Boxes can be installed in wetlands, swamps, creeks, ponds, oxbows, or lakes. We provide plans to build your own nest box or you can buy one at the worksh op. The ducks will find your box by seeing the contrast in color caused by the entry hole. At the same time a determination is made if a wood duck or some other species used the box. The plans provide stepbystep instructions and detailed dimensional drawings to help guide you throughout the. The ducks will find your box by seeing the contrast in color caused by. Handconstructed from cypress wood, these high quality boxes have smooth sanded edges and will last for years. Let me teach you how to mount a wood duck box to keep ducks on your pond.
Provide a safe nesting area for wood ducks, split and full door models are offered for easy viewing and cleanup. A male wood duck checking out a forwood duck nest box. Wood ducks eagerly accepted boxes as suitable nesting sites, and over the following fifty. Step 7 finally, put 6 inches of wood shavings not sawdust in the bottom and place the box directly above the water or along the waters edge by fixing it to a tree or a metal pole. To be as economical and safe as possible in erecting boxes, we recommend placement in water two to four.
The boxes are made of lowmaintenance, easytoclean plastic. Therefore, it is important to locate individual nest boxes in relatively secluded areas within timber stands where natural cavities would occur naturally. For programs that do not actively band wood ducks, mwdi prefers the side door opening. The wood duck aix sponsa is a colorful bird that usually nests in abandoned woodpecker holes, but will readily take to a nesting box of the correct dimensions, placed in the proper location. American hunter how to build a better wood duck box. To avoid predation on nest boxes, it is highly recommended that you place a plastic or metal cone. You can view photos of some of our nesting structures in use in the gallery. Like the standard model, these boxes feature drain holes, swingopen side door, and built in ladder.
Cypress wood duck nesting box forestry suppliers, inc. The wood duck is the most important species to south carolina waterfowl enthusiasts and is the only duck for which we can effectively manage production habitat throughout all geographic regions of the state. The large wood duck box features side access doors with solid brass hinges to simplify inspection and cleaning. Cattail products ltd in fulton is a company that specializes in plastics products, nec. Raccoons, snakes, and squirrels are among the few who often help themselves to the eggs in the nest boxes. For added protection, add a baffle to the post to make it harder for predators to reach the nest box. Build a duck nest box national wildlife federation. Unfortunately this box is already occupied with a sitting female wood duck, not this guys partner though. Use these stepbystep instructions to build a home for one of our most dazzling north american ducks. Wood ducks prefer holes 4 by 3, while buffleheads, goldeneyes, and mergansers prefer slightly larger entrances, such as 3.
As an amazon associate i earn from qualified purchases. Thousands of wood duck nest boxes have been erected during the last 50 years and wetland protection and construction have expanded during the last 35 years. Made of the traditional western red cedar topped with a modern poly roof. Wood duck breeding populations responded by increasing at an overall continental rate of 5. If you decide to apply a finish to your nest box, use a nontoxic wood preserver or a light shade of an earthtone paint. To aid you in attracting the beautiful wood ducks, you can try this slant roof duck house. We discuss nesting habitat via wood duck boxes and helping to improve the wildlife values of the bayou teche watershed. Before installation, fill each nestbox with three to four inches of wood chips, shavings or course sawdust. With the proper design and layout, manmade wood duck nesting structures can be a key asset to help preserve and enhance wood duck populations and habitat. Basic wood duck box dimensions and placement entrance hole 0val 3 inches high, 4 inches wide for wood duck.
In 1939, bellrose and colleague art hawkins began studying wood duck use of artificial nesting houses as well as natural nesting cavities. Apply to scdnr for duck boxes and public hunts the. Jul 16, 2018 wood duck nest boxes can be hung in trees, however, it is often better to mount the boxes to a post thats completely surrounded by water. Cut out all the pieces according to the drawing linked here. Cattail products the leader in polyethylene nesting structures. The design, which is used by the ducks unlimited greenwing program, may. On saturday, april 21, round 2 of logans wood duck days will kick off, meeting in the parking lot of usus wildlife building at 9 am. Wood duck boxes provide a manmade alternative, where hens can nest in relative safety from predators. Due to the significant loss of riparian habitats in california over the last century, riparian species such as the wood duck suffered. Step 6 attach the roof to the back, side, and front. The wood duck is the only native duck with a smoothed down.
