The Nestbox Company

What The Nestbox Company does

The Nestbox Company is a UK-based, family-owned manufacturer of specialist wildlife nesting and roosting products, founded in 1996 by Dr Peter Bubb and operating from Solihull with production in its own rural workshops. Its portfolio spans bird boxes (small birds, swifts, sparrows, robins, owls), bat boxes (including heated maternity units, cavity, crevice, pole-mounted, and Eco variants), mammal boxes (hedgehog, pine marten, red squirrel, dormouse), insect houses, moth traps, flat-pack kits, and bespoke solutions. Products are offered in FSC-certified wood or a proprietary hybrid construction combining UV-stabilised recycled LDPE plastic outer shells with FSC OSB inner nesting chambers, claimed to deliver 20+ year service life without metal fixings. Manufacturing combines computer-controlled precision cutting with traditional hand finishing.

The company sells predominantly direct-to-consumer through its nestbox.co.uk e-commerce store, supplemented by telephone and postal ordering, specialist retailer distribution, and B2B/B2G purchase-order channels serving UK schools, Wildlife Trusts, Natural England, National Parks, and government bodies. Pricing is per-unit with bulk discounts on flat-packed kits and a separate quotation process for international orders. Notable bespoke projects include bird and bat boxes integrated into the London 2012 Olympics Media Hub and a custom peregrine falcon platform on a Birmingham landmark.

The business is differentiated by expert-led product design, developed in collaboration with the RSPB, Barn Owl Trust, Bat Conservation Trust, BTO, and several UK universities, and by leadership combining electronics engineering (Peter Bubb), ecology and countryside management (Tristan Bubb), and a PhD in crayfish ecology (Dr Damian Bubb). Credentials include FSC Chain of Custody certification (FSC C007915) and Bat Conservation Trust Corporate Membership. The company has no external institutional investors and operates as a private limited company under straightforward family ownership.

Name

The Nestbox Company

Legal name

The Nestbox Company Limited

Website

https://nestbox.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Nestbox Company is a UK-based, family-owned manufacturer of specialist wildlife nest and roost boxes for birds, bats, mammals, and insects, selling direct-to-consumer online, through B2B/B2G channels, and via bespoke projects for conservation, education, and construction-mitigation customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation Products

NAICS

Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing (33993)

akta.pro primary industry

Bird Supplies Retail (CRALAHAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pet Bedding, Crates & Carriers Retail (CRALAHAF), Outdoor Furniture & Shelter Systems (Tents, Tarps, Hammocks) Retail (CRAMAAAJ)

Keywords

• Wildlife nest boxes
• Bird boxes
• Bat boxes
• Mammal shelters
• Eco wildlife products

Headquarters

HQ city

Hampton In Arden

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Product Sales (Nest Boxes and Wildlife Products): One-time sale of physical wildlife nest box products and accessories to consumers, wildlife professionals, and organisations. Products include bird boxes, bat boxes, owl boxes, mammal boxes, insect houses, moth traps, and kits. The company manufactures all products in its own rural workshops.
2. Bespoke / Custom Product Manufacturing: Custom design and manufacture of modified or entirely new nest box products to customer specifications. Manufacturing processes support small batches or even single custom units without prohibitive cost, enabling bespoke product revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Nestbox Company designs, manufactures and supplies specialist wildlife nest and roost boxes for UK species, including bird boxes, bat boxes, owl boxes, mammal boxes, insect houses and moth traps. Products are made in the company's own rural workshops using a hybrid of FSC-certified wood and recycled plastic, and are sold via the company website, telephone/postal orders, specialist retailers, and direct to conservation organisations and government bodies.

