Use of wood duck nest boxes by common grackles

Published source details Spero V.M. & Pitts T.D. (1984) Use of wood duck nest boxes by common grackles. Journal of Field Ornithology, 55, 482-283.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Provide artificial nesting sites for songbirds Action Link
	Provide artificial nesting sites for wildfowl Action Link

Provide artificial nesting sites for songbirds

A small single-site study from March-May in 1981-1982 in an island (1.2 ha) within Kentucky Lake in Tennessee, USA (Spero & Pitts 1984) found that common grackles Quiscalus quiscula nested in 20-21% of nest boxes provided, fledging 71% of nestlings, which was higher than in other areas (average of 27%). This study also discusses the use of nest boxes by wood ducks Aix sponsa.
Provide artificial nesting sites for wildfowl

A small single-site study from March-May in 1981-1982 in an island (1.2 ha) within Kentucky Lake in Tennessee, USA (Spero & Pitts 1984) found that wood ducks Aix sponsa nested in 44-63% of the nest boxes provided although in 1982, 11 of 44 wood duck nests were destroyed, probably by common grackles Quiscalus quiscula and nestlings in one nest were preyed upon by grackles. According to the authors, the presence of vacant nest boxes in both years suggests that grackles and wood ducks were not competing for nest sites. This study also discusses the use of nest boxes by grackles.