FROM THE DIVISION OF FISHERIES & WILDLIFE

You Can Help: Urgent Housing Need for Wood Ducks in Massachusetts

There is an immediate housing need in Massachusetts that

conservationists can all support! Wood ducks are one of the few

kinds of waterfowl that nest in cavities or holes in trees. There

are not enough natural cavities available in the state for nesting,

but constructed boxes have filled the gap. While wood ducks are

still wintering in warm, southern climes, Division of Fisheries and

Wildlife (MassWildlife) biologists and technicians are braving

chilly winter temperatures on icy ponds, marshes, and other wetlands

evaluating the condition of wood duck boxes and replacing boxes that

are missing or in disrepair. However, materials for wood duck boxes

are currently in short supply at the agency and the window of

opportunity for safe, strong ice to put up new boxes will be closing

by late February. Time is of the essence.

"Wood duck hens will return to the same box to nest year after year.

Imagine the plight of a hen coming back from wintering down south

and finding that her nesting site is gone." said H Heusmann,

Waterfowl Project Leader for MassWildlife. "Ideally, we need enough

materials on hand to build 300-500 boxes, and we've estimated that

it costs nearly $10 to construct a sturdy box." Heusmann points out

that duck boxes need to be constructed with rough-cut pine, allowing

newly-hatched ducklings a more secure foothold as they scramble up

and out the box for their first swim.

MassWildlife welcomes donations of constructed wood duck boxes or

lumber for building boxes. Completed wood duck boxes can be dropped

off at any of the five district offices located in Pittsfield,

Belchertown, West Boylston, Acton, and Bourne, or the MassWildlife

Field Headquarters in Westborough during business days. Wood duck

box plans are posted at:

box.htm> . Answering the call for wood duck housing, the Massachusetts

State Chapter of Ducks Unlimited staffed a booth at the Eastern Fishing

and Outdoor Exposition in Worcester and invited attendees to help build

wood duck boxes on Sunday, February 8, 2009.

For those interested conservationists don't have the time or ability

to build a box but who want to support this project, the

Massachusetts Outdoor Heritage Foundation, Inc., a non-profit

501(c)(3) organization, is also partnering with the Division of

Fisheries and Wildlife in this appeal by accepting donations of

money and materials that will go directly toward wood duck nest box

construction. Gifts to the Foundation are tax-deductible. To contact

the Foundation go online to www.massoutdoorheritage.org

For more information about this important project, contact

call (508) 389-6311.