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Nest boxes are indeed now a capital item feature under HLS - £28 per box. This is a fixed rate, and as you suggest, covers any type of box. In reality, the payment appears very generous for smaller boxes such as those for Tree Sparrows, and rather small for larger structures as for Barn Owls. We do have the capacity to potentially fund any very expensive boxes under a Special Project, at up to 100% of costs. The latter would not be the norm however, and may be appropriate for more specialist boxes, such as those used for Black Redstart, where erection can be difficult and also rather precarious !
We would normally take guidance from RSPB literature and/or site specific advice as to numbers of boxes on a particular farm. This would depend on factors such as numbers of the target species already present, extent of natural nesting sites, areas of suitable winter and summer feeding habitat etc. It would be common to fund at least half a dozen or more Tree Sparrow boxes for example (these often nesting communally) on a site which already holds some birds, or is likely to attract them from a nearby site as a result of appropriate habitat management.
Matt Willmott (RDS Warks)
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