Description
The wheatear nest box provides additional breeding space and the anti-marten partition at the entrance protects the nest against predation. Nest boxes for wheatears have already proven to be a success story in France and the Netherlands.
There are less and less wheatears in Europe. It is a species that has experienced a population decline since the 1980s due to, among other things, predation and a lack of suitable breeding areas. A nest box can provide the solution to these two problems.
PLACEMENT
The nest box is placed at the end of winter, before the wheatear returns from its migration. Taking the wind into account, the opening is placed to the east or northeast. The nest box is buried in a hill or dune with the opening sloping slightly downwards to prevent rainwater ingress. It is important to integrate the entrance well into the environment by, for example, hiding it behind stones, a lot of branches or vegetation. Do not place nest boxes within a radius of 250 meters of each other.
MAINTENANCE
It is important to clean out the nest box after the breeding season. This can be done by screwing off the front with the anti-marten partition.