Putting up a house, or better yet being part of a blue trail, can be a very enjoyable activity for both adults and children plus it can be a great family activity. And it can help meet an important need for proper housing for bluebirds but it is important to do it correctly.
First, it is important to learn from established organizations and sources what to do (ie, providing safe houses), how to do (ie, monitoring) and what not to do (ie, don’t encourage predators) in providing bluebird houses. One of the best known is the North American Bluebird Society. They have a lot of information available at no charge on their website including their excellent fact sheet ‘Getting Started with Bluebirds’. They have affiliate groups in some states that can provide more localized information (such as when they start nesting)
A number of different organizations sponsor Bluebird Trails including some chapters of the National Audubon Society such as the Audubon Society of Omaha.
A good thing to do if you are going to put up a bluebird box is to register it with the ‘Nest Watch’ program run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology collaboration with the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, and funded by the National Science Foundation. (actually you can register your other nest sites there too). “NestWatch aims to provide a unified nest-monitoring scheme to track reproductive success for all North American breeding birds.” It doesn’t cost anything and you register then enter your data online–how cool is that, another way to make your birds count!
If you already are a bluebird box ‘landlord’ be sure your boxes are clean and ready for the bluebird ‘tenants’ to occupy them this spring. If you didn’t clean the boxes by the end of last year’s nesting season (best to do it then), the Sialis.org website has instructions on how to do it so it in a way that is safe for you and so it will be safe for new baby bluebirds. By the way, ‘sialis’ is the scientific name for the family of bluebirds and the Sialis.org website also has a lot of good information about bluebirds as well as other bird specie that nest in cavities.
In addition to the enjoyment it’s brings to install and maintain bluebird houses, they are very important because bluebirds have suffered population declines due to lost habitat as a result of a combination of factors: many trees in which they nested have been cut down as forests were cleared for cities and farms; even wood fence posts where they could nest have been replaced by metal posts; the introduction of House Sparrows and possibly Starlings, aggressive species that take over nest sites that had been used by bluebirds and other native cavity nesting birds; and possibly other factors that impact food availability.
If you want to build your own bluebird houses for Eastern, Western or Mountain Bluebirds there are a number of plans available (only those designed for bluebirds, please).
{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve got a bird nesting in a cavity above my kitchen right now, wish I’d built a bird house earlier!
We love having the nest boxes for our Eastern Bluebirds. We had a cat (or two) get to the nest the day after they hatched a couple times. We now have put up an electric fence in a spiral around the bottom of the poll to prevent the cats from getting close enough to jump. We have had great success since then. I make sure and have live mealworms around and especially when they are ready to lay eggs or trying to feed the newly hatched. It is great to be a part of this.
Nina-You are a good bluebird-landlord! Good idea of using an electric fence to keep predators from killing the vulnerable nestlings. Thanks for sharing as this may be useful for others
I have had bluebirds nesting in my yard for several years. Last year they did not nest here. Will they come back? What should I do to bring them back?
Love my blue birds here in Tennessee, they also love bird baths. Have had 2 families & their offspring stay all winter. its our 4th spring here, they must like their houses, they even clean out before laying more eggs. Mealy worms are expensive, but a favorite food for them, the dried kind is better if your`e squemish.
Christine-indeed, your bluebirds must like your houses as well as the ‘neighborhood’ where they can hunt insects. Thanks for the suggestion about using the dried mealy worms as an option.
Nice video except he showed a box on a wooden post with no predator guard……..then it just becomes a raccoon feeder……..A stove pipe predator guard is an absolute must for any bluebird box mounted on a wooden post!
Terry-thanks for pointing this out. I know that the links I provided above discuss the need for and use of predator guards.
How to keep sparrow away?
Marilyn–the webpage ‘Managing House Sparrows’ has a lot of good information on dealing with this species.
We have had bluebirds for several years. Their houses (3) are on post, which my husband put somekind of slick flashing. so the cats could not get them. We live in North East Texas. Love our Bluebirds.
Thanks Hazel for sharing your experience with using flashing to keep cats from climbing up to get to the bluebirds.
I had bluebirds last year. I live near Dayton, Ohio. First nest had four eggs, but I think a raccoon got them. She built another nest so we put a stove pipe around the post and she had 4 fledglings! She made another nest and had 5 fledglings! It was fantastic! We saw them all summer. They are back again and have claimed a house. I just can’t wait to see what happens now.
