Nest boxes · British Columbia

Birdhouses for British Columbia

24 cavity-nesting birds breed in British Columbia. The first starts nesting in February, so the box season opens in January.

Local conditions

Growing zones: Canada 1a–9a
Winter: Mild, wet coastal winters where Anna's Hummingbirds now overwinter; cold interior winters.
Summer: Dry, warm coastal summers; hot in the Okanagan.
Box nesters: 24 (16 year-round residents)
Hole sizes needed: 13 distinct

Temperate rainforest on the coast, dry interior valleys and mountains, and boreal forest in the northeast.

Box calendar for British Columbia

Bird	Status	Hole	Height	Up by	Nesting	Clean out
Barred Owl Expanded into the Pacific Northwest in recent decades.	Year-round resident	7–8 in	12–20 ft	January	February–May	June
Barn Owl Fraser Valley and southern Vancouver Island.	Year-round resident	6 in	10–20 ft	January	February–December	January
Hooded Merganser	Summer breeder	4 × 3 in oval	6–20 ft	February	March–May	June
Bewick's Wren	Year-round resident	1 1/4 in	5–10 ft	March	April–June	July
American Kestrel	Year-round resident	3 in	10–30 ft	March	April–June	July
Wood Duck Southern valleys.	Summer breeder	4 × 3 in oval	6–20 ft	March	April–June	July
Western Screech-Owl	Year-round resident	3 in	10–30 ft	March	April–June	July
Northern Saw-whet Owl	Year-round resident	2 1/2 in	10–20 ft	March	April–June	July
Black-capped Chickadee	Year-round resident	1 1/8 in round	5–15 ft	April	May–July	August
Downy Woodpecker	Year-round resident	1 1/4 in round	5–20 ft, box packed with wood shavings	April	May–June	July
Hairy Woodpecker	Year-round resident	1 1/2 in round	8–20 ft, box packed with wood shavings	April	May–June	July
White-breasted Nuthatch	Year-round resident	1 1/4 in round	5–20 ft	April	May–June	July
Northern Flicker	Year-round resident	2 1/2 in	6–20 ft	April	May–June	July
Chestnut-backed Chickadee	Year-round resident	1 1/8 in	5–15 ft	April	May–June	July
Western Bluebird	Summer breeder	1 1/2 in	5–10 ft	April	May–July	August
White-headed Woodpecker Extreme southern Okanagan; endangered in Canada.	Year-round resident	1 1/2 in	10–20 ft	April	May–July	August
House Wren	Summer breeder	1 to 1 1/8 in round	5–10 ft near shrubs	May	June–August	September
Red-breasted Nuthatch	Year-round resident	1 1/4 in	5–15 ft	May	June–June	July
Tree Swallow	Summer breeder	1 1/2 in	5–10 ft	May	June–June	July
Mountain Chickadee	Year-round resident	1 1/8 in	5–15 ft	May	June–July	August
Pygmy Nuthatch	Year-round resident	1 1/4 in	8–20 ft	May	June–June	July
Mountain Bluebird	Summer breeder	1 9/16 in	5–10 ft	May	June–July	August
Violet-green Swallow	Summer breeder	1 1/2 in	8–15 ft	May	June–July	August
Lewis's Woodpecker	Summer breeder	2 1/2 in	12–20 ft	May	June–July	August

Nesting windows are shifted from each species' mid-latitude season by British Columbia's latitude; year-round residents may also roost in boxes over winter, so clean them out in autumn and leave them up.

Bird guides for British Columbia

Frequently asked

When should I put up a birdhouse in British Columbia?

By January for the earliest local nester, the Barred Owl, which starts nesting around February.

Which birds use nest boxes in British Columbia?

Barred Owl, Barn Owl, Hooded Merganser, Bewick's Wren, American Kestrel, Wood Duck, Western Screech-Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Black-capped Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch, Northern Flicker, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Western Bluebird, White-headed Woodpecker, House Wren, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Tree Swallow, Mountain Chickadee, Pygmy Nuthatch, Mountain Bluebird, Violet-green Swallow, Lewis's Woodpecker.

What hole size should a British Columbia birdhouse have?

It depends on the bird: the 24 local box nesters use 13 different hole sizes. See the table for each species.

Sources

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.