Utilizing artificial nesting platforms as a management tool: enhancing breeding productivity of Western Flycatchers ( Empidonax difficilis occidentalis ) in southwestern Colorado and southern Arizona, USA

Abstract

Artificial nesting substrates have been added around the world for many cavity-nesting bird species, but this has not been undertaken as extensively for crevice-nesting birds. The Western Cordilleran Flycatcher ( Empidonax difficilis occidentalis ) is a migratory, crevice-nesting flycatcher that is nest-site limited, breeding in higher elevation riparian habitats throughout intermountain western North America. We tested the effectiveness of multiple artificial nesting platform types that this flycatcher would accept for nesting, and then utilizing the successful design established an experimental array of platforms in southwestern Colorado and southern Arizona. From 2008 to 2022 we documented Cordilleran Flycatcher breeding and the influence of nesting platforms on productivity of young and adult numbers. Breeding behaviors did not differ significantly between natural nest sites and platform nests, except that the nestling period was an average of 16.73 (+/- 0.98) days on platforms as compared to 15.92 (+/- 0.71) on human structures and 15.67 (+/- 0.48) days in natural locations. Platform nests had lower predation rates and greater rates of successful fledging when compared to natural locations. At both study locations platform nests doubled the number of young fledged each year. In Colorado, where Western Cordilleran Flycatchers were initially absent from areas, adult numbers increased following introduction of platforms, but in Arizona adult flycatcher numbers were not affected. Our findings demonstrate that the addition of artificial nesting platforms can enhance productivity and numbers of Western Cordilleran Flycatchers, and we hope that our findings will prove useful for the conservation of other crevice-nesting bird species.

Keywords

• arizona
• breeding
• colorado
• conservation
• crevice nesting
• neotropical migrant
• nest site limitation
• predation
• productivity