-
bluebird houses and turf wars
Is it possible to have too many bluebird houses? The answer would be yes and no, depending on several factors and just how “into” bluebirds you’re willing to get. I recently joined a forum for Bluebird Monitors as I’ve seen some pretty bizarre happenings with bluebirds this season.In the past, Eastern Bluebirds have over-wintered in our North Georgia Yard, and have gone on to nest in various bluebird houses, raising several successful broods. It’s awesome to watch older siblings help raise the fledgelings too. And mom and dad will work as a pair for about 30 days to raise their brood.
The first five eggs all hatched, all fledged… off to a good start, right? Not really 🙁 The male disappeared about 3 days before these babies fledged, so mom was on her own. It wasn’t long before these babies learned to feed themselves at the mealworm feeder. Granted, only three of them made it thus far, but it looked promising. I then noticed a strange lump, almost a protrusion on one of these babies, which was the reason for joining the bluebird forum. After posting the question, I’d received a detailed answer saying this was likely a broken air sac, which happens frequently to fledgeling as they can’t really tell yet what’s solid or open. It could either absorb itself, or turn infectious. I watched daily, this group of three siblings who stuck together at feeding times. It was the female with injury and I so hoped she remain okay. And she did for a while, until the turf wars began.
Enter a new male Eastern Bluebird: he had it in for these fledgelings as they were not his brood. Relentlessly he’d chase them from feeder to feeder, dive-bombing and harassing them constantly. It was the most difficult thing to watch. The new male was trying to attract one of the two adult females… and with all his might at that. One day there were no fledgelings, two days and no fledgelings, by day three I’d given up. The male had either driven them from the area, or killed them. I’d never seen Bluebirds engage in such behavior, and it saddened me.
About one week later, I learned of the new nest and the babies who had hatched. Never actually monitoring this bluebird house, I’d watch the female cram as many worms in her mouth as she could and fly to the box, so I knew she was feeding hatchlings. This bluebird house sits very high up, so again, it was never monitored. The ot
her day I saw both parent bring three fledgeling to the mealworm feeder, and had better hopes for a successful brood.Typically Bluebird Houses should be about 100 feet apart. With an acre of land, we have several different kinds of houses for them. Other cavity nesters also use bluebird houses and this is where some extreme bird wars are created. House Sparrows are enemy number one, destructive and aggressive, they’ll chuck Bluebird eggs from the houses, kill nestlings, and even adult Bluebirds. House Wrens will do the same, wreaking havoc on Bluebirds. Tree Swallows will also compete for Bluebird Houses, and sometimes adding a second house 10-15 feet apart helps eliminate competition. After reading the many posts from the Bluebirds Forum, I’ve learned that most species are quite territorial during nesting season, aggressive and downright mean. Predator guards help some, and devices called “sparrow spookers” may keep these non-native demons at bay, but I guess it’s just survival of the fittest, kinda sad that mother nature can be so tough.
-
bluebird houses alone may not cut it
The “Bluebird of Happiness” is one special little songbird that many backyard birders try to entice to their yards. The task can sometimes prove fruitless without the right combination of elements.First there’s shelter, in the form of nest boxes, or bluebird houses. But don’t expect success with just slapping up a house. Proportionally-sized for Eastern and Western Bluebirds, these houses have certain features required for a successful brood. A predator guard is a plus, and having a duplicate bluebird house nearby may help with the fierce competition by non-native birds like the House Sparrow. Placement is important too, as Bluebirds prefer their nest boxes in open spaces. Shelter also involves cover, protection from predators in the form of mature trees and shrubs.
Now bluebird houses can run the gamut from your basic nest box (which serv
es the purpose well) to detailed copper roof houses, and decorative artisan’s works. The main thing is proportion and size, and drainage. Some bluebird houses will have a raised screen on the floor to prevent parasites, others have built in predator guards, and some have clear acrylic viewing windows to check the progress of nestlings without disturbing them. Some may have all these features, while others may have none of them. You usually get what you pay for in this instance, but again, a basic nest box will 
likely do the trick.Next is the feeder…Bluebirds are not seed eaters, and are not very likely to frequent this type of bird feeder. Traditional bluebird feeders are a “fly-in” style. They have have holes for the birds to enter and leave. Not many other species will use this kind of feeder…don’t ask me why bluebirds do! On occasion, I’ve seen Black Capped Chickadees enter our feeder in search of the coveted live mealworms. Tray feeders will also entice bluebirds if their favorite foods are offered. Number one choice…live meal worms. Once discovered, they’ll usually stick around for a daily offering of the juicy treat.
The last recommendation would have to be a birdbath. Fresh water offered on a consistent basis has got to be the single, most effective way to attract any wild birds. Especially in winter, a heated bath is a popular hangout where you’ll see many grateful little songbirds! Last winter, our Eastern Bluebirds over-wintered, and toughed out one of the most miserable winter seasons i can remember. Largely because of the heated bird baths, and live meal worms which were fed twice daily. Two successful broods last spring were truly a joy to watch fledge and grow. Once success is achieved…you’ll be hooked on Bluebirds…Happy Birding!
-
Blue Bird Houses May Not be Enough
Silly me! I seriously thought that by placing blue bird houses in the yard the sweet birds would just appear and decide to take up residence. Not the case though. After some time, the bluebird feeder was introduced with offerings that weren’t too enticing to bluebirds. Suet crumbles, bluebird banquet, roasted mealworms, and a host of other foods claiming to be” their favorite” were not attracting bluebirds to the yard.Then after biting the bullet so to speak, live meal worms were offered and it worked…in fact, it worked great! I noticed in the dead of winter there were eastern bluebirds in my yard…everyday! There’s a heated bird bath in the back, and they frequented it daily. Now added to the list of chores was feeding the worms everyday, but it was just so rewarding to watch these sweet little birds chowing down!
When it started to warm up, the bluebirds were busy building a nest of pine needles in one of blue bird houses. In and out for a few days, the nest was completed quickly. I watched the process over the next few we
eks, afraid to even open the house and peek inside. The parents dutifully fed the chicks mealworms over the next few days. Feeder to house, house to feeder, I watched in delight.Fledglings! Three healthy bluebird chicks learned to fly. I watched as they’d follow their parents over to the meal worm feeder, land on top and scream for food. After a few days they learned to enter and exit the openings to get their own worms. This was very cool to witness, and I would suggest to anyone with the least bit of interest in Bluebirds to try it and see!
Birding Tips, Information & News
