A nestbox trial for British Marsh Tits Poecile palustris

Two experimental nestbox trials were attempted, which aimed to maximise uptake by Marsh Tits in British woodland. Nestboxes which more closely approximated the dimensions of natural cavities were used more frequently than standard nestboxes, but the overall uptake was low. We conclude that nestboxes are an inefficient method of monitoring Marsh Tits, at least in the British context, and researchers should concentrate efforts on locating and monitoring natural nest sites.