Physically protect nests with individual exclosures/barriers or provide shelters for chicks of storks and ibises

Overall effectiveness category Likely to be beneficial
Number of studies: 1
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How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness

50%
Certainty

50%
Harms

not assessed

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Background information and definitions

If fencing does not work to exclude predators (for example, predatory birds), or is not a viable option, it may be possible to protect individual nests using a variety of cages and exclosures. These must be able to allow chicks and adults to get in and out, but not predators and should be quick to install to minimise the chances of parents abandoning nests (see ‘Can nest protection increase nest abandonment?’).

Unfortunately, because each cage is over a nest, it is possible that predators will learn the association and that providing the exclosures will actually increase predation on either adults or chicks (see ‘Can nest protection increase predation of adult and chick waders?’)

The effectiveness score for this intervention included a combined assessment of the evidence for chicks of ground nesting seabirds, chicks of waders, chicks of storks and ibises, and chicks of songbirds.

Study locations

Key messages

A randomised, replicated and controlled study from Cambodia found that giant ibis Thaumatibis gigantean fledgling rates were higher for nests in protected trees than controls.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

A randomised, replicated and controlled study from 2004-2006 in northern Cambodia (Keo et al. 2009) found daily survival rates of nests during the nestling period and average fledging rates were significantly higher for 24 giant ibis Thaumatibis gigantea nests in trees fitted with predator exclusion devices (an 80 cm wide strip of hard, smooth plastic, fitted at least 1.5 m from the ground) than for 28 nests in unprotected trees (daily survival rates of 99.9% for protected vs. 99.3% for unprotected nests, leading to overall survival rates of 90% vs. 61% respectively; and average fledging rates of 1.9 chicks/nest vs. 1.25 chicks/nest respectively). Protected trees were also more likely to be re-used in the next year (73% vs. 9%, 22 trees monitored).
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Keo O., Collar N.J. & Sutherland W.J. (2009) Nest protectors provide a cost-effective means of increasing breeding success in giant ibis Thaumatibis gigantea. Bird Conservation International, 19, 77-82.

Please cite as:

Williams, D.R., Child, M.F., Dicks, L.V., Ockendon, N., Pople, R.G., Showler, D.A., Walsh, J.C., zu Ermgassen, E.K.H.J. & Sutherland, W.J. (2020) Bird Conservation. Pages 137-281 in: W.J. Sutherland, L.V. Dicks, S.O. Petrovan & R.K. Smith (eds) What Works in Conservation 2020. Open Book Publishers, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

All the journals searched for all synopses

This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Bird Conservation

Related Actions

Actions	Effectiveness	Studies	Category
Use ultrasonic devices to deter cats Action Link	No evidence found (no assessment)	0	Synopsis Link
Guard nests to prevent predation Action Link	No evidence found (no assessment)	0	Synopsis Link
Physically protect nests with individual exclosures/barriers or provide shelters for chicks of storks and ibises Action Link	Likely to be beneficial	1	Synopsis Link