NEWS FROM THE DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL
For further information, contact Joanna Wilson, Public Affairs, 302-739-9902
Wood duck boxes available for purchase from DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife
DOVER (April 1, 2011) – The Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife now has plastic wood duck boxes available for sale to the public for $30 each. The plastic boxes are relatively maintenance free and much easier to clean and put up, and Division research indicates no difference in wood duck nesting success or screech owl use when comparing plastic with wooden boxes.
The Division has approximately 350 wood duck boxes on state wildlife areas. Among the birds other than wood ducks using the boxes, screech owls roost in the boxes year-round and sometimes nest in them. On winter days, the owls can often be seen in the nest box entrance sunning themselves, particularly if the box is south-facing. Unlike starlings, which compete for the boxes and will often exclude wood ducks, the screech owls will leave the box if a wood duck moves in.
Screech owls are tiny birds, about the size of an adult human hand. These nocturnal creatures feed on small mammals, insects, small birds, amphibians such as frogs, and sometimes fish. The owls come in two color phases, gray and red. Both gray and red phase birds can be present in a single brood. In Delaware, the proportion of gray to red is approximately 50 – 50. Research indicates that the owls have strong nest box fidelity and a relatively small home range.
Wood duck boxes should be placed on predator-proof poles at a height between 6 feet and 30 feet above the ground or water. Major predators of concern for any wildlife occupying nest boxes are raccoons and the arboreal black rat snake. Although wood ducks will nest in boxes if they are in close proximity, the latest research indicates that boxes too close together may lead to high incidences of dump nesting. Dump nesting occurs when several wood duck hens lay their eggs in one box. A normal clutch size for a wood duck is 10 to 12 eggs. A dump nest may have a clutch with as many as 40 or more eggs. Usually, none of the eggs hatch. To prevent this potential problem, researchers now recommend that boxes be placed out of sight of each other. Boxes should be cleaned annually in late winter and wood chips or sawdust replaced with new materials.
To purchase wood duck boxes or for other wildlife-related information, please contact the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife regional manager in your area: for New Castle County, Craig Rhoads at 302-834-8433; for Kent County, Wayne Lehman at 302-284-1077; and for Sussex County, Rob Gano at 302-539-3160.
Vol. 41, No. 131