Eastern Bluebird

The eastern bluebird is one of the most beautiful and asked about of our native songbirds. Their bright color and distinct song make them an attractive addition to any landowner's property.

Bluebird habitat consists of mixed hardwood forests and grassland areas. Grasslands can be hay ground, pasture, road and utility right of ways, yards or any other open areas. Open grass areas should be at least one acre in size. Grasses that are short or sparse and offer insects are best. Bluebirds are insect eaters and use perches such as phone wires, fence posts, and trees as feeding perches to watch for prey items. An added benefit of attracting bluebirds to your yard area is their constant feeding of insects to their young during daylight hours. They will reduce biting insect numbers around your home.

Bluebirds are a cavity nesting species. They use cavities found in living or dead trees or man-made nest boxes. Within the next cavity you will find a small cup shaped nest of fine grasses. Bluebirds usually lay five light blue eggs. Eggs are incubated for 11-14 days and the young fledge from the nest in 18-20 days.

Placing one or two boxes around your home or developing a nest box trail will assist bluebirds by increasing nesting opportunities. Bluebird trails are made up of five or more boxes placed along roadways, fencelines or field borders. Boxes are placed four to six feet above ground and should have 100 yards between them. Entrances should face north, east or northeast to reduce exposure to spring storms and overheating from sunlight entering the hole. All nesting structures should have predator guards. New boxes should be in place and old ones cleaned out by the first week of March. Early cleaning and maintenance will have boxes ready for the earliest of arrivals in mid March. When you notice that the young bluebirds have left the nest, you should remove old nest material. Removing old nests will increase your chance of having the box used to produce a second brood within the same year.

Often bluebirds have competition for nesting cavities, especially from tree swallows and house wrens. Reducing tree swallow competition is accomplished by pairing boxes within 25 feet of each other and then spacing the next group 100 yards away. Pairing of boxes allows a breeding pair of tree swallows to use one box and leaves one available for bluebirds. Established tree swallows will fight off any other swallows that move into the area. House wrens fill the nest box with sticks for their nest. To reduce house wren use of a box you can move it 25 feet away from forest and brush areas.

Last modified: Monday, 10-Mar-2008 19:46:52 UTC