Decomposition of nest material in tree holes and nest-boxes occupied by European Starlings Sturnus vulgaris: an experimental study

Numerous bird species depend on the availability of tree cavities, and most non-excavators fill their cavities with considerable amounts of nest material. If not removed, this material can accumulate and render cavities unusable, as recorded in some nest-box studies. Data from earlier studies of tree cavities, however, showed that nest material can decrease mostly due to in situ decomposition, but the relative difference between nest decomposition in tree holes and nest-boxes is still unknown. We undertook parallel studies of decay in tree holes and nest-boxes used by European Starlings Sturnus vulgaris in oak-hornbeam stands (SW Poland). We inserted into its tree holes and nest-boxes litte…