Make Your Own Nest Box

You can attract and enjoy bluebirds in your own backyard, or you can place a nesting box along one of our trails. View the Trail List

This video features a step-by-step guide to making a nesting box.

How to build a nest box

Where to Buy Nest Boxes?

Did you know that you can purchase bluebird nest box kits or already constructed boxes at Beaver Creek Reserve? The Reserve’s gift store offers a selection of pre-built houses and kits that are priced affordably. For prices and store hours, call 715-877-2212.

Why build a nest box?

Wisconsin native songbirds live in cavities, but because of our forestry habits and groomed suburban lawns these songbirds have no place to live. There used to be fence posts lining our highways, now there are metal fences. We need to replace these wood cavities by building and monitoring the nest boxes. Building and monitoring a nest box will help increase the bluebird population in Eau Claire.

Since the city is not necessarily the ideal habitat for bluebirds, monitors may witness the life cycle of the chickadee, wren, or tree swallow instead. We monitor nest boxes because we hope to discourage the non-native house sparrow from building nests and producing young sparrows.

Where to put a nest box:

• Install all nest boxes before March.
• Select an open, grassy area with scattered trees such as a backyard or pasture. Avoid brushy areas unless you want house wrens in your bluebird box.
• Hang your box four to six feet high on a post. Face the box toward a tree or shrub. Bluebirds will hang out there to watch for insects to pounce upon.
• Space boxes at least 125 yards apart. Bluebirds need plenty of room to find food for themselves and their babies

How to clean a nest box:

When cleaning a nesting box, use plastic garbage bags and a two inch paint scraper (to clean out used and flatten nests). The paint scraper helps remove remnants. An inactive nest needs to be discarded in a plastic bag, in a garbage can. Do not place on the ground because it will attract predators.