Also features side access doors with solid brass hinges to simplify inspection and cleaning. The males breeding plumage of maroon, white, blue, green, red, brown and black is truly captivating. The kit form is less costly to ship than an assembled house, nearly half the ups cost based on dimensional weight box sizes. Kits have precut and predrilled holes for easy assembly. Of australian native mammals, 83 species or 31% use tree hollows. Wood duck nest boxes are great at providing shelter and a home for wood ducks during nesting season. Scdnr biologists know that wood ducks will use natural cavities in hardwood trees in our bottomlands for opportunistic nesting. Box installation is just step one of the wood ing the winter these boxes need to be checked, cleaned, and repaired before the next nesting period. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. When installing your nest box, always include a predator guard. You should never be able to see the front of a wood duck box from the hole of another wood duck box. The process of building and installing artificial nest boxes can be divided into the three following steps. For best results during the entire construction of your wood duck box, drill pilot holes as needed using an appropriate size drill bit slightly smaller than the diameter of your wood screws to avoid splitting your boards. From selflocking to heavy duty boxes, duck brand offers the size, strength and special features your shipping and mailing needs.
Woodcraft woodworking project paper plan to build wood. Though sparsely encountered by hunters after the first cold snap, theres another way to enjoy this particular birdby building wood duck boxes. Wood duck nest box program fort hunter liggett isportsman. Randy bolden, from boy scout troop 270 in germantown, tenn. Live trees can be used for mounting boxes, but keep a close eye on your box. This will help to protect the ducks from predators. Wood duck nest boxes can be hung in trees, however, it is often better to mount the boxes to a post thats completely surrounded by water.
We has also put another 12 boxes into the wow nesting program. The wood duck society, with years of experience and professionals expertise, shares with you, the time proven method for safe and successful wood duck nest box installation and placement. Two door wood duck box newborn wood duck escape ladder screech owls often share the same habitat with wood ducks, and can easily select a wood duck box for dining or nesting. Growing trees may loosen mounts and make boxes less attractive to the birds. Avoid placing them on trees or predators such as raccoons will make an easy meal from duck eggs. White cedar withstands severe weather, requires no sealer and will last for years. A finish might help to extend the life of a ply wood box. Clean out old nesting material and replace with fresh wood shavings after a brood is complete in case of a second nest attempt. Wood chipsvforvbird boxes by sarah elizabeth reeder not yet used, but appear to be what is needed and there is no sawdust.
Wood duck program volunteers set up and monitor 6000 nest boxes that produce 34000 ducklings and are visited by hundreds of school children annually. Take a look at dus wood duck box plans to get an idea of the materials youll need and the best spot to put your finished product. Wood ducks are highly secretive in selecting nest sites to minimize impacts of nest predators and competition from other wood ducks. Rearing wood ducks can be a rewarding family project that will bring many hours of enjoyment as you watch the birds care for their young. The wood duck houses of the day, put up years before by the u.
A five inch hole was bored into the center of each slab. Free wood duck boxes are made available to the public through an annual lottery in partnership with scdnr and partially funded by the scdu tag program. Cedar is ideal for building nest boxes, and youll need saws, drills and other tools along the way. The deployment of large numbers of nesting boxes can be used to help increase local or regional populations of wood ducks in areas where natural cavities are limited. All material needed to build 6 boxes less nails and glue. Placing boxes in a wooded landscape will provide a natural setting. Nesting boxes for wood ducks available from division of fish. Wood ducks have been known to use tree cavities and nest.
Wood duck houses with ip227w wireless camera nestbox specifications. Through perfecting its assembly, you can observe, appreciate and give back to arguably north americas most beautiful bird. Start attaching front and back pieces to side and floor, as shown. Feb 20, 2009 here is a video about putting up new wood duck boxes, how to and all that, this video also has girls and guns in it so get the kids out of the room. The habitats for healthy waters program is a threeyear 20052007 initiative to raise the. Among duck species that nest in tree cavities, the wood duck has been the most successful in adapting to artificial nest boxes. The increase has been due to the work of many people constructing wood duck boxes and conserving vital habitat for the wood ducks to breed. Attach the back 1 to the side 2 using four screws fastened from the back of the wood duck box as shown below. The wood duck society no longer has a partner to make and sell wood duck nest boxes, but you can download the don helmeke design from our website in the nest box design link, to assist you in building a nest box at home. On saturday, april 21, round 2 of logans wood duck days will kick off, meeting in the. Few ducks are as beautiful in plumage and flight as the wood duck. Wood duck project south carolina waterfowl association.
