Sorry this is so long, just wanted to be thorough lol.
We're told that the motivation of choosing an already established nest, when the Common Eiders choose to do so, is probably to locate the nest in an area maximally safe from predation. It's pro…
TL;DR I don't think it's a case of making too far-reaching of an assumption as much as just missing an important detail. The nests are built in the wooden boxes. The wooden boxes themselves aren't used as nests. I think looking through that lens you…