Nest-Box Occupancy and Reproductive Performance of Kestrels in Central Wisconsin

Eschenbauch, Janet E.; Jacobs, Eugene A.; Rosenfield, Robert N.

doi:10.3356/jrr-08-79.1

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…In some kestrel populations, a preference of boxes over cavities appears to exist, even when the latter are available (Cade 1982, Toland and Elder 1987, Bortolotti 1994). The reproductive rates we documented in this study were similar to those recorded for populations of American Kestrels in North and Central America (Heintzelman and Nagy 1968, Bloom and Hawks 1983, Wilmers 1983, Toland and Elder 1987, Wheeler 1992, Varland and Loughlin 1993, Jacobs 1995.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Nest-Box Occupancy by Neotropical Raptors in a Native Forest of Central Argentina

Liébana¹,

Sarasola²,

Santillán³

2013

Journal of Raptor Research

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Breeding populations of raptors are sometimes limited by nest-site availability and the use of nest boxes to bolster such populations is widespread. In the neotropical forest, little is known about the ecology of cavity-nesting raptors and their use of nest boxes. Here we examine occupancy patterns of nest boxes by five raptor species during eight years in a semiarid forest of central Argentina: the American Kestrel (Falco sparverius), the Spot-winged Falconet (Spiziapteryx circumcincta), the Tropical Screech-Owl (Megascops choliba), the Barn Owl (Tyto alba), and the Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium brasilianum). We analyze the influence of vegetation type on nest-box selection, report cases of nest usurpation, and present information on the breeding rates of some of these species. The raptor species showed a marked selection for nest boxes surrounded by grassland, where hunting success may be higher, and avoided those nest boxes placed in habitats dominated by dense shrublands. We observed two cases of nest usurpation (i.e., a species takes over active nests of another species for breeding purposes), in which two different boxes were occupied almost simultaneously by the Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl and the American Kestrel.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Nest-Box Occupancy by Neotropical Raptors in a Native Forest of Central Argentina

Liébana¹,

Sarasola²,

Santillán³

2013

Journal of Raptor Research

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“…Detailed descriptions of nest box design are rarely available in publications Box descriptions provided were often incomplete or imprecise, reporting dimensions without specifying whether these referred to the size of the whole box (exterior) or just the nest box chamber (interior). Thus, the thickness of the nest box wall was often not reported (see Korpimäki 1985;Eschenbauch et al 2009 for exceptions), despite some researchers working with owls recognising that wall thickness may influence the thermal environment of the nest box chamber and hence winter survival, egg-hatching success or nestling survival in extreme environmental conditions (Korpimäki 1984(Korpimäki , 1985Johnson 1994).…”

Section: Lack Of Reporting Of Nest Box Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition to the box characteristics themselves, the type and amount of substrates added to the box by researchers, such as wood shavings, sawdust or vegetation, were rarely described, as illustrated in studies of American Kestrels (Hamerstrom and Hamerstrom 1973;Bortolotti 1994;Rohrbaugh and Yahner 1997;Beasley and Parrish 2009;Eschenbauch et al 2009;Santolo and Yamamoto 2009;Steenhof and Peterson 2009), although the types and maintenance procedures of these substrates may signifiOther Topic of paper Reproduction cantly influence nest sanitation or comfort for nestlings or adults (Møller 1994;Roulin et al 2007;Ló pez et al 2010). Fig.…”

Section: Lack Of Reporting Of Nest Box Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nest box design for the study of diurnal raptors and owls is still an overlooked point in ecological, evolutionary and conservation studies: a review

et al. 2011

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The use of artificial nest boxes has led to significant progress in bird conservation and in our understanding of the functional and evolutionary ecology of free-ranging birds that exploit cavities for roosting and reproduction. Nest boxes and their improved accessibility have made it easier to perform comparative and as the extent to which publications on these birds describe the characteristics of exploited artificial nest boxes in their ''Methods'' sections. More than 60% of recent publications did not provide any details on nest box design (e.g. size, shape, material), despite several calls [15 years ago to increase the reporting of such information. We exemplify and discuss how variation in nest box characteristics can affect or confound conclusions from nest box studies and conclude that it is of overall importance to present details of nest box characteristics in scientific publications.

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Barn owl site occupancy and breeding success in relation to land use and nest box characteristics

Milliet,

Schalcher,

Grangier‐Bijou

et al. 2024

J Wildl Manag

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Agricultural landscapes play a crucial role in enhancing biodiversity because of their widespread presence over the Earth and their ability to encompass diverse ecosystems. Recognizing this, numerous governments are incentivizing farmers through direct payments to adopt sustainable practices, such as managing extensive pastures and meadows, planting wildflowers, or establishing hedgerows. However, the benefit of such sustainable practices on vertebrate species is not well understood. From 2018 to 2020, we investigated nest occupancy, fledging success, and clutch size of a Swiss population of barn owls (Tyto alba) with respect to nest box characteristics and the presence of extensive agriculture and urbanization in areas surrounding nest boxes. Our results revealed that extensively used pastures were positively associated with site occupancy but negatively associated with clutch size. The proportion of urban areas was negatively related to both site occupancy and clutch size. The altitude of the nest box location was negatively correlated with occupancy, and the number of nest boxes placed at the same site (either 1 or 2) was positively correlated with site occupancy. Moreover, clutch size, but not fledging success, was larger in nest boxes placed outside barns than in nest boxes placed inside barns. Based on these findings, we recommend installing nest boxes at locations <700 m in altitude and in pairs on the same barn, incorporating biodiversity promotion areas into agricultural landscapes, and avoiding dense urban areas in favor of rural zones with lower urban density. Understanding the nuanced relationships between nest box characteristics, environmental factors, and breeding success provides valuable insights for optimizing artificial nesting sites and enhancing the overall reproductive success of barn owls.

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Nest-Box Occupancy and Reproductive Performance of Kestrels in Central Wisconsin

Cited by 6 publications

References 4 publications

Nest-Box Occupancy by Neotropical Raptors in a Native Forest of Central Argentina

Nest-Box Occupancy by Neotropical Raptors in a Native Forest of Central Argentina

Nest box design for the study of diurnal raptors and owls is still an overlooked point in ecological, evolutionary and conservation studies: a review

Barn owl site occupancy and breeding success in relation to land use and nest box characteristics

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