Downy woodpecker nest box project Alice F. Palmer Elementary, Windsor, NY Karalynn Louk, Alex Quinn, Courtney Fendick

All about us We live in rural Windsor. We think having a trail of downy woodpecker nest boxes would help students become more interested in ornithology. Our school campus has both an elementary and middle school so, many students would be able to observe the nest box activity. We have a large area of woodlands that are well protected just past our athletic fields. We would share the experience of our research and teach other students how to care for the nest boxes so that the birds at Palmer are taken care of for many years to come.

Description Red crown Black and white stripes and spots on its wings Sharp beaks Handsome birds Smallest N. American woodpecker Stiff tail feathers that help balance 3rd eyelid to protect their eyes from woodchips Size of a large sparrow Average life span 2-5 years

Downy Woodpecker Families They are called called cavity nesters because they make holes in dead or decaying trees to nest. They like deciduous or mixed forests. They lay 3-5 white eggs. The young hatch within 2 weeks and leave the nest 3 weeks later.

Habitat Open woodlands Near streams Also near parks, orchards, and suburbs Forests and rocky mountains

Eating Mainly insects Beetle larvae, bark beetles Berries Seeds on branches of low trees Pests, and other insects Tent caterpillars Our school is a few hundred yards from the Susquehanna River, giving the birds a source of water

Our Proposed Location We will mount nestboxes At the edge of the woodland.

Our Proposed Location Nest box area Palmer Elementary

Our Proposed Location We will place our nest boxes 200 ft or more apart. This tree show evidence that woodpeckers are native to our school grounds.

Nest Box Design We will fill the nest box with wood shavings to give it a natural feel and to attract the woodpecker. It will be hung from the tree with a rubber bungee cord so we don’t damage the tree, and to make it easy to remove for maintenance and cleaning The recommended dimensions for a downy woodpecker nest box are: 4” x 4” (floor), 9” (distance from floor to ceiling), ¼ “ (entrance hole diameter), 7” (distance from floor to the top of the entrance hole). Ventilation holes will also be drilled.

Proposed Cost Cedar 1x6x12 $17.20 Cedar 1x4x8 $ 6.32 Circular saw blade $19.98 Stainless steel wood screws $ 6.97 Hinges $16.08 Stainless steel hook and eye $14.82 $81.37

Yearly Maintenance We will perform yearly maintenance in late winter. Clear away old nesting materials Unclog drainage holes Check screws to be sure they are still tight Fill with new wood shavings