Where have all the blue birds gone?
In the early part of the twentieth century, we saw a decline in the Eastern bluebird when the more aggressive European starlings and house sparrows were introduced to the USA. The 1960’s started an effort to recover the population of this species of bird and people began putting up nesting boxes designed to keep the larger European starlings out.
Let’s look at this bird a little closer:
The male Eastern bluebird is royal blue on the back and head with reddish-brown on its breast. The female is greyer on the head and back, has blue tinges on the wings and tail feathers, and more subdued reddish-brown feathers on its breast.
Bluebirds sleep in nest cavities and on sheltered branches of trees and shrubs.
When they are ready to mate, the male will entice the female to a nesting spot by carrying material in and out of the proposed nest, perching and fluttering his wings. Once the female accepts his invitation, she will create her actual nest which will be constructed loosely of grasses and pine needles, lined with fine grasses.
The Eastern bluebird lays two to seven eggs in a clutch. These are a pale blue and approximately 0.6 to 0.7 inches wide by 0.7 to 0.9 inches long. The eggs incubate for 11 to 19 days and the nestlings develop over another 17 to 21 days. There may be anywhere from one to three broods per year.
If you live in the Eastern part of the USA, how can you attract and help bring the Eastern bluebirds back to your area?
Here are some suggestions:
Have native plantings that will provide fall and winter food. This would include flowering dogwood, American holly, mulberry, juniper, wild grape, blueberry, viburnum and Virginia creeper to name a few. That “weed” you may have in your yard – pokeweed – is also a food source for this bird.
You can also put up bluebird houses. If you decide to put up multiple houses, it is suggested that they are spaced 100 yards apart to allow enough area for the bluebirds to establish a territory. Site houses about three to six feet from the ground, facing open areas and away from prevailing winds. A tree or other suitable perch 40 to 100 feet away from the bird house helps young on their first journeys out of the nest. Houses should be specific for bluebirds. See: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/eastern_bluebird/lifehistory for information on bluebirds and housing or one of the websites below for more specific information on this bird and their abodes. Install a predator guide below the box to prevent predators from climbing up and a five inch roof overhang to prevent attacks from above. It is also recommended to remove any house sparrow nests that may take up residence. Personally, I let anyone take up residence in my bird houses – which included a flying squirrel one time (you can read my previous blog below “Anyone Home???” on that incident).
If you decide to supplement their diet, their preferred food is mealworms, which can be purchased at many stores that sell birding supplies. Bluebirds may occasionally eat shelled sunflower, safflower and peanut chips, but they do not usually eat birdseed. Suet may be a useful addition to the diet in the cold winter months. You encourage bluebirds to eat by mixing in peanut chips, berries and sunflower hearts, crumbling the suet into bite sized pieces, and putting it on a platform feeder with mealworms and/or berries that they like. Remove suet when the weather begins to warm; if it turns rancid, it could harm the birds.
Avoid using pesticides on plants in your yard. This is important for wildlife and reduces risk for all of us!
For more information, please see the sites listed below.
Happy Wildlife Gardening!
Laurie Rispoli, Master Gardener
