Bluebirds are truly photogenic and our members have shared many wonderful images with us. We welcome you to enjoy these photos and contribute your own. If you find an injured bluebird or any other native animal , contacting a qualified wildlife rehabilitator can save a life.
Part of the mission of the Ohio Bluebird Society is education. Visit our FAQ and resources page for educational resources including our Bluebird Basics powerpoint presentation and more!
Skip to content. Trail Information Bluebirds are territorial and need roughly half an acre of space around their nest box. Gardening for Bluebirds Creating and maintaining a safe habitat for bluebirds includes providing cover, food sources insects and soft fruits and limiting or eliminating use of chemicals. Flatter cup than bluebirds. Eggs are pure white. Black-capped Chickadee : Downy nest of moss, fur, and soft plant fibers.
Female may cover eggs with moss when leaving the box. White eggs with brown speckles. Tufted Titmouse : Downy nest of moss, fur, and soft plant fibers. May have many earwigs living in it. House Wren : Messy nest of twigs, occasionally lined with fine fibers or feathers. Males may build unlined eggless "dummy nests" in nearby boxes to reduce competition.
Build or purchase a nestbox designed specifically for bluebirds. See plans. Put up nestboxes in semi-open grassland habitat, such as mowed meadows, large lawns, cemeteries, orchards, roadsides , and areas with scattered trees and short ground cover. Areas with fence lines, some medium size trees, or telephone lines provide perches for hunting and nest-guarding. If no native birds use the box for two years, try a different spot. Note: Western Bluebirds do not favor large, open meadows.
Mount boxes on 8 ft. Keep boxes a minimum of yards apart. Install predator guards to keep snakes, raccoons and other predators from raiding nests e. If squirrels chew the entrance hole to widen it, screw a metal hole guard available from birding stores or a 1. Try attaching strands of 10 lb. Plant native trees, shrubs, and vines that provide fall and winter food for bluebirds. Consider offering mealworms. Provide water. Monitor boxes at least once a week to check on progress and control House Sparrows , paperwasps , blow flies, etc.
You can remove eggs that have not hatched 5 days after last egg hatched. Bluebirds like a clean box. Remove bluebird nests as soon as the young fledge, or if nesting fails, to encourage another brood. Put nests in the trash to avoid attracting predators. If mice nest in the boxes over the winter, clean them out in February. S ee instructions. Replace or repair any split, rotten, or broken pieces on boxes that could let rain in and chill nestlings.
Be patient! See more tips. And be prepared to become possessed by these captivating birds. DON'T install nestboxes within yards of barnyards where animals are fed, or where House Sparrows are abundant unless you are willing to actively manage House Sparrow populations.
DON'T mount boxes on trees or fence lines--they provide easy access for predators. More info DON'T install boxes near where pesticides or herbicides are used. Don't use pesticides inside boxes unless they are approved for caged birds.
House Sparrows are non-native invasive pests, and are not protected by law. Boxes should be posted five to six feet off the ground, although boxes placed a little higher usually suffice. In recent years, great strides have been made to return bluebird populations to their former glory, but non-native populations such as house sparrows or starlings often keep them away and attack and brutalize adults, nestlings and eggs.
Native to Great Britain, house sparrows are commonly found around shopping malls and plazas, in urban areas and in small postage-stamped size yards, especially where people are avid bird feeders. Unfortunately, house sparrows are so plentiful that they often venture out to less populated areas where they take away habitat from Eastern Bluebirds.
A special note to business owners with large protruding letters for signage — these are magnets for house sparrow nests and ensuing messes.
If you were given a nest box for Christmas, do not mount it in shade, a high-traffic area or on a tree trunk. Make sure you are providing insects mealworms work great and berries. Choose bird feeders that bluebirds will actually use. You need to buy bird feeders that specialize in feeding the foods mentioned above mealworms and berries! August 8, at pm. Mary Sander says:.
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