On 22 November, we visited the 3rd grade pupils of the Dr Bogomir Magajna Primary School in Divača in order to introduce the youngest the care for birds in their home environment in winter. By watching pictures they learnt about the species of birds in our country, their reproduction and conditions for nesting and feeding in different seasons.
Then under the guidance of the Škocjan Caves Park's professional service staff they rolled up their sleeves and made two bird feeders and four nest boxes to be placed on trees around the school. In winter, the birds will be fed with a seed mix, and in spring they will observe the new bird brood.
Why do we make nest boxes at all? Many birds make their nests in burrows, which is why they are also called burrowers. Since there is a shortage of nest boxes in nature due to human intervention, we also help birds by making them a nest box. Especially tits (Paridae), wood nuthatch (Sitta europaea), common redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus), Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus), house sparrow (Passer domesticus) and Old World flycatchers (Muscicapidae) are very popular in gardens because they pick up insects and their larvae from the fruit trees and thus maintain the balance of insects around our homes.
Also other animals that do not find suitable habitats in the wild, such as squirrels, bees, dormouse and others, can also arrange their habitats in the nest box, so they should not be chased out. By setting up nest boxes, we are taking care of nature and its conservation, which is particularly important today, when we are facing increasing degradation of the natural environment.
