Subject: Raptor information

From: [email-masked]
Date: 23 Nov 1994 02:12:22 -0000

Dear SANETers,

I have become very interested in the practice of enhancing rodent
control on farms with barn owls and other raptors.  I have
gathered a fair amount of information, but I need your help in
three ways.  First, I am conducting a survey for people who have
installed raptor nesting boxes or perches.  Please answer the
short preliminary questionnaire below; if you know of someone
else who has installed them, please pass it on to them also. 
Second, if you have any information on the effects of installing
raptor nesting boxes or perches on rodent populations, please let
me know.  Third, I would appreciate hearing about any related
references besides those listed below.  If you would like a
packet of information on nesting boxes and perches, send me your
name and address along with your request.  I'd like to hear from
you.  Thanks in advance!

Chuck Ingels
[email-masked]

************************************************************

----PRELIMINARY QUESTIONNAIRE----
Nest Box and Perch Installation for Raptors

Return to: Chuck Ingels
Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program
University of California
Davis, CA 95616
Voice: (916) 757-3276  FAX: (916) 757-3281
E-mail: [email-masked]

Please report negative as well as positive results.  If possible,
please send me slides, photos, or diagrams of your nest boxes and
perches.  I will send you a summary of the results of this
survey.  Thank you for your help!

Name: 
Farm/Organization: 
Mailing Address: 
E-mail Address: 
Phone: 
Date: 

1.  List the crop(s) and acreages you grow or manage (including
pasture and dairy) within 1 mile of the box(es) or perch(es). 
Put an asterisk (*) after those crops in which rodents are a
moderate to severe problem.

2.  Indicate the types and numbers of structures that you have
installed.

A.  Barn owl nest box: 
    How many of the following basic designs have you installed?
    Home-made/purchased box: 
    Barrel: 
    Cat litter box: 
    Other: 

B.  Kestrel nest box: 
    How many of the following basic designs have you installed?
    Home-made/purchased box: 
    Other: 

C.  Great horned owl nesting structure: 
    How many of the following basic designs have you installed?
    Home-made/purchased box: 
    Twig platform: 
    Other: 

D.  Hawk nesting structure: 
    Very briefly describe the structure: 

E.  Raptor perches: 
    Type of perch: 
    Dowel - Size: 
    Board - Size: 
    Other: 

F.  Other (briefly describe): 

3.  How many of the above nesting structures have been occupied
at least temporarily by the desired raptors?

Barn owl nest box: 
Kestrel nest box: 
Great horned owl nesting structure: 
Hawk nesting structure: 
Other: 

4.  What was your most important reason for installing a nest
box(es) and/or perch(es)?

Control vertebrate pests: 
   Which pests? 
Increase wildlife: 
Hobby: 
Other (briefly explain): 

5.  If you were trying to control a particular pest, have you
seen a reduction in its population?  Please answer briefly for
each pest.

6.  May we send you a more detailed survey to complete based on the
type of structure(s) your have built?

YES!: 
no: 

************************************************************

SELECTED REFERENCES FOR AGRICULTURALLY-IMPORTANT RAPTORS

Compiled by Chuck Ingels

(** These references contain one or more nest box and/or hawk
perch designs.)

Arbib, R.  1982.  Brood of tigers (short article about great
horned owls).  Audubon 84(3):94.

Askham, L.R.  1990.  Effect of artificial perches and nests in
attracting raptors to orchards.  Proceedings of the 14th
Vertebrate Pest Conference 14:144-48.  University of California,
Davis.

Bunn, D.S., A.B. Warburton, and R.D.S. Wilson.  1982.  The Barn
Owl.  Buteo Books, South Dakota.  264 pp.

**Campbell, S.D.  1984.  The Complete Book of Birdhouse
Construction for Woodworkers.  Dover Publications, Inc., 31 East
2nd Street, Mineola, NY 11501.  46 pp.

Clark, D.R., Jr. and C.M. Bunck.  1991.  Trends in North American
small mammals found in common barn-owl (Tyto alba) dietary
studies.  Canadian Journal of Zoology 69:3093-3102.

**Colvin, B.A.  1986.  Barn owls: Their secrets and habits. 
Illinois Audubon, No. 216, Spring 1986.  The Illinois Audubon
Society, PO Box 608, Wayne, IL 60184.

Colvin, B.A. and McLean, E.B.  1986.  Food habits and prey
specificity of the common barn owl in Ohio.  Ohio J. Sci. 86:76-
80.

Hall, T.R., W.E. Howard, and R.E. Marsh.  1981.  Raptor use of
artificial perches.  Wildlife Society Bulletin 9(4):296-298.

Howard, W.E., R.E. Marsh, and C.W. Corbett.  1985.  Raptor
perches: Their influence on crop protection.  Acta Zool. Fennica
173:191-192.

ICI Americas, Inc.  Portrait of the Common Barn Owl.  Contact:
Barn Owl Research Program, Biological Sciences Department,
Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403.

**Ingels, C.  1992.  Birds of prey assist farmers.  Sustainable
Agriculture 5(1):5-8.  Sustainable Ag. Research & Education
Program, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, (916) 752-
7556.

**Ketner, V.J.  Barn Owls: How to Build Nest Boxes from Off-the-
Shelf Materials.  169 Via Baja, Ventura, CA 93003.

**Lodi District Grape Growers Association.  Using Barn Owls for
Rodent Control in Orchards and Vineyards.  Two-page pamphlet.  PO
Box 2004, Lodi, CA 95241-2004; (209) 339-8246.

**Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources.  1992.  Woodworking for
Wildlife: Homes for Birds & Mammals.  Minnesota DNR, 500
Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155-4040, 1-800-766-6000.  111 pp.

**Stokes, Donald and Lillian.  1990.  The Complete Birdhouse
Book.  Little, Brown & Co., Boston.

Taylor, I.R.  1994.  Barn Owls: Predator/Prey Relationships and
Conservation.  Cambridge, 310 pp.

Tyler, J.G.  1913.  Some Birds of the Fresno District,
California.  Cooper Ornithological Club, Hollywood.

**Ueblacker, S.  Nest boxes for raptors: A helpful management
technique.  Birds of Prey Rehabilitation Foundation, RR2 Box 659,
Broomfield, CO 80020; (303) 460-0674.

**U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service.  1984. 
Kestrel house plans and instructions.  Job Sheet CA-499.  SCS,
2121 2nd St., Davis, CA. 95616, (916) 757-8200.

**U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service.  1985. 
Barn owl nest box plans and instructions.  Job Sheet CA-501. 
SCS, 2121 2nd St., Davis, CA. 95616, (916) 757-8200.

**U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service.  1985. 
Artificial perches for raptors: Plans and instructions.  Job
Sheet CA-502.  SCS, 2121 2nd St., Davis, CA. 95616, (916) 757-
8200.

Village, A.  1990.  The Kestrel.  Poyser Ltd., London.  352 pp.