This depends on which species you are hoping will use the nest box. While some birds are not fussy, others will refuse to use a tree hollow or nest box that is too low.

On my property, gliders and possums are not fussy about nest box height, they’ll take any low (3 m) to high (7 m tested so far) nest box that is suitable for their needs. I’ve only just installed nest boxes to 20+ meters in height, so am yet to see which species will use these ones (May 2019).

Nest boxes installed at different heights on our property. Can you count five?

However the local Eastern and Crimson Rosellas were not interested until the nest boxes were installed at or above 4-5 meters.

Installing a nest box at the (minimum) height the local Crimson and Eastern Rosellas prefer. FYI this was a failed possum protected tree, gliders crossed from nearby close trees and raided this nest box after one egg had been laid.

The local Galahs are only this year showing interest in our nest boxes, after I purchased arborist (tree climbing) gear and installed some nest boxes at heights between 10-20 meters.

Wood Ducks however may quack about this height, perhaps too high for their little ones to leap safely to the ground. Our successful Wood Duck nest boxes are installed at heights of 4-5 meters.

The best nest box installation height will depend on which species you are hoping will use a particular installed nest box. There also appears to be local preferences of hollow using species, that differ from location to location.

Looking down on a for-Wood Duck nest box, while installing a nest box for larger parrots

To know which species occur in your area, ask your local conservation groups, and also your state or territory National Parks and Wildlife Service for a list of locally occurring animals including birds and mammals.

Below is a list of native birds and mammals that use tree hollows, and the height range that they have been found to use tree hollows. There will be some variation between regions, such as regions with many tall trees – preferred nesting heights will be higher, compared to regions with short and stumpy trees – preferred nesting heights will be lower. For example I live within a Scribbly Gum woodland, where the trees are quite short even at maturity. Our local animals are probably accustomed to short trees, while in regions with taller trees, expectations will be for much higher nesting hollow equivalents.

Use this link to look up any bird species listed below to find out more about it: http://www.birdlife.org.au/all-about-birds/australias-birds/find-a-bird

Birds:

Australian Kestrel: 6 m

Australian Owlet-nightjar: 5-30 m

Australian Ringneck: 1-16 m

Australian Shelduck: 2-30 m

Barn Owl: 5-30 m

Barking Owl: 2-35 m

Baudin’s Black Cockatoo: Unknown

Boobook Owl: 3-30 m

Blue Bonnet: 0.6-5 m

Blue-winged Parrot: 3-24 m

Bourke’s Parrot: 0.9-8 m

Budgerigar: 0.2-18 m

Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo: 2-10 m

Chestnut Teal: 1-2.5 m

Cockatiel: 1-11 m

Cotton Pygmy-Goose: 4.5-21 m

Crimson Rosella: 4-23 m

Dollarbird: 6-35 m

Double-eyed Fig-parrot: 7-25 m

Eastern Rosella: 4-30 m

Eclectus Parrot: 6-35 m

Elegant Parrot: 3.5-46 m

Forest Kingfisher: occasionally uses tree hollows

Galah: 5-19 m

Gang-gang Cockatoo: 20-30 m

Glossy Black-Cockatoo: 5-28m

Green Pygmy-Goose: unknown

Green Rosella: 2-40 m

Grey Teal: 3.5 m

King Parrot: 6-25 m

Kookaburra: 5-60 m

Lesser Sooty Owl: 10-45 m

Little Corella: 1.5-11

Little Kingfisher: occasionally uses tree hollows

Little Lorikeet: 6-18 m

Long-billed Corella: 1.5-25 m

Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo: 2-19+ m

Masked Owl: 3-30 m

Mulga Parrot: 0.6-24 m

Musk Lorikeet: 3-8 m

Northern Rosella: Unknown

Orange-bellied Parrot: 4-40 m

Pacific Black Duck: 3 m

Paleheaded Rosella: 4-23 m

Pardalote (various species): 5 + m

Pink-eared Duck: 0-5 m above water

Peregrine Falcon: 9 m

Powerful Owl: 10-40 m

Princess Parrot: unknown

Purple-crowned Lorikeet: 1.5-12 m

Rainbow Lorikeet: 3-30 m

Red-backed Kingfisher: occasionally uses tree hollows

Red-capped Parrot: 5-16 m

Red-cheeked Parrot: 15-20 m

Red-rumped Parrot: 0.5 20 m

Red-tailed Black Cockatoo: 1-15 + m

Red-winged Parrot: 5-11 m

Regent Parrot: 5-30 m

Rufus Owl: 8-40 m

Sacred Kingfisher: 0.5-35 m

Scaly-breasted Lorikeet: 3-20 m

Scarlet-Chested Parrot: 1.2-8 m

Sooty Owl: 10-50 m

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo: 1-35m

Superb Parrot: 7-32 m

Swift Parrot: 6-35 m

Treecreeper (all species): 3-5 m

Turquoise Parrot: 0.2-20 m

Varied Lorikeet: 1-9 m

Western Corella: 3-14 m

Western Rosella: 4-13 m

Yellow-billed Kingfisher: 3-15 m

Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo: 5-56 m

Mammals:

Brushtail Possum: 3-5 m 

Feathertail Glider: 2 m

Microbats: 3 m

Ringtail Possum: 3-5 m 

Squirrel Glider: 4-8 m

Sugar Glider: 4-8 m

References: Nest boxes for Wildlife: A Practical Guide (A. Franks & S. Franks, 2011); Tree Hollows and Wildlife Conservation in Australia (P. Gibbons & D. Lindenmayer, 2002).

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