps something in between would be optimum for Chickadees in southern Alberta?
Thoughts anyone?
 
Robert Dunn said:
I’ve heard that different environments breed different sizes of a specific bird. If this is the case, should I adjust the size of the hole to exclude the intruder but allow the chickadees and nuthatches.
Click to expand...
Different species use different size nest holes - there’s no hard and fast rule but birds generally will use the smallest nest hole their size permits to help guard against predators.

Therefore the recommendation for a House Sparrow nest box hole is 32mm minimum - Blue Tits, Coal Tits etc need box holes of 25 mm, no larger.

Chickadees which are about the same size as our Great Tit, need 28 mm to avoid predators accessing the box.

Therefore if you reduce the entrance to the nest hole to 28 mm, you will help to keep House Sparrows from moving in and destroying any eggs.

(Ps remember not to use treated pressurised timber as the chemicals are potentially harmful to birds)
 
Deb Burhinus said:
Different species use different size nest holes - there’s no hard and fast rule but birds generally will use the smallest nest hole their size permits to help guard against predators.

Therefore the recommendation for a House Sparrow nest box hole is 32mm minimum - Blue Tits, Coal Tits etc need box holes of 25 mm, no larger. hi

Chickadees which are about the same size as our Great Tit, need 28 mm to avoid predators accessing the box. Therefore if you reduce the entrance to the nest hole to 28 mm, you will help to keep House Sparrows from moving in and destroying any eggs.

(Ps remember not to use treated pressurised timber as the chemicals are potentially harmful to birds)
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Just to add, it is true birds of the same species get larger the more northerly the latitude - Bergmann’s Rule. So I am not sure why House Sparrows would be smaller in Alberta than say the lower US or why Chickadees should be smaller. Birds will sometimes enlarge the hole themselves if it is not covered by a proper predator guard - could this be what happened?
 
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