The design of artificial nestboxes for the study of secondary hole-nesting birds: a review of methodological inconsistencies and potential biases.

The article presents a study which investigated the possible methodological inconsistencies in the design and construction of artificial nestboxes for hole-nesting birds in captivity. It states that the physical dimension, placement height and the way in which nestboxes are constructed affect the routine monitoring and experimental manipulation of eggs or nestlings. The authors claim that there are criticisms that avian research in free-ranging populations is dominated by a few model systems which includes the use of nestboxes.