Swiftbox positioning

[Banstead Swifts]

Hi all

I have two queries that I'd appreciate some advice on:

1. I have a lovely resident who has two natural nest sites in gaps in the eaves, either side of a bay window.

We will be fitting 2 x twin chamber nest boxes for her under our nest box scheme.

Could we fit these beneath the existing sites, each side of the bay window, and if so what would be the recommended gap left from the top of the box to the natural nest entry site? I have attached a photo, the green lines point to the natural nest sites .

Any suggestions on the best spots to locate on this frontage are welcome. 

My concern is to not create any obstructions to the existing nesters in the eaves.


2. A south facing position is a no go for a nest box, but is a south east wall possible? (For another property). 

Best regards, thanks in advance, 

Annie & Barry

[B CAHALANE]

I would fit them on the brickwork above the main window if all were in agreement ,but making sure they have a sloping roof.The other alternative is at the apex above the brick work.I would keep them well away from the two down pipes as the curved parts near the top of them are ideal perching spots for predators.

                                        Brian ,Crumlin, Nr Ireland.

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[B CAHALANE]

South East wall is fine .

------ Original Message ------
From: banstea...@gmail.com
To: swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Saturday, February 28th 2026, 08:25
Subject: [SLN] Swiftbox positioning
 

Hi all

 

-- 

[Edward Mayer - Swift Conservation]

Hi there, A South-facing position can be perfectly OK if it is deeply shaded.  You just have to see what the Sun does during the day. So many properties here in the UK are largely shaded by the properties next door, or alongside, and many have deep eaves, so are likewise shaded, that it is always a case of on-site research and assessment rather than a hard and fast rule. Best wishes, Edward

[amboyce...@gmail.com]

Dear Brian

Thanks so much for this advice. It is really helpful and I am going to use it. 

The SE facing, that's a relief as the other two sides were tiled and not really accessible to us. 

One more consideration I have on another couple of sites: 

If you have a flat roof, say a garage beneath a nest box sighting on a house, what would you say should be the minimum distance between the two? I think I have good distance, at least the equivalent of 1 storey of a house, but is having a garage or canopy meters beneath offering a banquet table to predators?

I also have a row of flat roofed garages next to another house, with a footpath in between, but that house has good height, or is this risky? 

Thanks again,

Annie, Banstead Swifts

[amboyce...@gmail.com]

Good morning Edward

Thanks for this helpful advice. 

Yes, the shadowing due to proximity of other buildings and overhangs is relative. On one site a blue tit box was placed on a SE facing wall and not occupied. It was then moved to a SW wall and became occupied, I think because it has a little more shading from the adjacent building.This had flagged up my concern, though this was on the SE boundary wall of the SW facing garden at the rear.

I think some sites are hard calls without visiting in the swift season to gauge the height of the sun and depth of shading available.

Thanks again for your helpful advice.

Best wishes

Annie, Banstead Swifts

[B CAHALANE]

Dear Annie,

                the flat roofs you mention will pose no problems as regards access, i would make sure the boxes have horizontal entrances.All swift nesting sites are a trade off and there is no perfect site.We have many examples in Nr Ireland similar to what you are describing  and all survive year after year ,some have flat roofs less than two meters from the boxes.I am sure an odd swift is lost to a predator but if more survive then the population grows.

                                     Regards,

                                              Brian.

------ Original Message ------
From: amboyce...@gmail.com
To: swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, March 3rd 2026, 08:21
Subject: Re: [SLN] Swiftbox positioning
Dear Brian

 

Thanks so much for this advice. It is really helpful and I am going to use it. 

 

The SE facing, that's a relief as the other two sides were tiled and not really accessible to us. 

 

One more consideration I have on another couple of sites: 

If you have a flat roof, say a garage beneath a nest box sighting on a house, what would you say should be the minimum distance between the two? I think I have good distance, at least the equivalent of 1 storey of a house, but is having a garage or canopy meters beneath offering a banquet table to predators?

 

I also have a row of flat roofed garages next to another house, with a footpath in between, but that house has good height, or is this risky? 

 

Thanks again,

 

Annie, Banstead Swifts

 

On Saturday, 28 February 2026 at 08:47:31 UTC briancahalane wrote:
 

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