Feature - Wildlife Housing Market In Slump Too

While news about the housing market can be found in just about every newspaper, or seen or heard on the radio and television news, you don't hear much about the concerns in the wildlife housing market.

 

However, the Game Commission's Howard Nursery has a way that wildlife enthusiasts can help without applying for a mortgage.

 

This year, for the first time, the Game Commission is offering for sale a variety of wildlife nesting structures for several species of birds – from bluebirds to flickers, from ducks to owls – as well as bats and squirrels.

 

"Development consumes 300 to 350 acres of Pennsylvania's landscape per day," said Carl G. Roe, Pennsylvania Game Commission executive director. "Although we can't keep pace with loses caused by urban and suburban sprawl, the Game Commission is working hard to preserve and improve habitat on its 1.4 million acres of State Game Lands and other public and private lands.

 

"For years, our Howard Nursery has been constructing a number of different wildlife nesting structures for placement on State Game Lands and to provide to private landowners enrolled in the agency's three cooperative public access programs. This year, we decided to expand the types of nesting boxes that we offer for sale to the general public, beyond the popular bluebird boxes."

 

Homeowners – the human kind, that is – can view the entire selection of nesting structures for sale on the Game Commission's website. The brochure and order form list the nesting structures by habitat type, to guide landowners in determining which nesting structure is best suited for their property.

 

Available nesting structures, listed by habitat types, along with the size (in inches) and price, are as follows:

 

-- Open Land or Woodland Margins – American kestrel box, 24x12x13, $20; gray and fox squirrel box, 18x12x12, $30; bluebird, chickadee or wren box, 11x6x9, $7; northern flicker box, 32x8x12, $25; bat box, 36x25x10, $95; or winter roosting box (can be used by chickadees, wrens, nuthatches, titmice, woodpeckers or bluebirds), 30x10x14, $30;

 

-- Hardwood Forests – barred owl box, 34x17x18, $50;

 

-- Farmlands or Open Lands – barn owl box, 17x36x17, $55; and

 

-- Wetlands and Associated Uplands – wood duck box, 32x10x17, $30; or mallard duck box, 24x13x13, $25.

 

Prices listed do not include shipping/handling costs, which range from $7 to $18 per unit, or applicable state sales taxes. All boxes come assembled and with instructions on where and how to place. The bluebird, chickadee, wren nesting box can be either fully constructed or provided in an unassembled kit complete with nails and screws.

 

Once an order is received, a representative from the Game Commission's Howard Nursery will contact the customer to confirm the order and discuss scheduled shipping dates. Completed orders can be mailed (P.O. Boxes are not acceptable for delivery), or arrangements can be made for customers to pick up their orders at Howard Nursery.

 

For the do-it-yourselfer, the Game Commission has a "Woodcrafting for Wildlife" book for sale ($5.66 plus tax and shipping and handling) available through "The Outdoor Shop" on the agency's website. This book includes plans for 26 different nesting structures for a variety of wildlife species and different habitat types.

 

Additionally, landowners seeking to plant trees beneficial to wildlife may still place orders for tree or shrub seedlings with the Game Commission's Howard Nursery. For an update on seedling species still available, as well as an order form, visit the Howard Nursery Seedling Program webpage.