We have designed the owl box after studying in depth their preferred type of hollow to nest in. They throughly enjoy this type of home because they like to roost near the top of the box(on the inside) just back in from the hollow entrance. During the day it’s possible to actually see the owl sleeping with tiny slits as eyes. Of course all the birds go berserk and scream alarm calls to warn their feathered friends of the danger in the neighbourhood. They know that they can be the next “take away” on the menu.

Just on dusk, as regular as clockwork it shuffles out to a perch which is on the front of the hollow entrance. Then off it goes gliding as smooth as silk, totally silent, off hunting for an evening meal. Sitting out the back near the box we watch it float past totally in awe with the hairs on our arms tingling with the experience.

This is nature at its best….

Listen to the sound of a Southern Boobook owl calling

These birds are just simply beautiful to watch. They generally are difficult to observe because they are so small in physical size. They’re built more like a finch. How do you know if you have them in your garden. It’s the distinctive call which identifies them. A strong clear,sharp, “witta-witta” sound. They are very choosy in the size of the nesting box they require. After extensive research with birding experts we have designed, tested and trialled a suitable box for them.

Have a close look at the nesting material used in the box. Both male and female prepare the nest by bringing in with their beaks, tiny strips of grass. At the bottom there is a chamber the size of a tennis ball, leading up from this is a tunnel, about the size of a 20 cent coin. Talk about hard work.

After they have found the box, particularly when they are breeding, they zoom in like bullets towards the narrow entrance and seemingly don’t stop. You shake your head and wonder did it really happen. They do this to avoid predators.

At other times, they have wild bird parties and crowd around the box, hang upside down, while spreading their delta shaped wings looking pretty cool.

Another delightful Australian bird to watch…..great fun.

Having one of these in your garden will keep you throughly entertained by their antics and parenting behaviour. Watch the mum near the entrance cooing and making strange noises trying to entice the fledglings out from the nest. They all bunch up with their heads poking out trying to sum up the courage to jump and fly.

As the new tenants enjoy their home they are always on guard. Just wait till other parrots come by. Then it’s a big fight to see who wins ownership. When they start fighting the males lock claws, start falling out of the sky to land with a big bang on my shed. The parrots display quite visual behaviour while exploring the nest box. They tend to spread and “wag” their tails to indicate to one another that a nesting site has been found and it should be checked out. At the same time they have a “chatttering” call which appears to be an excited one.

After a couple have found the box it seems to the observer that they never seem to go into it. They just land on the perch and poke their heads in. Then after a while they fly off and you think well,that’s that and the’re not going to breed, but as soon as you stop looking (they seem to sense that), they jump in. Of course during spring you will catch them going in and out while they go about their business raising the little ones.

Highly entertaining it all is….who needs to watch television.

Yes, this what happens when you choose a box that has not been feral honey bee resistant. Ours have….

We don’t believe in building boxes that the feral honey bees like. They have their own white boxes out in the fields. The reality is they enter a common nest box, sting the baby animals then take over. Of course this happens in spring, right when the native animals need their homes the most.

When you buy a cheap box ask what the manufacturers have done to stop the bees from taking over…

It’s not that difficult but you will need some woodworking skills such as using a power saw. The idea is to go to your local Bunnings store and purchase some 16mm plywood. The length of the rear panel is 525mm. The front panel is 255mm. Width is 195mm. I have a roof slope of 15deg to channel the water away. The side walls are 100mm wide. The entrance gap at the 45 degree sloping bottom must be between 15mm to 20mm. This is absolutely critical.
The roof is hinged to allow inspection of the box. You don’t have to do this if you don’t want. Sometimes it may be advisible to apply talcum powder to dissuade the ants sometimes. On the inside walls you have to staple some galvanised steel mesh. This is for the bats to hang onto. It’s available from Bunnings again sold as fireproof gutter mesh 190mm x 10m. Don’t use plastic gutter mesh as it warps and twists in the heat.

The beauty about the bat box is it doesn’t attract rats, feral bees or other large animals that don’t belong there. Sometimes you might see a Huntsman spider co-habituating with the bats. But that’s okay. He’s there to help keep the box clean. Just don’t fall off the ladder with shock when you see them….
Paint the box with a couple of coats of good quality exterior paint. I use gun-metal grey because it blends in with the trees and buildings.
Site orientation is critical. Facing the wrong way will reduce you chances of success. Face them between NW to East in Western Australia.
It will bring joy to your heart knowing that you provided a home for our unseen heros of the night.
While we sleep they work…….

Guess who we have here???

At Natsync.com.au we are excited about introducing a new product in our range of animal habitats.   This is not a nest box but a nest tube for the Pygmy Possums. Typical of our high standards it has a life expectancy of 45 years. It consists of two PVC tubes, one sliding into the other. The outer tube is coated with a special render that makes the it blend in beautifully with the bushes. Stainless steel components are used throughout ensuring many years of life. It also has special anti-cat barrier built into its design. This means the naughty feral pussy cats cannot put their paws through and grab the possums.

These possums is so small they weigh about 8-19 grams. It’s smaller than a house mouse. A appealingly attractive marsupial, you would never know it’s there until a possum tube is opened and there they are cuddled up on a bed of Eucalyptus leaves. Unlike other animals if they are in the neighbourhood they will find their new home quite quickly and take up residence.

They can be installed at chest height. No need to put them really high up into the trees.

We can ship them anywhere in Australia.

Special Introductory Price $85.00 only (GST inclusive)

Postage extra.

Please don't hurt me..

What's inside...they're sleeping.