Secondary cavity nesting birds and mammals play an important ecological role in the boreal forest. Cavity availability is a limiting factor for many of these species, and hence interspecific competition for viable cavities affects survival and reproduction among secondary cavity nesters.
The goal of this project was to examine long-term (2006-2020) nest box data from the Yukon Wildlife Preserve, Whitehorse, Yukon, to identify trends and interrelationships in nest box use among Mountain Bluebirds (Sialia currucoides), Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), Chickadees (Poecile spp.), and red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus).
Results of this project were presented at the Yukon Biodiversity Forum in 2019 and are being prepared as a paper for submission to a scientific journal.
Project Team:
Sonny Parker, B.Sc. in Northern Environmental and Conservation Sciences program graduate, Yukon University/University of Alberta
Dave Mossop, Professor Emeritus, Yukon University
Dr. Kathryn Aitken, School of Science, Yukon University and Adjunct Professor, Dept. of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta