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Pine martens and bird boxes

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    Pine marten more info sheet

Birds and eggs are part of the pine marten’s diet, and martens can be attracted to bird boxes in their search for food.
A number of mitigation techniques exist to prevent mammalian predators from gaining access to nest boxes for small birds and larger cavity-nesting species such as owls and some duck species. The most successful techniques are cone type baffles, stovepipe baffles, and entrance hole extenders (see figure). The cone type baffles are most effective when used on stand-alone trees or poles, whilst the entrance hole extenders have been used effectively in Scotland to prevent pine martens predating clutches of crested tits. The image below is an example of a cone baffle installed by VWT and Natural Resources Wales to protect an osprey nest in mid-Wales.

From NestWatch, an American company that provides nest boxes. A, cone baffle; B, stovepipe baffle; C and D, two types of hole extender. Type D has been used successfully in Scotland to prevent predation of crested tit clutches.

 

Cone baffle used on a stand-alone tree with an osprey nest at the top.

 

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The Pine Marten

  • Pine martens and the law
  • Pine martens and squirrels
  • Pine martens and ecotourism
  • Pine martens in history
  • Pine martens in Irish myth and folklore
  • Pine martens in world culture and folklore
  • Pine martens in the Irish fur trade
  • Pine martens in literature
  • Pine martens and bird boxes
  • A pine marten year
  • How to tell a pine marten from a mink or feral ferret

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