Gardeners are being urged to make a change to their gardens this April to help some of the UK’s favourite birds thrive when they return to the UK.
April is, according to garden experts, the perfect time to put up nest boxes for swallows, swifts and house martins, which will be arriving back in the UK over the next few weeks of April as they migrate back here. The three common British birds fly south for the winter, spending the colder months in Africa, before they return to the UK in April.
The three birds are a common sight in gardens in April but gardeners are being urged to do their bit to help welcome them back to the UK for the spring and summer months by adding nest boxes in their gardens.
Garden blog Happy Beaks says: “April is the perfect time to put up nest boxes for swallows, swifts and house martins, which will be arriving over the next few weeks to spend the summer in the UK.
“Having flown thousands of miles from Africa, they will be glad of a place to call home!
“Swallows prefer a specially designed open cup-shaped box that simulates their own nests. These are best situated in a partially enclosed area with easy access, such as a porch, open-fronted garage or shed with open window. House martin nest boxes are similar but are more of a closed cup, with just a small opening at the top and a roof to keep things cosy.
“Swift nest boxes also have a unique design, taking the form of long, narrow horizontal boxes with a small hole in one end, which fit directly below the eaves. Get these boxes up now so that these welcome summer visitors have a place to rest when they reach the end of their epic journey!”
Many species of birds are battling reductions in their populations due to habitat loss, climate change and a loss of food caused by the first two issues.
With insect numbers down by as much as 60% in the past 20 years, it’s having a knock-on effect up the food chain as birds also struggle to survive.
That’s why gardeners are being encouraged to do what they can to help in this vital spring nesting season, and putting up bird boxes is just one way to try to give birds a boost.