Audubon asks for nest boxes

February has arrived and despite the lingering winter temperatures, some bird species are already preparing for spring. Brown-headed nuthatches are one of Georgia’s early-nesting species, and these small brown birds are already searching for cavities in which to build their nests. Atlanta Audubon is asking metro-Atlanta residents to help create habitat for this iconic southern bird by placing nest boxes in their yards.

In 2015, Atlanta Audubon launched a conservation program to build habitat for these birds, which make their homes in pine forests in the southeast. To date, more than 300 nest boxes have been placed in parks, schools, backyards, and other spaces around metro-Atlanta by Atlanta Audubon Society and by concerned citizens who enjoy seeing these birds in their yards.

Identified as a climate-endangered bird in the recent National Audubon Society Climate Report, the brown-headed nuthatch is in danger of disappearing from Georgia, one of the few states it calls home. How to help:

Purchase a nest box from Atlanta Audubon Society’s online store at www.AtlantaAudubon. org.

Purchase a next box from Bird Watchers Supply Company, Wild Birds Unlimited or The Garden Enthusiast in Tucker. All of these stores carry nesting boxes with the smaller one-inch opening or one-inch excluders that may be used on nest boxes with larger openings.

Download plans to build it yourself at atlantaaudubon.org/ brown-headed-nuthatch.

After installing a box on your property, become a citizen scientist and help monitor and report on activity at your box through the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Nestwatch Program.

Information: www.atlan taaudubon.org.