The short answer
If birds are nesting in the gap under a verge or eaves, leave them alone while the nest is occupied. Wild birds are protected while they raise young, and roof work is no excuse for clearing a nest that is in use. When the chicks have left and the nest stands empty, the gap can be cleared and closed so the birds cannot return.
Why starlings, sparrows and other birds find gaps at verges and eaves, what the law says about active nests, and how the gap is closed afterwards.
Why birds get in at the verge and eaves
At a gable end the roof finishes in a sloping edge called the verge, where the tiles run out over the wall. Along the bottom, above the gutter, runs the eaves line, which can hide similar gaps. Both are places where two parts of the roof meet, and any join can open as materials age, shrink or work loose in the wind. Both can leave small gaps: a missing mortar fillet, a slipped verge tile, a space behind a dry verge cloak, or an opening at the top of the wall beneath the tiles. Starlings and sparrows look for dry, sheltered holes, and a gap of a few centimetres can be enough to tempt them.
You may hear scratching or chirping in the walls or loft, find twigs and droppings at the edge, or watch birds flying in and out at one spot. A dry verge system with the right end caps and a properly fitted eaves detail should leave little room for nesting, but older mortar verges break up with age and open entry points. Our page on the dry verge system explains how the edge is closed with fittings instead of mortar, and the dry ridge and dry verge page gives the wider picture.
What the law says about nests
The Wildlife and Countryside Act makes it a criminal offence to act intentionally against a wild bird's active nest, whether by damaging it, destroying it or taking it away, and a nest counts as active while it is being built as well as while it holds eggs or chicks. GOV.UK states that licences are not issued for development or construction purposes, so roof work gives no permission to clear an occupied nest. That is why a roofer cannot simply rake out an active nest and carry on, however awkward the timing is for a repair that has already been booked.
The right moment to work depends on the species and on whether the nest is occupied, not on a date in the diary. The practical rule is to check before touching the gap. If birds are still going in and out, or you can hear chicks, wait. Where there is any doubt, ask a qualified ecologist or your council for advice. Treat this as general information and not as legal advice, because the position for any one nest depends on the facts when the work is planned.
What we do when the nest is active
Should we find birds nesting during the survey, we leave them undisturbed. We photograph the gap, note where it is and agree a plan with you: either the work is rescheduled for after the birds have finished, or other parts of the roof go ahead while the verge or eaves wait. Leaving a gap for a few weeks is far better than breaking the law, and the repair is done once the birds have left. The delay is a small price against a fine or a prosecution.
Meanwhile, you can help by keeping cats and noise away from the area, and by not poking at the gap or spraying into it. Do not block the hole with foam or netting while birds are inside, because that can trap them. Bats are a separate matter: GOV.UK says all bats are fully protected along with their roosts, and that work on a roof can affect them. If you see bats, stop and take advice before work goes further. Our answer on bats and birds in the roof covers both.
Sealing the gap once the birds have gone
When the nest is empty and the young have left, the old material can be cleared and the gap repaired. On a mortar verge that means replacing broken tiles and repointing or bedding a new fillet. On a dry verge it may mean refitting the cloak or end cap so the edge is sealed. At the eaves, a comb filler or a proper eaves guard blocks the gap while still letting the roof space breathe.
Ventilation matters: the aim is to keep birds out, not to choke the roof, so any closure should allow the airflow the roof was designed for. A mesh or comb with the right openings does this, and a blanket of foam does not. Our page on verge repointing covers the mortar repair, and a dry verge rattling in wind covers another reason for a gap. Send photos of the gable edge and the eaves below it, and we will fold the sealing of every entry point into one written price, with photos of each gap before and after.
More on this in Dry Ridge & Dry Verge Systems in Crawley
Two verge and eaves nesting questions
Can I remove a half-built nest from the verge?
No. A nest still counts while the birds are building it, so a half-made one is covered as well. Leave it, wait until the birds have finished, and check it is empty before anything is cleared. If you are unsure whether it is occupied, ask a local ecologist or the council for advice.
Will sealing the verge stop birds coming back next year?
A well-fitted closure will, because they need a gap to get in. Check the whole edge, not just the one hole, since birds will try the next weak spot. Use materials that let the roof ventilate, and look at the verge and eaves again each spring to catch a new gap early.