Wing entrapment is a condition where a Martin may get stuck trying enter or exit a cavity. It is most likely to happen with thin walled housing upon exiting and more often than not during the spring when there are territorial disputes for cavities and mates. How big of a problem is wing entrapment? I have never had it happen at my site. I’ve used natural gourds, aluminum houses and plastic gourds. Just because I have never had it happen doesn’t mean it won’t. The first group of ChirpyNest did not include wing entrapment guards. One of the first landlords that purchased them loved them except for the lack of Wing entrapment guards. I quickly developed guards to be included with future orders. The design for 2021 uses an aluminum wing entrapment guard that is permanently attached with rivets.
I don’t feel Wing entrapment is a serious problem, but my hope is that this simple addition to ChirpyNest eliminates the possibility of wing entrapment.