Preferences of avian seed-hoarders in advance of potential American chestnut reintroduction

•Scatter-hoarding behavior by birds provides a key seed dispersal service for fagaceous trees in eastern North America.•Blue Jays and two woodpecker species preferred American chestnut seeds over white oak acorns, but black oak acorns over chestnuts.•Tufted Titmouse had variable seed preferences and White-breasted Nuthatch preferred chestnuts over both acorn species.•Blue Jays are expected to be important dispersers for reintroduced chestnuts, particularly in years of black oak mast failure, or in stands where preferred oak species are uncommon.