Michael Crocker

Effectiveness of a Statewide Cooperative Wood Duck Nest Box Program

Fifty of > 1,000 landowners participating in the South Carolina Wildlife and Marine Resources Department (SCWMRD) wood duck (Aix sponsa) nest box program were selected at random to evaluate the program's effectiveness. We inspected 311 of 8,561 boxes bi-weekly throughout the 1987 nesting season. Most (95%) of the boxes allocated had been installed, and 82% of those installed were considered acceptable for use by wood ducks. Most (90%) cooperators had at least 1 nest start, and 69% of the available boxes were used. There were an average of 6.5 ducklings produced per available box....