Natural best box entrances

[Lachlan1]

Hi Team,

Just wandering for those of you who use hollow logs and natural entrances to your nest boxes of you believe they actually provide better results in certain species? Or is it just purely aesthetic.

If yes, what species to you find it benefits? (Both finches and parrots)

Cheers

[noah.till]

I find parrots would benefit most, as a part of natural behaviors such as grinding the bark and other bits and pieces off for nesting material.
Nesting boxes with natural entrances are a lot harder to clean, leaving nooks and crannies for little nastys to harbour in
Some parrots such as Blue Bonnets benefit greatly
Thanks
Noah Till

[Rod_L]

Unless you are dealing with wild caught birds, there's no need to put natural logs on entrances to nest boxes. Most birds are well domesticated now and will quite happily sit on a dowel perch and go through a hole drilled in the side of a wooden nest box.

[arthur]

sunbird can.jpg

If a Sunbird will adapt to a miniature sheetmetal watering can in the wild, it would certainly use a box . .




There's an old piece of wisdom that says: Birds only use hollows in the wild, because there are no boxes

Boxes have so many advantages, that it is pretty much a 'no-brainer' . .

Natural entrances may have aesthetic appeal, but are probably of little other value

[finchbreeder]

Is that your annual visitor Arthur? If so good to see they are so persistent.
LML

[noah.till]

For hygiene, and ease of maintenance, you can't go past a normal wooden box
Thanks
Noah Till

[arthur]

Is that your annual visitor Arthur? If so good to see they are so persistent.
LML

No . . pic from "images" . . weather remains cool . . will post any developments