In America's tidy neighborhoods, as homeowners and townships trim away dead trees and large limbs, good owl nesting sites can be hard to find.  The same goes for the Wood Duck.

Human-made nest boxs can make up for any shortage of natural nesting cavities, enabling the owls and Wood Ducks a place to live, where they might otherwise be absent. 

Owls may spend their days sleeping in sense foliage or sitting next to tree trunks.  More often they will be inside a cavity of some sort - a hollow limb, a large woodpecker hole, hidden away from the sharp eyes of small songbirds.  A good cavity becomes more essential during the nesting season.

It's important to place the box correctly.  The natural cavities that owls choose are typically 12 to 20 feet above the ground and in deep shade.  Place an inch or so of dried leaves in the bottom of the box and hang it up on the trunk of a large tree.

Wood Ducks also nest in natural tree cavities, often abandoned woodpecker nests. These natural cavities are scare and the Wood Duck will readily use a man made box.  They nest close to rivers, wetlands and other suitable aquatic habitats.  Cavities located 30 feet or more above the ground are preferred, but the height can vary from near ground level to 65 feet.  They prefer nesting over water so the young have a soft landing, but will nest up to 150 yards from the shoreline.