Page 1 A Plant's Home© WindStar Wildlife Institute

Blazing the

Bluebird TrailFor more nature habitat information

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Bluebirds are one of the most spectacular birds

you can attract to your backyard.Given the proper habitat and a willingness on

your part to lend a hand when necessary,

bluebirds will visit your bird bath,bird house and bird feeders.

O nce you have attracted yourfirst bluebirds to your bird

bath, nesting box or feeder,you’ll be hooked. Theseabsolutely gorgeous birds willbecome a part of your daily life.Plus, they really need your help.

Bluebird sightings were “fewand far between" a decade ago.Now, thanks to thousands ofpeople across the country whobuild and install bluebird nestingboxes, bluebirds are making acomeback.

This is especially true for theEastern bluebird where housingand business developments arereplacing much of their habitatand natural nesting sites.

Developers are destroying thecavities where bluebirds like tonest and raise their young.Dead trees are cut down forfirewood and for appearancessake.

Wooden fence posts that werehollowed out by woodpeckersare being replaced with steelones.

And, house sparrows andEuropean starlings are takingover the few remaining naturalnesting sites.

Here’s where you can helpBluebirds readily adapt to

man-made nesting cavities(nesting boxes). But, thereneeds to be a lot of them, ifbluebirds are to survive.

Putting up a nesting box inyour backyard is okay, butwhat’s really needed aremultiple nesting sites. That’swhy the bluebird trail conceptmakes sense.

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Here are some tips from the North American Bluebird Societyon building a bluebird trail:

s Select proper bluebird habitat. Open rural country withscattered trees and low or sparse ground cover is best.Suitable habitat also includes a perch such as a fence, wires,or dead branches where bluebirds may perch to search forfood. Look for these when you are selecting a location foryour nesting boxes. If bluebirds do not like the habitat, theyprobably will not use your boxes.

s Avoid brushy and heavily wooded areas. This is the habitatof the house wren.

s Avoid areas where the house sparrow is abundant.

s Avoid areas of heavy pesticide use.

s Mount nesting boxes four feet or more from the ground,preferably on smooth pipes or posts.

s Mount boxes so that the entrance hole faces a tree orshrub. This allows the young bluebirds to fly directly to abranch when they leave the nesting box. This will keep themoff the ground, away from predators.

s Boxes should be spaced at least 100 yards apart.Bluebirds are territorial and don’t want other birds anycloser.

s Protect boxes against snakes, raccoons, feral cats andother predators.

s Monitor the boxes, if possible, at least once a week duringthe nesting season.

s Always remove house sparrow nests immediately. Removebluebird nests and those of other birds as soon as the youngbirds have fledged (left the nest).

s Inspect boxes in late winter. Clean and repair, if necessary.

s Boxes should be mounted in pairs in areas where treeswallows are abundant. Boxes can be mounted back to backor up to five feet apart. This provides nesting sites for bothspecies and helps to prevent competition between them.Different species of birds usually do not mind nesting closeto each other.

Don’t be discouraged if your nesting boxes are not used thefirst year. If bluebirds have not normally been in the area, it maytake them a few seasons to find your new box.

If the area where you live isnot good habitat forbluebirds, go where they aremore likely to raise theirfamilies – rural areas.

Maybe you can form agroup of interestedindividuals to work togetheron the project.

Look for less traveled roadsand open areas with sparseor low ground cover withscattered trees. Stay awayfrom areas that are sprayedwith pesticides.

Be sure and ask permissionfrom the landowner ormanager before installingyour nesting boxes. Also,place them where you caneasily monitor the boxes.

Bluebird trails are anextremely effective methodof reestablishing thebluebird population. Manyyouth groups, such as 4-Hand Scouts, service clubsand senior citizens groups,are dedicated to bringingback the bluebirds.

The work of so manydevoted people are producingwonderful results. More andmore bluebirds are being seen.And, the population isstabilizing in some locales.

But, the task nor the fun,doesn’t stop with installingthe nesting boxes. It’s nowtime to monitor them.

Each breeding pair can andoftentimes does have threebroods per year. After eachfamily leaves the nest, thebox should be cleaned out.

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Keeping house sparrows outof the boxes is the mostimportant monitoring task. Ifthey try to move in, be ruthlessand immediately toss theirnests. If you do this over andover, they will eventually moveon.

Birds will not nest in boxeswhere there are wasps. Whenyou see a wasp nest in the box,spray pyrethrum in the hole andcover it immediately. Thefollowing day remove the waspnest.

If possible, monitor yournesting boxes weekly. The bestway is to go quickly and quietlyto the box, open it, and lookinside. You may want to tapsoftly on the box so any adultbirds can leave. If the female ison the eggs, come back at alater time.

Checking the box will not makethe parents desert the nest.Also, touching the nest andleaving your scent on it, will notkeep them away either.

The only time not to disturbthe boxes is when the young are

12 days old or older. If theyprematurely leave the nest,they could fall to predators. Theonly way to tell is that youmust follow the progress of theyoung from the time they hatch.

If you accidentally cause thefledglings to leave the box, putthem back in and put a holerestrictor (false front with a1-1/8" opening hole) on the box.This will prevent the young fromleaving and the adults cancontinue to feed them. Then, onthe same day, remove therestrictor after it gets dark.

Keep a record when youmonitor the boxes. Number eachbox. Then record such things as:date, number of bluebirds seen,empty box, partial nest,complete nest, number of eggs,number of young, age of young,number fledged and make sureto have room for any specialcomments you want to add.

