American Kestrel Nest Box Programs have been established since the mid 1960’s. The population of American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) along nest box trails has decreased by 47 percent since their original implementation. There are existing technologies that can help in the location of prime kestrel habitat (open fields with conspicuous perching locations) along highways, which reduces the amount of labor in searching for new box locations. These technologies can also help increase the efficiency of monitoring and maintaining kestrel nest trail programs. This study provides an example of how Google Maps can be implemented into a kestrel trail and explains the multiple benefits of the integration.

Artificial shelters show great promise as novel, non-invasive tools for studying hellbenders, but their use thus far has faced several challenges. During initial trials in multiple river networks, artificial shelters routinely became blocked by sediment and dislodged during high stream discharge events, and were rarely used by hellbenders. We sought to determine whether these complications could be overcome via alternative shelter design, placement, and maintenance. Between 2013 and 2018, we deployed 438 artificial shelters of two different designs across ten stream reaches and three rivers in the upper Tennessee River Basin. We assessed evidence for several hypotheses, postulating broadly that the availability, stability, and use of artificial shelters by hellbenders would depend on how shelters were constructed, deployed, and/or maintained. We found that maintaining shelters at least once every 40 days limited sediment blockage, and building ~ 40 kg shelters with 3-4 cm thick walls and recessed lids improved their stability during high discharge events. Additionally, we found that hellbenders most frequently occupied and nested in artificial shelters when they were deployed in deeper (~50+ cm) portions of reaches with high adult hellbender densities. Our results suggest that artificial shelters can serve as effective tools for studying hellbenders when designed, deployed, and maintained with these advancements, but also highlight some limitations of their use. / Master of Science / Hellbenders are large, fully-aquatic salamanders that live primarily in cool, rocky, swift-flowing streams in portions of Appalachia and the lower Midwest. They are imperiled across most of their native range due to human-caused habitat degradation, but their declines, conservation needs, and population status have historically been difficult to study due to the fact that they spend the majority of their lives beneath large, often inaccessible boulders. While these boulders are sometimes possible to lift, doing so can disturb critical hellbender habitat. Therefore, alternate, less invasive hellbender sampling methods are necessary in order to improve knowledge about their conservation status and needs. Artificial shelters, which are large, hollow, concrete structures that mimic natural boulder crevices and feature removable lids, show promise as a novel, innovative tool for non-invasively studying hellbenders. However, initial trials of these shelters have yielded mixed results, with shelters often becoming swept away and destroyed during floods, becoming blocked by sand and sediment and thus inaccessible to hellbenders, or simply not being used by hellbenders when accessible. We sought to determine whether these complications could be overcome by optimizing the way that shelters were constructed, deployed, and maintained in streams inhabited by hellbenders. Between 2013 and 2018, we deployed 438 artificial shelters of two different designs across ten stream reaches and three rivers in the upper Tennessee River Basin. Using multiple analyses, we tested one broad overall hypothesis: that the efficacy of using artificial shelters to study hellbenders would depend on how they were constructed, how frequently they were maintained, and where they were placed in the stream. We found that maintaining shelters at least once every 40 days limited sediment blockage, and building ~ 40 kg shelters with 3-4 cm thick walls and recessed lids improved their stability during flood events. Additionally, we found that hellbenders most frequently occupied and nested in artificial shelters when they were deployed in deeper (~50+ cm) portions of reaches with high adult hellbender densities. Our results suggest that artificial shelters are effective tools for studying hellbenders when designed optimally, maintained frequently enough, and placed in appropriate locations. However, exceptions to these findings may exist in certain heavily degraded stream reaches.

Nest box programs provide supplemental nest sites for American Kestrels, Falco sparverius. When the availability of nest sites is a limiting factor, the addition of nest boxes can increase local breeding populations. These programs also facilitate the collection of data on breeding kestrels. This study focuses on an American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) nest box trail along Interstate 26 in northeastern Tennessee during the breeding seasons of 1998, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2006, and 2009. Productivity measures and reproductive success of nesting birds are provided and compared to other programs. The data are analyzed across years and by box. Finally, a discussion of the habitat surrounding the most and least active boxes provides recommendations for increased efficiency of the program.

