Susan Kritzik writes: "The Western equivalent is the Ash-throated Flycatcher, which also nests in cavities, including Bluebird boxes. They have a lovely (?) "kabrik!!" call.
"They have the somewhat smelly habit of incorporating coyote scat in their nests. I suppose it may repel mammalian predators or insects. It is also a bit repellent to nestbox monitors! I assume snakeskin might startle avian predators and even mammals. There’s always an evolutionary reason for these things!"
Susan Kritzik writes: "The Western equivalent is the Ash-throated Flycatcher, which also nests in cavities, including Bluebird boxes. They have a lovely (?) "kabrik!!" call.
"They have the somewhat smelly habit of incorporating coyote scat in their nests. I suppose it may repel mammalian predators or insects. It is also a bit repellent to nestbox monitors! I assume snakeskin might startle avian predators and even mammals. There’s always an evolutionary reason for these things!"