Bluebirds cannot make acomeback without our help.Each of us can make adifference. You will know successwhen sighting the colorfulbluebird is a common sight.

Highlights...

Size: s 7 inches

Color: s Eastern – brilliant blue above, white belly, red breasts Mountain – brilliant blue above, light blue belows Western – brilliant blue above with rust on its back, white

belly, blue throat; Females – similar but duller in color

Habitat: s Open fields bordering woodlands, golf courses, openparks, new developments with few trees, farms,cemeteries, orchards

Food: s Caterpillars, grasshoppers, beetles, holly, sumac,pokeweed, and poison ivy berries

How Long Does It Take.

Build nest: 1 to 6 days

Lay eggs: 5 to 7 days

Incubate: Eastern – 12 to 14 daysMountain – 13 to 15 daysWestern – 14 days

Brood: 6 days

Fledge: Eastern – 16 to 21 daysMountain – 19 to 23 daysWestern – 19 to 22 days

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What Type of Bluebird Nesting Box is Best.

Your choices are many. They include the Peterson box, thefront opening box, the side opening box and the PVC box. Thereare boxes made of cedar, pine and plywood.

No matter which type you build, follow these guidelines:

(1) No perch should be attached to the front of the box, forthis may encourage house sparrows, which are undesirablecompetitors.

(2) Entrance holes should be 1-1/2" in diameter for Easternbluebirds and 1-9/16" for Mountain and Western bluebirds.If the hole is oval, it should be 1-3/8" wide and 2-1/4" long.

(3) Floor dimensions should be approximately 4" x 4" forEastern bluebirds and 5" x 5" for Mountain and Westernbluebirds.

(4) Height from top of floor to bottom of entrance hole shouldbe about 5" to 7".

(5) Opening the box should be easy for monitoring andcleaning. Side- or front-opening boxes are easiest to clean,but top-opening boxes are easiest to monitor.

(6) Ventilation, by means of small holes drilled at the top ofthe sides or back, or gaps left between the roof and sidesor front, should be provided.

(7) Drainage holes, such as holes drilled in the floor or spacebetween the floor and the sides, should be present.

(8) Attaching the box to a tree or post should be easy. Besure this has been provided for.

(9) At least 3/4" thick wood should be used as the buildingmaterial to provide adequate insulation from the sun.

(10) The roof should overhang the entrance hole by at least 1"to 2" to keep out rain and shade the entrance.

– Donald and Lillian StokesThe Bluebird Book

Eastern

BluebirdNest

TreeSwallow

Nest

HouseSparrow

Nest

CarolinaChickadee

Nest

House

WrenNest

Page 5 A Plant's Home© WindStar Wildlife Institute

This article was written byThomas D. Patrick, Presidentand Founder of the WindStarWildlife Institute, a national,

non-profit, conservationorganization whose mission isto help individuals and families

establish or improve thewildlife habitat on their

properties.

For more information or for thename of a Master WildlifeHabitat Naturalist in your

area, please contact:

WindStar Wildlife Institute

E-mail: wildlife@windstar.orghttp://www.windstar.org

It is estimated that betweenthe late 1920’s and the 1970’s,bluebird populations decreased90%.

Efforts to save the bluebird byproviding artificial nest boxes toreplace natural nesting siteshave been immenselysuccessful.

The bluebird belongs in thethrush family, as do robins andwood thrushes.

Unique to North America,there are three species ofbluebirds – the Eastern,Mountain, and Western. All areapproximately seven inches long.

The Eastern bluebird is themost common. Its rangeextends from the easternseaboard west to the RockyMountains.

While adult males are azureblue with a white belly and redbreast, juveniles have speckledbreasts, like young robins.

The Mountain bluebird spotsthe same intense blue feathersabove, but its breast and bellyare a light blue.

As their name implies,Mountain bluebirds are found atelevations above 5,000 feet as

far up as 10,000to 12,000 feet –just below thetimberline. Theirrange stretchesfrom the Pacificcoast eastthrough andsomewhat pastthe Rockies andfrom the Mexicanborder north toAlaska.

The Western bluebird is theleast abundant of the threespecies. Its markings are verysimilar to its eastern cousin. It,too, has a red breast but a bluethroat and rusty back.

It’s found west of the Rockiesand from the Canadian bordersouth to the Mexican border.

Bluebird populationsdeclined because of habitatdestruction, loss of nestingsites and the introduction ofthe European starling and theEnglish house sparrow.

Like all birds, bluebirds needwater for bathing and drinking.A bird bath situated in theopen to allow the birds to watchfor enemies is ideal.

Bluebirds eat insects andfruit. Don’t use lawn chemicalsif you want bluebirds. In thespring and summer, insects aretheir primary food. And insectsare the only thing the young eatuntil they are almost ready toleave the nest.

There are special feeders onthe market designed forbluebirds that hold insects,such as mealworms, where thebluebird flies inside to feed.

Bluebirds love berries whichare critical to their survival inthe winter when insects areunavailable.

BluebirdsSialia siaois (Eastern)Sialia mexicana (Western)Sialia currucoides (Mountain)

At least one of the species –Eastern bluebird, Mountain

bluebird and Westernbluebird – live in every state

except Hawaii.

Elderberry,dogwood, blueberry,mulberry, cherry, viburum,Russian olive and Autumnolive provide food in thesummer and autumn months.Bittersweet, holly,pyracantha, sumac, mountainash, red cedar, and hawthornare good sources for food inthe winter.

Given the relative tamenessof bluebirds, their melodicsong and breathtaking beauty,bluebirds have earned the loveand loyalty so many peoplelavish on them.