Meeting Abstract
As human-caused habitat disturbance continues to affect wildlife in an abundance of ways, studying these species and understanding these impacts are growing in importance. Both eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis) and tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) readily breed near humans and will use artificial nestboxes; however, not all boxes are used equally. In this study, various nestbox features and their surrounding environmental conditions are compared to determine which are preferred by each species. We collected data on numerous variables including box orientation, age, box height, and dimensions, nearby human activity levels, canopy cover, and species and diameter at breast height (DBH) of the closest tree. Data analysis is ongoing, but we predict some overlap in species preferences, potentially leading to interspecies conflict. Results from this study may further illuminate how nestbox-using species select breeding sites, particularly in areas with human disturbance.
