Michael Patrick wrote:

>There was a question a few days ago asking if Black-capped Chickadees will
>nest in the same box again, and if the landlord should clean it out. Well,
>I had picked up this species' account in The Birds of North America life
>history series (authored by Susan Smith) and the following is claimed:
>Black-capped Chickadees rarely raise two broods in one season, and that they
>rarely nest in the same place again in following seasons; it then talks about
>how this helps to reduce parasites. It would be informative if the landlord
>were to clean out the box and get another nest next year!

But Mike, as I wrote before, no one cleaned out tree holes for chickadees
while they evolved their behavior, so perhaps if they are adapted to moving
from year to year, cleaning out the box won't change that. Can anyone out
there share experiences with b-c chickadees in nest boxes, multiple broods
or not, cleaned boxes or not? I've got a pair just about to fledge young,
and I'll be watching to see what they do--but as Susan Smith wrote, they
don't usually raise two broods. Her *book* on the Black-capped Chickadee,
by the way, is a wonderful book to own and read.

Dennis Paulson, Director phone: (206) 756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax: (206) 756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail: dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416