Authors: Charlotte C. Corkran, Beverly A. Labelle
ISBN-13: 9780879612702, ISBN-10: 0879612703
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Naturegraph Publishers, Incorporated
Date Published: September 2004
Edition: (Non-applicable)
If you put up nest boxes but never look inside, you miss the fun of observing young birds up close. Written for beginning bird lovers and professional ornithologists alike, this book will help you discover the fascination and importance of nest box monitoring. You can create nesting habitat and attract birds such as chickadees, swallows, bluebirds, owls, kestrels, and ducks. Information for western North America, except desert habitat. The general principles are applicable throughout the United States and Canada.
Acknowledgments | 5 | |
Introduction | 9 | |
Snags | 11 | |
Cavity Nesting | 17 | |
Secondary Cavity Nesters | 23 | |
Stages of the Nesting Cycle | 27 | |
Nest Construction | 28 | |
Egg Laying | 31 | |
Incubation | 31 | |
Egg Hatching | 33 | |
Growth and Development | 33 | |
Fledging | 40 | |
Species and Nest Site Preferences | 41 | |
Chickadees, Titmice, and Nuthatches | 42 | |
Wrens | 44 | |
Bluebirds and Flycatchers | 45 | |
Swallows | 46 | |
Waterfowl | 48 | |
Owls and Kestrels | 50 | |
Woodpeckers | 52 | |
Other Birds | 53 | |
Squirrels | 54 | |
Bats | 55 | |
Problems and Solutions | 57 | |
Weather | 57 | |
Empty Boxes | 59 | |
Unwanted Occupants | 60 | |
Predation | 68 | |
Insects and Other Arthropods | 72 | |
Vandalism | 74 | |
Miscellaneous | 74 | |
Making Homes for Wildlife | 75 | |
Creating Snags | 75 | |
Creating Cavities | 78 | |
Hollow Log Boxes | 79 | |
Building and Putting Up Nest Boxes | 81 | |
Nest Box Dimensions | 84 | |
Checking a Nest Box | 85 | |
As You Approach Each Box | 86 | |
Before You Open the Box | 88 | |
When You Open the Box | 91 | |
As You Remove Things from the Box | 95 | |
After You Examine All the Evidence | 106 | |
Key to Nests of Secondary Cavity Nesters | 111 | |
Monitoring Nest Boxes | 121 | |
Setting Objectives | 121 | |
Planning the Project | 122 | |
Site Location | 122 | |
Number of Boxes to Monitor | 123 | |
Number of Visits | 127 | |
Recording Nest Data | 130 | |
Equipment Checklist | 131 | |
Additional Sources of Information | 133 | |
Permits | 133 | |
Organizations and Networking | 133 | |
References | 136 | |
Index | 141 |