Nest predation study in Hampton Roads
Oleksii Dubovyk
2023-06-17
Avian Ecology Lab, MGB312
Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, 23529
oadubovyk@gmail.com | odubo001@odu.edu
Ongoing study, new participants are welcome
1 About
We all love birds in our backyards and parks. Yet, living in a city can be dangerous for birds. For example, some predators can eat birds’ eggs and chicks, which totally diminishes breeding effort of loving bird parents.
For my dissertation research, I want to take a look at the predators that are potentially threatening birds in different levels of urbanization, and how predators and birds coexist with humans in our cities. On the other hand, any manipulation with a real nest can attract predators to it, and I do not want to jeopardize wild birds’ nests with my study, so that I am trying to imitate the nests with artificial ones, accompanied by a motion-activated camera to observe the predators of a nest.
I am currently looking for property owners who would let me to install the artificial nests and cameras for 10 days on their properties next year (2024).
1.1 Where?
The area of interest is located near Norfolk, Virginia, mainly the following counties: Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach (Fig. 1.1). Yet, if you live outside of these cities but are still nearby, I would still be happy to conduct the research on your property.
Figure 1.1: Area of the study.
1.2 When?
Interested homeowners are welcome to contact me or leave the contact information here at any time.
The experimental setups will be installed for 10 days between late March and mid-June of 2023. The project will likely be extended into 2024–2025.
2 Experimental setups
Once we get in touch, I will visit the household and install an artificial nest on the property, of course, under guidance of the property owner. The motion-activated camera will be facing a nest and exclude the property from the field of view as much as possible. The camera and the nest will be there for 10 days, after which they will be collected1.
Over this 10-days period, there is no reason to expect that the setup will attract any vermin: the camera will only show what already occurs at the property. Of course, all observations will be provided to the property owners at request.
2.1 Artificial nests
The type of an artificial nest is defined randomly every time. There are three possible nest types: nest box, cup nest, or ground nest. There will be three quail eggs in any nest (Fig. 2.1).
Figure 2.1: Quail eggs in a nest box.
There will be no real birds in these nests. However, there is a chance that some animals will occupy the nest box during the 10 days while the setup is active. Every nest box will be checked with an endoscope camera to ensure that there are no wild animals inside before collection.
2.1.1 Nest box
If nest box is chosen as a nest type, a typical bluebird house will be used (Fig. 2.2).
Figure 2.2: Bluebird nestbox.
To install such nest box, there should be an appropriate and accessible tree on the property. However, if there is no such tree, an artificial platform will be installed to substitute a tree (Fig. 2.3).
Figure 2.3: Bluebird nestbox installed on a pole with weight on a property where there were no suitable trees.
A camera will be installed either on a pole attached to the nest box, or on a big trunk nearby, if possible (Fig. 2.4).
Figure 2.4: Two possible options for attaching a camera to the nest box.
2.1.2 Cup nest
The cup nest imitates a typical bird nest located on a fork of branches on a tree (Fig. 2.5).
Figure 2.5: Imitation of a cup nest with quail eggs.
Figure 2.6: Installing a cup nest means that I need to do a bit of climbing. This project is just an excuse to climb trees.
Similarly to nest boxes, cup nests require a suitable tree, but if there is none, an imitation of a tree will be installed (Fig. 2.7).
Figure 2.7: Imitation of a tree with a cup nest.
2.1.3 Ground nest
Finally, a ground nest is just a depression in soil or mulch with three eggs (Fig. 2.8), hidden in some vegetation.
Figure 2.8: A ground nest.
A camera will be installed next to a ground nest on trunks (Fig. 2.9) or, if there are none, on a small pole.
Figure 2.9: Camera next to a ground nest.
2.2 Motion-activated cameras
Motion-activated cameras are a common tool in wildlife monitoring. They are exactly what it sounds like: a small box with batteries, camera, infra-red flash (to take black-and-white pictures at night without scaring the animals), and motion detectors (Fig. 2.10). Every time the motion sensor detects any movement, it triggers a camera and a photo is taken.