Product overview

The Nestbox Company is a UK-based manufacturer of specialist wildlife nesting and roosting products. The product portfolio consists of multiple product categories organized around target species: Bird Boxes (small bird boxes, owl boxes, swift boxes, and open-fronted boxes), Bat Boxes (heated, cavity, crevice, pole-mounted, and eco variants), Mammal Boxes (hedgehog, pine marten, red squirrel, and dormouse boxes), Insect Houses & Bug Boxes, and Moth Traps. The company also offers DIY Kit products for self-assembly and Bespoke/Custom products for specialized requirements. Many products are available in both traditional FSC-certified wood and Eco variants made from recycled plastic. The product range serves both wildlife professionals (ecologists, estate managers, researchers, conservation organizations) and general consumers (gardeners, homeowners).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Small Bird Nest Box Precision-cut FSC certified exterior grade plywood bird box with removable roof, ventilation and drainage, available in three hole sizes to suit different small bird species. Designed for garden and small-scale wildlife use.
• Eco Small Bird Box Hybrid small bird box with UV-stabilised 100% recycled plastic outer shell and FSC Certified OSB internal nesting chamber, offering 20+ year weatherproof life and easy cleaning.
• Robin Nest Box Open-fronted FSC certified nest box designed for robins and other open-nesting species such as flycatchers, wagtails and wrens.
• Eco Robin Nest Box Open-fronted hybrid box combining recycled plastic outer shell with FSC Certified OSB nesting chamber, designed for robins, wrens and pied wagtails.
• House Sparrow Nest Box FSC certified exterior grade plywood box designed for the declining house sparrow, with 32mm entrance hole and slide-out floor for cleaning.
• Sparrow Terrace Nest Box Colonial nesting box for up to three pairs of house sparrows with fixed roof for eaves installation and 32mm entrance holes; modular panels can be reconfigured.
• Swift Nest Box FSC certified swift nest box redesigned from the Zeist design with overhanging front panel and oval entrance modified to reduce starling and sparrow occupation.
• Manthorpe Swift Nesting Brick Integrated swift nest box designed to replace a single brick in new build construction, available in colours to blend with brickwork.
• Barn Owl Nest Box FSC certified exterior grade plywood barn owl nest box developed in collaboration with the Barn Owl Trust, with sturdy front platform, generous weather canopy and double inspection hatch; suitable for internal or external mounting.
• Eco Barn Owl Nest Box Recycled plastic barn owl box with FSC Certified OSB floor, integrated hatch, fenced landing platform and perches, designed for maintenance-free 20+ year service life.
• Tawny Owl Nest Box FSC certified exterior grade plywood tube-shaped tawny owl box designed to replicate a hollow branch, with recycled plastic hatch and angled mounting for woodland placement.
• Eco Tawny Owl Nest Box Hybrid tawny owl box with recycled plastic outer shell (20+ year design life) and FSC Certified OSB internal nesting chamber, using a tool-free tab assembly system.
• Interior Barn Owl Nest Box Modular interior barn owl box for installation inside buildings, with panels that slot together without tools for safer assembly at height and 50cm x 40cm floor space.
• Heated Bat Box Electrically heated bat box for maternity colonies, available in Roost Maternity and Large Colony variants, with optional yearly programmer accessory for automatic seasonal on/off control.
• Eco Kent Bat Box Recycled plastic bat box in the Eco Box series, with design input from the Bat Conservation Trust.
• Cavity Bat Box Bat box designed for improved thermal performance and cavity-style roosting bats.
• Crevice Bat Box Bat box with double or treble crevice design, suitable for multiple crevice-roosting bat species.
• Eco Rocket Bat Box Large multi-chamber bat box available with 4m, 5m or 6m pole mounting and crevice or cavity roosting chamber options.
• Pole Mounted Bat Box Bat box for pole mounting at various heights, available in Roost Maternity and Large Colony configurations with single or dual box options.
• Hedgehog Nest Box Specialist nest box designed for hedgehog hibernation and nesting.

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Nestbox Company has received input from the RSPB during the development of its products. The RSPB is the UK's largest nature conservation charity and provides expert guidance on bird species requirements and habitat needs.
• Barn Owl TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Barn Owl Nest Box was designed in collaboration with the Barn Owl Trust and other experts. The Trust provided expertise on barn owl nesting requirements, contributing to key box features including dimensions, entrance height, and inspection hatch design.
• Bat Conservation TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe company is a Corporate Member of the Bat Conservation Trust and received input from the BCT during product development. The company also exhibited at the BCT annual conference and launched new bat products there.
• People's Trust for Endangered SpeciesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe company acknowledges receiving input from the People's Trust for Endangered Species during the development of its products.
• British Hedgehog Preservation SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe company acknowledges receiving input from the British Hedgehog Preservation Society during product development, particularly for hedgehog nest box and feeding station designs.
• University of WarwickminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing input during product development, likely contributing ecological and scientific expertise.
• ZSL London ZoominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerZoological society partner providing wildlife expertise input during product development.
• Staffordshire UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing input during product development.
• Aston UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing input during product development.
• Coventry UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing input during product development.
• British Trust for Ornithology (BTO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe company references the BTO's Nest Box Challenge programme and has provided products for BTO research projects. The BTO is the UK's leading bird research organisation.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wildlife World: UK designer and manufacturer of wildlife habitats including bird boxes, bat boxes, bee hotels, and hedgehog houses. Highly comparable as a UK specialist manufacturer with sustainability credentials and a similar product portfolio.
• Ark Wildlife: UK-based online specialist in wild bird food, feeders, and wildlife habitats. Directly comparable as a UK e-commerce-led wildlife brand with overlapping product range and customer segments.
• CJ Wildlife: One of the UK's largest suppliers of wild bird care and wildlife products, including nest boxes, feeders, and habitat products. Directly comparable as a UK-based multi-category wildlife product specialist serving both consumer and professional conservation customers.
• Jacobi Jayne & Co: UK supplier of bird and wildlife products including nest boxes, feeders, and bat boxes, with a strong direct-to-consumer e-commerce presence. Comparable in product mix, customer base, and UK DTC distribution model.
• Home & Roost: UK-based retailer and specialist in bird nest boxes, bat boxes, and wildlife care products. Comparable as a UK-focused seller of branded and own-label nest boxes to consumer and conservation markets.

Broad incumbents

• Gardman: Large UK garden products company supplying wild bird care, wildlife habitats, and gardening products through major garden centre and retail chains. Comparable as a UK mass-market wildlife habitat provider, though with a broader garden product portfolio and larger scale.
• RSPB: UK conservation charity that sells its own branded nest boxes, feeders, and wildlife products through its shop. Comparable as a major UK source of wildlife products, though the charity context and broader portfolio make it an incumbent rather than a direct specialist competitor.
• National Trust: UK conservation charity that sells wildlife and garden products including nest boxes through its retail channels. Comparable as both a major customer and a competing supplier of wildlife products, with a much broader product and experience portfolio.

Regional players

• Vivara: European wildlife product specialist selling bird, bat, and insect habitat products online. Comparable product range and customer base, primarily serving European markets with overlapping but not identical geographic focus.
• Schwegler: German-based specialist manufacturer of premium bird, bat, and wildlife nest boxes widely used across Europe. Comparable as a specialist nest box manufacturer with similar product technology, though primarily serving continental Europe rather than competing directly in the UK.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Nestbox Company