Old nest material in nest boxes of tree swallows: effects on nest-site choice and nest building
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Published source details
Rendell W. & Verbeek N. (1996) Old nest material in nest boxes of tree swallows: effects on nest-site choice and nest building. The Auk, 113, 319-328.
Published source details Rendell W. & Verbeek N. (1996) Old nest material in nest boxes of tree swallows: effects on nest-site choice and nest building. The Auk, 113, 319-328.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Clean nest boxes to increase occupancy or reproductive success Action Link |
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Clean nest boxes to increase occupancy or reproductive success
A replicated, controlled trial in marshland in 1991 in British Columbia, Canada (Rendell & Verbeek 1996), found that tree swallows Tachycineta bicolor preferentially nested in empty and clean boxes, but also preferred those where the old material had been microwaved to those with old, untouched nesting material (40 of 54 cleaned boxes used vs. 25 of 50 microwaved boxes and 13 of 54 untouched boxes). Pairs of boxes from different treatments were erected 3 m apart in tree swallow territories and which box was used was recorded.
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