Search Results for: dealing with predators

  • Why did my nest fail?

    Nests can fail for a variety of reasons. Typically, unfavorable environmental conditions, chemical use, predator presence, and limits on food availability are the most common causes of nest mortality. Our Nest Box Troubleshooting Guide may also be helpful in determining…

  • Where can I find construction plans to build nest boxes?

    Where can I find construction plans to build nest boxes?

    In our Right Bird, Right House tool, you’ll be able to sort by your region and local habitat to find a list of birds that have been known to nest in…

  • Where can I download construction plans for predator guards?

    Recent research using NestWatch data suggests that, on average, nests in boxes with predator guards had success rates 6.7% higher than nests in boxes without guards. And while all types of guards were correlated with improved nesting success, birds nesting in…

  • Predator Guards Carry Their Weight

    It took just four years to answer the decades-old question of “Are predator guards on nest boxes actually helpful?” With the power of citizen science, NestWatchers helped us use the best science available in a national study of cavity-nesting birds.

  • The face of a gray ratsnake peeks out from under a wooden structure.
    NestWatch Data Aid in Snake Study

    The latest research paper to include NestWatch data is not your average avian study. Your data contributions were recently put to use in an examination of gray ratsnake climbing behavior. The study authors were interested in which factors correlate with ratsnake climbing forays, and they wondered if the timing of nests (and thus a seasonal abundance of eggs and nestlings) was an influence.

  • A female Eastern Bluebird carries nesting material while perched atop a wooden nest box.
    Nest Box Placement

    Need help placing your boxes? You’ve come to the right place!

    Make sure that your boxes are installed well before the breeding season begins. Don’t be discouraged if birds don’t begin nesting in them immediately; sometimes it takes time for the…

  • a flying squirrel perched at the entrance hole of a nest box
    Managing Nest Box Competitors

    Sometimes nest boxes are used by species for which they were not intended. Wasps, mice, squirrels, and other wildlife can compete with native cavity-nesting birds for nest sites. Here are some tips for discouraging nest box usurpers.

    House Wrens are sometimes…

  • Learn

    Explore our resources on participating in NestWatch, identifying nests and eggs, understanding the nesting cycle, and installing and managing nest boxes.

    Learn more about how to NestWatch

    Do you want to build a nest box or have one already? Find plans and…

  • Insects are in my box! What should I do?

    In most cases, nothing.

    Ants are commonly found in nest boxes, but if you specifically have fire ants (most common in the southern US) then we have tips to discourage them on our Dealing with Predators page.

    Mites can also be found…