Figure 2.10: Motion-activated camera. The motion sensor is partially covered to decrease false positive triggering by movement outside of an artificial nest.
After 10 full days in the field, the camera will be collected and the photos will be reviewed. If requested, the photos of the wildlife observed will be sent to the property owners.
The cameras are installed in such a way as not to look at the buildings or areas where some activities are possible, to minimize any potential invasion of privacy. If, by any chance, there are people on the photos taken, such photos will be permanently deleted.
3 Join
I am currently seeking more locations for this study. Please feel free to fill in the form with your contact information here, and I will reach out back to you as soon as I have a free camera to install.
3.1 Eligibility
Anyone can participate.
All kinds of property are interesting for this research: it can be a residence, local business, warehouse, forest, farm, etc. Moreover, the property owners do not need to physically present in Hampton Roads from March to June – I just need 10 days within the study period.
3.2 Contacts
Please feel free to reach out to me with any question through email:
or text:
757-355-3036
You can learn more about me and my work on the website:
4 Results
Because the cameras and the experimental setups required additional testing, the study has started with a delay in late April of 2023. I am now collecting the first observations from the initial round of the experiment.
4.1 Completeness
For statistical reasons, I need at least 144 repetitions of the experiment. If all three nest types are tested at the same location, there should be at least 48 locations.
Figure 4.1: Completeness of the study.
4.2 Some observations
Figure 4.2: Carolina Wren checks out the nest box.
Figure 4.3: Eastern Gray Squirrels were not yet caught attempting to break into the nest box.
Figure 4.4: Crow (American or Fish) has quickly depredated a cup nest.
Figure 4.5: A fragment of video featuring a crow eating the quail egg from an artificial cup nest.
Figure 4.6: It took this House Wren only four days to start building a nest in the experimental nest box. The camera was collected, but the box has been left alone.
Figure 4.7: Some experimental setups are used by songbirds like this Eastern Towhee as a perch.
Figure 4.8: Virginia Opossum has been finally caught on camera checking the ground nest, but the eggs, apparently, were not too interesting.
Figure 4.9: Blue Jay destroyed the cup nest, but did not take all the eggs.
Figure 4.10: After the Blue Jay, Eastern Gray Squirrels finally figured out that the eggs are edible.
Figure 4.11: Common Grackle found out that the nest material of the fake nest (coconut fiber and Spanish moss) can turn out handy.
Figure 4.12: This Virginia Opossum was checking for the eggs. Luckily for it, the Eastern Gray Squirrel was trying to hide a newly found egg right under the nest material earlier!
Figure 4.13: The Gray Fox found the experimental ground nest on right on its everynight trail.
Figure 4.14: North American Raccoons are common guests of the ground nests.
Figure 4.15: One of the most interesting observations - Coyote in the middle of Norfolk.
Figure 4.16: Also an interesting observation - the Southern Flying Squirrel spent a few night in the nestbox, eating one of the eggs.
Figure 4.17: Installing the artificial ground nest in a middle of a raccoon trail guarantees that the eggs are getting eaten.
5 Acknowledgments
Special thanks to Ella DiPetto and Chi Wei for all the help with building the nest boxes and preparing the experimental setups, to Rich Hardison, Nicholas Flanders, and Norfolk Botanical Gardens for assisting with the outreach to the property owners.
The project would be impossible without the numerous property owners who are interested in the wildlife and are granting access to their properties: A.J.H., A.P., B&M.Z., C.A., C.I., C.L., C.W., E.D., G.C., J.M., J.T., K.C., K.F., K.M., L.O., M.B., M.H., M.S., N.F., P.S., R.A., R.H., S., S.E., and many more people who reached out to me.
The study protocol has been approved by Old Dominion University Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (#23-004). The approval to conduct the activities has been waived by the Institutional Review Board at Old Dominion University and Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.
in a case if the nest box becomes occupied by some wildlife (e.g., Carolina Wren, Starling, etc.), it will be checked with an endoscope and left alone until the end of the season; the property owners will be welcome to retain the nest box.↩︎