Henry Bell Open Nest Box

Henry Bell Open Nest Box – Open Front for Robins

Robins will not use a box with a small round hole. They nest in hollows, ledges and dense climbers, and what they look for in a nest box is an open front. That is what this one has: Henry Bell's Open Nest Box, the open-fronted version of their standard box, which Henry Bell say is preferred by robins and other birds.

It is made from lightly stained timber with silver fittings and drainage holes, and it complies with all safety recommendations according to Henry Bell. Wrens and pied wagtails also use open-fronted boxes, so tucked into the right spot it can bring nesting birds to a garden that a hole box never would.

Performance & Benefits

• Open front, the design robins prefer over a hole box.
• Lightly stained timber with silver fittings.
• Drainage holes keep the nest dry.
• Complies with all safety recommendations, according to Henry Bell.
• Encourages birds to breed in the garden, not just visit to feed.

Suitable For

• Robins first and foremost.
• Wrens, pied wagtails and spotted flycatchers, which also use open-fronted boxes.
• Walls and fences covered by ivy, honeysuckle or other climbers.
• Gardens with dense shrubs or hedging close by.
• Not for blue tits or great tits — they need an enclosed box such as the Henry Bell Nest Box.

How to Use

• Hide it well. Open-fronted boxes do best low down, under 2m, screened by climbers or shrubs.
• Face it between north and east so the open front is out of the strongest sun and rain.
• Fix it firmly so it does not move in wind, and away from bird feeders and busy paths.
• Put it up in autumn or winter ready for spring.
• Each autumn remove the old nest and scald the box with boiling water, then let it dry.

Specification

• Henry Bell product code H050008.
• Lightly stained timber with silver fittings.
• Open front, drainage holes.
• Dimensions and timber certification: not published by Henry Bell.

Care & Caution

• Open-fronted boxes are easier for predators to reach. Placing it deep in cover matters more than with a hole box.
• It is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to disturb an active nest. Leave the box alone from March to August.
• Only open and clean the box between September and January, once you are sure it is empty.