Nest Monitoring
Birds Without Borders - Aves Sin Fronteras®
Research on reproductive success (nest searching and monitoring)
The most accurate way of determining that a bird's nesting attempt is successful is to locate the nest and monitor it until the young are old enough to leave the nest (fledge). Nest searching in both Wisconsin and Belize is done five to six days a week during the breeding season. Nests are monitored (the number of eggs or young present are counted) when found, then every three to four days until the young fledge or the nest fails due to predation or other causes. To minimize disturbance to the birds and not increase the risk of predation, nests are monitored from a distance when possible, and as quickly as possible. Prior to approaching the nest, researchers search the area for any sign of possible predators, particularly avian predators such as jays, crows or hawks. Care is taken not to leave a dead-end trail to the nest that mammalian predators could follow. If vegetation obscures the nest contents, a stick is used to move aside the vegetation so as not to leave any human scent at the nest site. If the nest is beyond reach, a pole with a mirror attached is used to view the nest contents.
To date, more than 578 nests have been found at our Wisconsin study sites and more than 330 nests have been found at our Belize study sites.
Northern Wisconsin (Land O' Lakes study site)
East-Central Wisconsin (Rosendale study site)
Belize (Tropical Education Center study site)