Insert a nail of a slightly smaller diameter to pin the door shut. A finish might help to extend the life of a plywood box. There are numerous ways and preferences to build nesting boxes which are available on the internet. California wood duck program california waterfowl association. Nesting boxes for wood ducks available from division of fish and wildlife. This pamphlet is designed to serve as an introduction to the habitat requirements of the wood duck and to assist in the development of a comprehensive wood duck management plan. These boxes are quite a bit heavier and should last longer than the standard nest box. Bureau of biological survey, were too heavy to handle. Make a 45degree angle cut in second side, 6 from the bottom.
Wood ducks are known as cavity nesters because they nest in holes in trees. Finished wood duck nestbox 18 24 4 3 18 deep grooves on inside. The hen has grayishbrown feathers, a white chin and throat, and white eye rings. Wood duck nesting boxes hand crafted from kiln dried northern michigan white cedar, the highest quality, most affordable wood duck nest box made in the usa. Our goal is to install wood duck boxes in areas where they would not have. Nesting boxes for wood ducks available from division of. Mark the entrance an elliptical hole 3 high x 4 wide and cut it out. Installation can be performed annually, but nesting season occurs february through june. However, for the 20082009 season, the limit was raised to three. Wood duck boxes part 2 installing new boxes, ducks unlimited. Cavitynesting ducks frequently lay eggs in the nests of other ducks. Its important to clean out wood duck boxes thoroughly in early spring and. On land, a shoreline installation is fine, but not necessary. Inside floor dimension 10 inches x 10 inches to 12 inches x 12 inches.
Setting out wood duck boxes can help wood ducks to acclimate to those areas so then when breeding season arrives in february they are ready to raise more ducklings. This is important because young hens dump eggs in other nests if they find them. Duck houses are most successful with an oval shaped entrance hole. Cuts for wood duck nestbox side top 16 side front bottom back 24 10 34 4 26 24 26 12 floor recessed to prevent water seepage into box figure 2. If screech owls move in, it is the least disruptive to make monitoring observations through the top opening, especially when the young are. How to locate, install and care for your wood duck nest boxes.
Guaranteed to last for years, white cedar is superior for its natural resistance to weather and insects, these wood duck. Male wood duck photo courtesy of aquatic environments org. The whole works was hoisted into a tree with a block and tackle. Blake hamilton, wildlife biologist and registered forester.
Mar 21, 2017 let me teach you how to mount a wood duck box to keep ducks on your pond. The houses were huge slabs of sawn trees, bark and all. Therefore, old growth and mature hardwoods, which provided cavities for wood duck nesting, are decreasing. May 10, 20 wood duck house plans nebraska game and parks commission nest box plans wood duck stay safe and healthy. Boxes are mounted on pipe, donated by oil companies, with sheet metal predator guards and installed primarily on ldwf wmas and also on select private. We recommend that all wood duck boxes be erected over water, using steel or wooden posts with predatorproof metal cones or sleeves.
Here are plans for a nest box that you can build, install and maintain. Wood duck is the only north american duck that regularly produces 2 broods in 1 breeding season. Drainage holes are provided provided in the box bottom to allow any rain entering the box to drain from the box and to provide air circulation to keep nesting material dry. Fulda, minnesota has adopted the wood duck as an unofficial mascot, and a large number of nest boxes can be found in the area. The location chosen to install the box is very important. The deluxe cypress wood duck box includes cedar bedding material, 3 3 12 galvanized lag bolts for mounting, and an informative brochure. Wood duck box program louisiana department of wildlife and. Buy products related to wood duck nesting box products and see what customers say about wood duck nesting box products on free delivery possible on eligible purchases.
These wooden structures help boost local wood duck populations. See more ideas about wood ducks, wood, wood duck house. My hens like to scratch away any bedding i put in their nest boxes 12 x 12 x 12. Early in this century, wood duck populations were in decline. Nesting box kit provides a wonderful family, club, or conservationist project. They also rebounded because humans made the decision to enact laws to protect this and many other species, and their habitats.
Handconstructed from cypress wood, this high quality box has smooth sanded edges and will last for years. Wood duck boxes free wood duck boxes are made available to the public through an annual lottery in partnership with scdnr and partially funded by the scdu tag program. Six, michigan made 100% white cedar wood duck, merganser, mandarin nest box kits. Versatile jewelry, catch all, cell phone, deck of cards, rustic utilitarian storage boxes stellabystar 5 out. The wood duck is regarded as the most beautiful north american duck. Each nest box should include a rough interior, so the ducks can easily exit it when ready. Here is a video about putting up new wood duck boxes, how to and all that, this video also has girls and guns in it so get the kids out of the room. Native mammals are also heavily dependent on tree hollows, for sleeping during the day or to raise offspring. An illustrated guide to making a wood duck box field.
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