"We put up a nest box for squirrels, and a screech owl
moved in. How do we run it
off so we can have squirrels?"
To me, that seems like a bizarre request. But that’s the
question Wes Smith, the
University of Georgia Extension Service director in Quitman
County, was asked recently.
Most wildlife lovers would rather have the owl. Screech owls
are far scarcer and much
more interesting to me than the squirrels.
This question is an unusual example of a common problem. If
you put up a nest box for
backyard wildlife, how do you get your heart’s desire to move in?
If you want a bluebird and get a Carolina wren, what can you
do? What if you hoped for
a chickadee and got a crested flycatcher?
You can apply some wildlife management knowledge to put the
odds on your side.
In the case of squirrels versus the screech owl, the
squirrels could take the house
from the owl if they wanted to. A grey squirrel far outweighs a
screech owl. And besides,
squirrels sometimes eat nestling birds.
Both creatures will use a nest box with a three-inch-diameter
hole.
To favor a screech owl, have the hole in front. To make it
easier for a squirrel to
enter, put the hole on the side next to the tree trunk.
Mounting a nest box on an isolated tree or a post makes it
less appealing to squirrels.
They would rather come home by jumping from branch to branch
than by running along the
ground.
You can increase the chances of getting your favorite bird by
putting up lots of bird
houses. That’s because most cavity-nesting birds are
territorial.
Once you have a crested flycatcher in residence, it will
prevent other crested
flycatchers from moving in nearby. The flycatcher needs to guard
a sufficient area to find
flying insects for its young.
A bluebird has a different feeding strategy. It gets its
insects primarily from the
ground, so it doesn’t compete with the flycatcher.
A flycatcher will allow a bluebird to occupy a nearby bird
box. A chickadee will allow
a tufted titmouse to nest nearby but not another chickadee, and
so forth.
There are exceptions to the territorial rule. Purple martins
and house sparrows, for
instance, remain gregarious during the nesting season.
Where you put the next box is important. Some birds prefer a
nest box up high in the
tree. Others seek a box on a post.
The size of the hole can be important. It’s easier to select
for small birds than large
ones. A large hole admits a wider range of species. A small hole
limits the choice to only
small birds.
A bluebird needs a hole at least one and one-half inches. A
tufted titmouse can enter a
one-and-a-quarter-inch hole. A chickadee can thrive in a house
with a
one-and-an-eighth-inch hole.
Squirrels may enter a house designed for a small bird. They
do this by chewing their
way in. To prevent this, cut the correct-size hole in a tin can
lid and nail it over the
hole.
A birdhouse hole doesn’t have to be round. A triangular hole
will do just fine and is a
lot easier to make. Just cut a 60-degree notch at the top of the
board in the front of
your birdhouse. Put the roof board on, and there’s your hole.
Spring is a good time to install nest boxes in your backyard
wildlife habitat.
For free birdhouses specifications, send a letter to: Jeff
Jackson, Forest Wildlife
Specialist, Cooperative Extension Service, 4-404 School of
Forest Resources, The
University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602.
