Nesting Losses and Nest Site Preferences in House Wrens

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Abstract
This study examined nest sites selection by a cavity nesting species, the House Wren (Troglodytes aedon), at two sites in Ontario, Canada. Descriptive information suggests that predation is the most important factor reducing House Wren reproductive success. Nests built in sparse vegetation suffered less predation than those in dense vegetation. Descriptive and experimental data demonstrated that House Wrens exhibit strong preference for nesting boxes in sparse vegetation, presumably because here they are more successful. We suggest that the greater success of House Wrens in sparse vegetation results from their more effective nest defense against other conspecifics that may attack wren nests. We predict that the ability of males to defend suitable nest sites influences their mating success.