Providing nest boxes for cavity-nesting birds is one of the most effective and evidence-based actions individual people can take to support wild bird welfare and population recovery.
Nest box provision directly improves breeding success and chick welfare by providing secure, weatherproof nest sites that reduce predation and exposure mortality. Chicks in well-positioned boxes survive at higher rates than those in exposed or poorly sited natural cavities. For species like house sparrows and starlings that have declined severely in urban areas, nest boxes can provide the breeding habitat that drives local population recovery. The welfare benefits extend beyond breeding: nest boxes are used by many species for winter roosting, providing thermoregulatory refuge during cold weather that reduces winter mortality. This is one of the highest-impact individual actions available for bird welfare.