Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Use differently-coloured artificial nestsA replicated study from the USA found that two species showed different colour preferences for nest boxes, but that in each case, the preferred colour had lower nesting success than the less preferred colour.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F500https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F500Tue, 04 Sep 2012 16:21:30 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Provide nesting material for wild birds A replicated study in the UK found that songbirds used feathers provided at a very low rate and nest construction did not appear to be resource limited. A replicated, controlled study from Australia found that four species of egrets used supplementary nesting material provided, preferentially taking material from raised platforms over water compared to plots on dry land.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F501https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F501Tue, 04 Sep 2012 16:23:14 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Repair/support nests to support breedingA small study from Puerto Rico found that nine Puerto Rican parrot Amazona vittata nests were repaired, resulting in no chicks dying of cold.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F502https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F502Tue, 04 Sep 2012 16:31:27 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Artificially incubate eggs or warm nests A replicated, controlled trial in the UK found that great tits Parus major were less likely to interrupt their laying sequence if their nest box was heated, although there was no effect on egg or clutch size. A small study in New Zealand found that no kakapo Strigopus habroptilus eggs or chicks died from chilling following the use of nest warmers. Before this a nest had been lost to chilling.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F503https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F503Tue, 04 Sep 2012 16:34:31 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Provide nesting habitat for birds that is safe from extreme weather A small from New Zealand found Chatham Island oystercatchers Haematopus chathamensis used raised nest platforms made from car tyres (designed to raise nests above the level of storm surges). The success of these nests is not reported. Two replicated, controlled studies from the USA found that the nesting success of terns and waders was no higher on specially raised areas of nesting substrate, compared to unraised areas, with one study finding that a similar proportion of nests were lost to flooding in raised and unraised areas.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F504https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F504Thu, 06 Sep 2012 13:55:55 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Remove vegetation to create nesting areas Two out of six studies found that the number of waders and terns nesting in an area increased following the removal of vegetation, and another found that a tern colony moved to an area prepared by removing vegetation. Two of these studies used multiple interventions at once. One study found a decrease in colony size after several interventions, including vegetation control. A study from the UK found that gulls and terns nested in an area cleared of vegetation and a controlled study from Puerto Rico found that although no terns nested in plots cleared completely of vegetation, more nested in partially-cleared plots than in uncleared plots. A before-and-after study from Canada found that tern nesting success was higher after plots were cleared of vegetation and other interventions were used.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F505https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F505Thu, 06 Sep 2012 14:00:49 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Guard nests to increase nest success A before-and-after study from Costa Rica found an increase in scarlet macaw Ara macau population following the monitoring of nests, along with several other interventions. Two studies from Puerto Rico and New Zealand found that parrot nest success was higher or mortality reduced or nest success higher with intensive monitoring of nests, ompared to periods without monitoring. A study from New Zealand also found high overall nest success when nests were monitored.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F506https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F506Thu, 06 Sep 2012 14:12:26 +0100
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What Works in Conservation

What Works in Conservation provides expert assessments of the effectiveness of actions, based on summarised evidence, in synopses. Subjects covered so far include amphibians, birds, mammals, forests, peatland and control of freshwater invasive species. More are in progress.

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