| Nest
Boxes for Birds
As a tree dies,
sections of it decay and become hollow. These cavities are dry and
warm, serving as secluded nurseries for many young birds and many
other kinds of wildlife. In Washington, about 43 different kinds
of birds nest in holes in dead or dying trees (snags). Many of these
birds occur in city parks and around homes. The more common ones
are chickadees, nuthatches, flickers, swallows and wrens.
Until snags
once again become abundant in our landscape, putting up nest boxes
can help these cavity-nesting birds. Your artificial nest helps
make up for natural homes that are lost when too many trees in a
bird’s habitat are removed. These cavity-nesting birds can,
in turn, help you by eating insects that may harm your trees, shrubs
or garden plants. Being concerned about wildlife also shows good
stewardship for our state’s irreplaceable natural resources.
This section
covers nest box building materials; designs, construction and placement;
pest proofing; tips on attracting birds to your yard, and facts
about cavity-nesters.
Snags are frequently
cut down and removed without any thought or consideration as to
their importance to wildlife. Throughout Washington, the availability
of snags have become a limiting factor for many of our cavity nesting
birds and may possibly be the cause for a decline of bats as well.
It is important
that, as stewards of our lands, we leave as many large snags on
our lands as possible - at the minimum of 3 to 4 per acre, and when
possible, one per residential lot. Nature's methods for creating
snags includes roor rot, fire, ice and wind storms. After these
disturbances, don't rush out and cut down all of your topped and
damaged trees. Leave the largest for wildlife! If you are concerned
about safety, you can top the tree to a safe height. |
