Removal of old nest material from the nesting sites of house wrens: effects on nest site attractiveness and ectoparasite loads
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Published source details
Johnson L.S. (1996) Removal of old nest material from the nesting sites of house wrens: effects on nest site attractiveness and ectoparasite loads. Journal of Field Ornithology, 67, 212-221.
Published source details Johnson L.S. (1996) Removal of old nest material from the nesting sites of house wrens: effects on nest site attractiveness and ectoparasite loads. Journal of Field Ornithology, 67, 212-221.
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 study in 1993-4 in woodland patches in Wyoming, USA (Johnson 1996), found that house wrens Troglodytes aedon showed no preference for cleaned nest boxes over controls with old nests in (46% of 59 pairs used cleaned boxes, 54% used controls). However, only 27% of heavily soiled boxes (with thick layers of dried faeces in) were used if they contained old nests, compared to 68% of used boxes which were only lightly soiled. There were no differences in reproductive output or blow fly infestations between nest box types. Forty (in 1993) or 50 (1994) pairs of boxes, one cleaned and one with an old nest in, were erected less than two metres apart across the study area.
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