When should I create a new nest site?

If a nest is not in the exact identical location as a previous nest, then a new nest site should be created. Distinct or new sites include cases such as when:

• nests in the same nest box, but the box has been moved any distance in between nestings
• nests in the same nest box, and the nest box hasn’t been moved, but the height of the box has been raised by two feet
• nests in the same nest box, but the pole for the box has been moved 1 foot in between nestings
• there are two nests on different forks of the same tree branch
• nests in two different cavities in the same snag at different heights in the trunk
• nests in two cavities in the same snag at the same height, but on different sides of the trunk
• nests in two clumps of grass, one foot apart in your yard
• nests on the same rafter in a barn, 1 foot apart