At first glance, most people see a snag as an eyesore or a good piece of wood to burn or add to the landfill. To wildlife, snags are a source of food in the form of the many insect species attracted underneath bark, and a home in the form of a nesting cavity. These include bluebirds, wood ducks, tree squirrels, bats, yellow-shafted flickers, downy woodpeckers and house wrens. Refer to page 19 for North Dakota's cavity nesting wildlife. Structure, which will generally show immediate results, are nest boxes for cavity nesting species.
Cavity nesting species require a cavity in which to build their nest and lay eggs.
These man-made structures mimic the natural cavities found in dead and dying trees and can be provided for wildlife in almost any North Dakota habitat. Wildlife differ in need depending on their size and habits and nest boxes need to be designed with those needs in mind. A publication is available from the Game and Fish Department entitled, Building Nest Boxes, Feeders and Photo Blinds for North Dakota Wildlife . This publication provides plans for building structures to attract over fifteen North Dakota wildlife species, including cavity nesters. It also recommends habitats and locations for placement of nest boxes.