Three species of cavity nesters potentially competitive with the Starling — the Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major, Middle Spotted Woodpecker D. medius and Nuthatch Sitta europaea were studied in the years 1997-1999. The number of suitable nest sites for Starlings and competitive pressure were manipulated by increasing or decreasing the availability of nest boxes. Increased nest-site competition did not lead to significant changes in number among the studied species. The Starling was found to take over up to 25% of holes chosen by Nuthatches for breeding. Increased availability of nest sites did not protect Nuthatches from cavity losses, but reduced their frequency. Only 20% of Nuthatch pairs that lost their holes renested successfully in the same breeding season. No impact of Starlings on breeding woodpeckers was noted.
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