Record Details
Nest box selection of wood ducks as influenced by color and site factors
ScholarsArchive at Oregon State University
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Title | Nest box selection of wood ducks as influenced by color and site factors |
| Names |
Morse, Thomas Earl
(creator) Wight, Howard M. (advisor) |
| Date Issued | 1968-08-29 (iso8601) |
| Note | Graduation date: 1969 |
| Abstract | Selection of colored nest boxes by wood ducks (Aix sponsa) was evaluated during the breeding seasons of 1967-68 in Benton County, Oregon. No color or site factor influence was observed in 1967 when nest boxes were erected in sets of eight boxes served in 1967 when nest boxes were erected in sets of eight boxes adjacent to water. Color and site factor influence was observed in 1968 when the nest boxes of a set were erected on a diagonal plane extending from water’s edge into the woods. Nest box selection by adult hens in 1968 was influenced by a strong fidelity to color of the box in which they had successfully nested in 1967. Nest box selection by yearling hens in 1968 was not influenced by color of the box in which it hatched but was related to an interaction of color and vegetational obstruction in the foreground of the box. Bright colors (white, yellow, orange and red) appeared to offset the adverse effects of vegetational obstruction on nest box selection. Nest box selection and inspection was found to be influenced by visibility of the entrance hole. No relationship was determined between the location of the first nest selected within a set and selection of subsequent nest boxes within the same set. It appears that erecting boxes painted conspicuous colors will enhance utilization of boxes in woody areas and will increase the available nesting habitat away from the margins of a pond or a stream. |
| Genre | Thesis/Dissertation |
| Topic | Wood duck |
| Identifier | http://hdl.handle.net/1957/22304 |