Shelley-thanks for sharing your experience with bluebirds. Your experience emphasizes the importance of putting stove pipes around posts as Terry stated above in order to deter predators like racoons. Five fledglings must have kept them busy!
I have two bluebird houses, one sparrows took over. The other one, I try to make sure no other bird takes. I have had bluebird famlies for the last 6 yrs. Last year I lost two babies, I found them when I was cleaning out the birdhouse. My male bluebird sits by my sliding door in the kitchen and knocks on the door for me to bring food. He actually wakes me up in the morning. I do use the dry meal worms and have had great success with them. I am really looking forward to seeing the bluebirds again this year.
Thanks for sharing your experiences with your bluebirds. I have heard of hummingbirds and other species tapping on windows when their feeders needed filling but this is the first I have heard of a bluebird tapping on the door and waking you to bring the dry meal worms.
I had two broods last year. Fun to watch. Momma and poppa perch on my lawn swing frame before entering the nest box. Back and forth they went for a couple of evenings before the babies fledged. The other thing I’ve missed so far is actually seeing the babies leave. Did have to clean the nest once and spray an ant trail. Happy to see my couple back with nesting material in their beak Saturday. Yeah! Tennessee here, too.
Cabrina-I appreciate your sharing your experience as a bluebird ‘landlord’. Sounds like your bluebird pair didn’t waste any time in starting their nest building.
I had a pair of bluebirds nesting last year, haven’t seen them yet this year. Trying desperatly to keep the sparrows out. Have cleaned out 3 of their nests so far. They are persistent. Any suggestions?
Hi Dorothy-did you read the information about House Sparrow on ‘Managing House Sparrows’? It has a lot of good information on dealing with them.
My bluebirds just layed eggs & the sparrows took over! The eggs were broken on the ground & a sparrow was inside! What can we do??
Donna-as I noted above the webpage ‘Managing House Sparrows’ has a lot of good information on keeping this species from invading bluebird boxes.
We put up a bluebird house last year and a titmouse family moved in. This year we put up a new bluebird house that we found mentioned in one of your articles last year. It has photos on front and is offered by Backyard Bird http://www.backyardbird.com/Shelley-Atkinson-Series_c_106.html. Even better, they have a series with MY photos on the front. I hope we get bluebirds this year. My mother in law really likes them.
I have been a bluebird enthusiast for many years. I have seven bluebird boxes that Bluebirds and Swallows share. I’ve tried many bluebirds nestboxes but have settled for a design I found from an amish man, which my husband continues to build for me as needed. Usually, I have four to five clutches every year. The last clutch is August. It seems that clutch stays all winter long waiting for their mealworms when I come out of the house and whistle my tune. They follow me from one feeding station to the next, sitting in a tree nearby until I place the live or freeze-dried mealworms into the feeders. I love watching the adults bring their babies to the feeders to enjoy and learn to share:) Bluebirds of Happiness they are for sure.
My husband built a bluebird nest box. It’s been up for two weeks and already there is a nest in it, but we don’t believe it’s bluebirds. Will try to see what enters and then “relocate” the nest before eggs are laid, and will also read the article on house sparrows. We have many sparrows and finches, but a pretty large variety of other songbirds. We’re in Random Lake, Wisconsin, about 30 miles north of Milwaukee. I like knowing where everyone lives so I can see if anyone is having luck here in our neck of the woods! I saw a bluebird last year a few blocks away, so asked my husband to built the box. Anxiously awaiting! Will buy some dehydrated mealworms to see if that helps.
I have one bluebird box in my yard and they are busy now bringing in food. I can see them getting bugs out of my garden area and hope they help with keeping bug down to a management level…hahah they are busy little birds for sure. I love to watch them work.
This summer my bluebird tried to attack the other male bluebird in the side mirror on our car, and the window on the front door. when he wasn’t doing that he and the blackcapped chickadee were fighting over the birdhouse. I witnessed the blackcap chickadee take a blue egg,fly to the ground and roll it under a bush. The blackcapped won and had one chick. Can’t wait to see what happens next.
Hi Pam,
Bluebirds and other species (especially Northern Cardinals) are well known for territorial disputes with their own images in car mirrors and other glass.
I am very surprised to hear than a Black-capped Chickadee removed a bluebird egg from it’s box. I am surprised that as small as they are that they could accomplish this.
Maybe it would a good idea to put up a second nest box to avoid the competition and egg destruction.
{ 3 trackbacks }