Our Favorite Bluebird Box

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This time of year we are often asked for advice on picking a bluebird box. With so many choices, as well as the vast wealth of misinformation online, folks can be left feeling like they will be making the wrong decision regardless of which box or setup they choose. Fortunately for us, the Eastern bluebird didn’t establish a range from Nicaragua in the south to Nova Scotia in the north because they are picky! Quite the opposite in fact, as we have seen these adaptable little birds nest successfully everywhere from a broken box in our service alley to in an unusual instance, a cinder block in a customer’s yard.

All that being said, the question remains: Which box should I get? Our favorite over the years is by far the ATZ Woodcrafts Classic Bluebird Nest Box. These boxes are handmade in Ohio out of kiln-dried cedar. This material is resistant to rot and can often give many seasons of use. They also feature a pre-installed guard to prevent animals from chewing and enlarging the opening. These boxes are also some of the best for ease of maintenance and monitoring thanks to them opening from the top down. This means that no matter how high up they fill the box with nest material, you can still peek in and get a good view. These also have two pre drilled holes in the back making them easy to attach to a fence, tree, or 4x4 post.

Monitoring Bluebird Boxes

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It’s great that so many people are interested in providing nest boxes for Bluebirds, and because of these efforts Bluebird populations are extremely robust. We encounter customers, though, that ask a lot of questions they would have the answer to if they just monitored the nest box a little. We do not mind answering the questions, it’s very much part of the job.

Most of the time when we mention to a customer they should consider monitoring the box their response is “I don’t want to disturb them or scare them away”. If done properly neither of those things will happen. Not only is it interesting and a great nature and biology lesson, you can predict within a day or two when the babies will leave the box. And another reason to monitor is you may actually keep something bad from happening to the babies. I’ve often told customers of the time my son, who I taught to monitor, discovered one of our boxes with four two day old Bluebird babies was infested with ants. In just 48 hours, since the last monitoring, ants had found the newborn babies and were likely going to consume them given enough time.

We carefully removed the babies and placed them in a little box, then removed the entire nest from the box while the female watched from a nearby tree limb. We first cleaned all the ants out of the now empty nestbox and made sure no more would climb the pole. Then we constructed a rather poor replica of the nest using their preferred nest material pine straw. After the nest was back in the box we then removed all the ants from the babies by using a drinking straw to blow the ants off and then placed them back in the box in the clean nest. In all it took us about 20 minutes. The female returned to the box about 10 minutes after we completed the cleaning. Even after removing the nest and handling her babies the female came right back to them because the instinct to raise her young is that powerful. So, monitoring which really just consists of taking a peak for a few seconds will definitely not scare the birds away. Bluebirds tend to be quite tolerant of our presence. Usually they patiently watch as I monitor. Once in a while they will swoop at you clicking their beak in protest. But they will not abandon a nest because of brief looks in the box.

Monitoring Tips

• Observing from a distance is important monitoring, too. Seeing bluebirds come and go is an indication they are showing an interest in choosing the box. If you see the pair on and in the box take a moment after they leave to go look inside. You will likely observe nest building at some point. Pine straw and fine dry grasses are the preferred nest material.

• Bluebirds tend to lay eggs in the morning hours. The female will lay one per day until done, usually between three and six. Four and five eggs seem to be the most common numbers. She will not begin incubating until all the eggs are laid. So, at this stage I would recommend monitoring in the afternoon so as not to disturb egg laying in the morning. Or, again, if you see the female exit the box take a moment to go look. Take notes. It’s helpful to increasing your knowledge of the process.

• When I monitor and see 4 eggs and she is not incubating yet that tells me she has probably one egg to go. I will make note of the date because we know Bluebirds incubate for 12-14 days and then should see babies.

• Once I am certain she is incubating I do more monitoring from a distance. If you see the female exit the box and fly off that’s a perfect time to approach and take a look. Be gentle and quiet. I like a box that has a door that opens down as opposed to up. It is so much easier to monitor in a subtle way. I also take pictures to share with people.

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Eggs laid before incubation.

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Fledglings days after hatching.

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Fledglings about a week after hatching.

• Now the babies have hatched and I’ve noted the date because we know the babies will take about 14 days to develop and be ready to leave the box. This is known as the fledgling period.

• I will monitor daily until by my calculations tell me there are just 2 or 3 days to go until they fledge. At this stage of their development the babies may be fearful enough to want to get out of the box if you open it. I monitor from a distance watching the parents as they make repeated trips with food to satisfy all those appetites.

• Hopefully, the calculations are right and you may get a chance to see babies fledge. You will see more animated behavior from the parents as the first and second babies are about to come out for their first flight. Do not be alarmed if all the babies don’t fledge at the same time. It may take several hours for all to fledge.

For more information about Bluebirds and monitoring please visit the National Bluebird Society website. http://www.nabluebirdsociety.org/bluebirdfacts.htm

Get Ready For Bluebirds

Have you been listening?  Birds are beginning to sing.  They know spring is fast approaching.  It’s apparent Eastern Bluebirds have already begun searching for potential nest-sites.  Several times in the past few weeks I’ve seen two and three Bluebirds land on and look in some of the nest boxes around my yard.  Their biological clocks are telling them the breeding season is almost here.  Although most Bluebirds won’t begin their first nesting until early to mid-April, their search for nest sites will typically intensify in the last weeks of February and into March.  Some eager Bluebirds may get on nest as early as mid-March.

So, get a jump on your neighbors and offer a couple of nest boxes in good locations.  If you already have nest boxes now is a good time to make sure they are cleaned out and free of old debris left over from last year’s nesting’s.   

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Here are a Few Tips on Choosing a Location:

Ø  An open lawn area may be preferable but not absolutely necessary.  Choose the most open location available in your yard even if it means there will be a little more human traffic. 

Ø  Bluebirds would be more sensitive to a lot of bird traffic so it’s not recommended nest boxes be placed near bird feeders.  What’s a comfortable distance?  It’s impossible to be exact but we would suggest 50 to 100 feet away.

Ø  You may have heard that nest boxes need to face east.  While this may be helpful to keep wet weather from being a detrimental factor this is not something Bluebirds require.

Ø  A Bluebird box does not need to be on a pole.  The advantage of a pole, however, is it allows you to position the box in the location you determine to be the best.  Bluebird boxes can be mounted to trees, fences, structures like garden sheds, and utility poles.  A height  of 4’ or 5’ is just fine.   

Ø  How many boxes can be offered in a typical yard situation?  So, there is no harm in offering lots of nest boxes (birdhouses) in your yard but do not expect them to all get used at the same time especially if they are close in proximity to one another.  For instance, two nest boxes within 25 feet of one another are not likely to be occupied simultaneously.  Birds are too territorial to accept this situation unless they are colony nesters like Purple Martins and Cliff Swallows.  But feel free to decorate your yard with lots of birdhouses if that’s your thing.  Offering multiple nest-boxes is great and it does lessen the competition for a single box, but do consider the nature of the species you are trying to attract and what kind of setting would be most appealing.

And PLEASE remember to not let your desire to attract Bluebirds cause you to clean out Chickadee, Wren, and Tufted Titmouse nests.  In no way does cleaning out a Chickadee nest ensure you will get Bluebirds instead.  Chickadees typically nest earlier than Bluebirds and only once.  Bluebirds will nest up to 3 times per season and have plenty of time.  Even if you do not get Bluebirds during the first nesting there is still time for two more.  Besides, if a Bluebird wanted the nest-box it would easily out-compete a Chickadee.

….Next Week How to Feed Bluebirds