Magistro darbe tiriama miško aplinkos sąlygų ir klimato kaitos įtaka inkiluose perintiems žvirbliniams paukščiams. Darbo objektas – inkiluose perintys žvirbliniai paukščiai. Darbo tikslas – ištirti žvirblinių paukščių veisimosi dėsningumus Kazlų Rūdos miškų masyve ir įvertinti klimato kaitos poveikį. Darbo metodai – sistemingai iškeltų inkilų stebėjimas, loginė literatūros analizė, statistinė duomenų analizė. Darbo rezultatai. Atlikus tyrimus Kazlų Rūdos mokomosios miškų urėdijos Jūrės girininkijos miškuose, įvertintas miško aplinkos veiksnių ir klimato kaitos poveikis didžiosios zylės Parus major L. ir margasparnės musinukės Ficedula hypoleuca Pall. veisimuisi ir gauti tokie rezultatai: didžiosios zylės pirmojo kiaušinio padėjimo laiką tiesiogiai įtakoja vidutinė paros temperatūra, tačiau reakcija yra uždelsta 4 dienomis; didžiosios zylės antrojoje vadoje arčiau miško aikštės, kirtavietės ar jaunuolyno krašto deda didesnes dėtis; šiltėjančio klimato pasėkoje didžiosios zylės pradeda veistis vidutiniškai 5 dienomis anksčiau lyginant su A. Aleknonio pateiktais duomenimis (1958-1982); dėl ankstesnio didžiųjų zylių veisimosi pirmojoje vadoje, taip pat dėl pailgėjusio periodo su aukštesnėmis temperatūromis antra vada pradedama dėti anksčiau ir būna gausesnė. / This study is analyzing Forest environment conditions and changes in climate influence on breeding passerine birds hatched in nest boxes. The Object – Passerine birds breeding in nest boxes. The aim of this paper is to investigate regularities of breeding passerine birds in Kazlų Rūda forest and to estimate possible impact of climate change. Methods – observation of systematically placed nest boxes, logical literature analysis, statistical analysis of data. Results. Study was carried on Training State Forest Enterprise of Kazlų Rūda, Forestry of Jūrė. Impact of forest environment and changes in climate on breeding of Great Tit (Parus major) and Pied Fly Catcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) were estimated. Following results were found: time of first laying egg is directly influenced by mean temperature of the day, but reaction time is delayed for 4 days; in the second broad that are closer to the forest openings, forest cuttings or brush stage forest edge Great Tits are laying more eggs; thought the warming of the climate Great Tits starts to breed 5 days earlier comparing to data by A. Aleknonis (1958-1982); regarding earlier breeding of Great Tits in first broad, either prolonged period with higher temperatures second broad is relatively larger and initiated to lay earlier.

Polistes dominula and P. fuscatus often nest in bird nest boxes. Potential competition between wasps and birds was studied by removing wasp nests from some boxes. No difference in nesting success of breeding birds was found between boxes with wasp nests and those in which wasp nests were removed. Boxes that never had a wasp nest and boxes from which wasp nests were removed differed greatly in bird occupancy, suggesting that birds detected previous wasp presence. Some bird species gain protection by nesting near wasp nests. Birds may prefer to nest near wasp species that inflict higher sting pain levels. A rank correlation of data from published studies provided no evidence that pain level influences which wasp nests are most attractive to nesting birds. A comprehensive table of bird-wasp nesting associations (listing 121 bird species, 28 wasp species and 4 bee species) is included here.

No description available.

Various environmental and demographic factors can influence nest site selection in cavity-nesting birds. Nest site choices may involve females’ familiarity with local habitats or resources, or information gained about the quality of a potential nest site. Common Goldeneyes (Bucephela clangula) are philopatric, yet some proportions of available nest boxes commonly remain vacant during breeding seasons throughout the birds’ range. As part of a long-term (1997-2022) study of Common Goldeneyes, I monitored 150 nest boxes in 2021 and 2022 in the Chena River State Recreation Area, Fairbanks, Alaska. I studied use of nest boxes based on box- and landscape specific habitat characteristics, and long-term trends in nest boxes, such as those used or not used by goldeneyes. Nest boxes that were more visible and proximal to wetland habitats positively influenced use, as did breeding population size, recent success, time since the last depredation event, and egg parasitism rates.

In the autumn 2013 were set up 50 nest boxes for increasing of density of the Common Goldeneye population (Bucephala clangula) in Třeboň region. The main objectives of this study were to check the nest boxes after breeding season and analyse the results. These nest boxes were checked in the July 2014 and 2015. In the spring 2015 were set up 2 mobile scouting cameras to the selected nest boxes. There was also monitor the occurrence of the Common Goldeney on the Naděje fishpond system and Prátr fishpond system by counting. The Naděje fishpond system is created by 16 different sized fishponds and it is situated approximately 8.5 km to the south of the town Veselí nad Lužnicí. The Prátr fishpond system is situated approximately 1 km to the south of the town Třeboň and it is created by 9 fishponds. The monitor was realised in term from 17. 3. 2015 to 27. 7. 2015. The other species of water birds were also counted. In the year 2014 10 nest boxes were occupied and in the year 2015 17 nest boxes were occupied. The nest boxes which were located on the fishpond´s islands were preferred. Both of the mobile scouting cameras recorded European Pine Marten (Martes martes) devastating the nest. The Common Goldeneye was occurred on the both fishpond systems in 2015. In the year 2015 was observed the female of the Common Goldeneye with 8 ducklings on the Prátr fishpond system.

Man-made nest boxes are surrogate nest sites widely used by waterfowl managers in North America to propagate free-ranging Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa) and other cavity-nesting waterfowl. I monitored 129 and 174 nest boxes in 2020 and 2021, respectively, at Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge and York Woods, Mississippi. I evaluated site-specific biotic and abiotic factors that were potentially influential on nest survival of Wood Ducks and general nesting ecology and apparent nest success of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks (Dendrocygna autumnalis) and Hooded Mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus). Daily survival rate of Wood Ducks was negatively influenced by increasing encroaching vegetation at Noxubee NWR and varied by year at York Woods. Across both sites and years, Black-bellied Whistling Duck and Hooded Merganser nest success averaged 59% and 77%, respectively. I also evaluated eggshell breaking strength (EBS) between all three species, where EBS was highest in Hooded Mergansers, followed by Black-bellied Whistling Ducks and Wood Ducks.