NABS Factsheet Getting Started with Bluebirds

Over the years, land has been cleared for housing and commercial developments, highways and agriculture, and many
old trees have been cut down. Wooden fence posts that provided nesting cavities have been replaced with metal posts.
With modernization, the supply of natural nesting cavities for bluebirds and other native cavity nesters has been greatly
reduced.

Habitat loss was compounded by the introduction into North America of two
imported species—the European Starling and the House Sparrow (not to be
confused with sparrows that are native to North America, such as the Song
Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, etc.). Both starlings and House Sparrows are cavity
nesters. Both are very aggressive. House Sparrows are small enough to enter
any hole that a bluebird can, and will chase away or kill bluebirds. Starlings can
be excluded from entering nestboxes boxes by using the correct size entrance
hole, but will out-compete bluebirds for woodpecker holes and other natural
nesting cavities.

During the summer, bluebirds feed mainly on insects. In the winter, they
Dave Kinneer

depend on wild berries. However, the supply of wild berries has decreased
over the years. The few that remain are often quickly stripped by large flocks of
starlings.

Even though bluebird populations have decreased, their future can still be promising. The most important step we can
take to help bring back the bluebird is to provide nesting sites by setting out a bluebird nestbox or starting a bluebird
trail. A bluebird trail is a series of bluebird boxes placed along a prescribed route. In areas where nestboxes have been
put up in suitable habitat, bluebird populations are increasing. Bluebirding is a great hands-on environmental project
that people of all ages can enjoy. By following the instructions below, chances are good that you will be able to attract
and enjoy bluebirds.

THE BLUEBIRD NESTBOX

•  good bluebird box should be well ventilated, watertight, and have drainage holes.
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It should be easy to open, monitor, and easy to clean.
• Solid, untreated wood is an ideal material, although exterior grade plywood can be
used. The outside of boxes can be painted or stained if a light color is used.
• A bluebird box should not have a perch. Predatory House Sparrows and House
Wrens are attracted to perches.
• Nestboxes for Eastern Bluebirds should have a round entrance hole measuring 1½"
to 19/16" in diameter, or a 1⅜" x 2¼" vertical oval hole, or a 1⅛" to 13/16" horizontal
slot entrance. Western and Mountain Bluebirds use a 19/16" round opening or 13/16"
slot entrance. Because there are no undesirable species that can access 19/16" holes
that cannot also access 1½" holes, some monitors in Eastern Bluebird territory use 19/16" holes.
• Although bluebirds seem to prefer oval holes, smaller European Starlings may be able to enter them, especially
if they are not exactly 1⅜" x 2¼". Nestboxes that are on the small to moderate side reduce the possibility of
starling use.
• Bluebird nestboxes are available from NABS and most bluebird organizations, or from commercial sources. Plans
for building nestboxes are also available. Please see the NABS factsheet, Nestbox Specifications (also online at
www.nabluebirdsociety.org/bluebirdfacts.htm).
MOUNTING THE BLUEBIRD BOX
• S mooth round pipe is probably the best and simplest mounting
system to use — ½" or 1" electrical conduit works well, but any

Connecticut Dept. of Energy & Environmental Protection

smooth scrap round pipe will also work. A fencepost driver,
available at hardware stores, is an excellent tool for driving conduit
into the ground.
• Avoid mounting bluebird boxes on a fenceline or on trees where
climbing mammals or snakes are present.
• Periodically coating the pole with wax or food-grade grease will
help to keep climbing predators away from the box.
• Hardware cloth, or a wobbling stovepipe (Kingston) or PVC baffle
placed on the pole directly underneath the box helps prevent
access by climbing predators, including snakes (see examples at
right).
Refer to the NABS factsheet on Predator Control (www.nabluebirdsociety.org/bluebirdfacts.htm) for more information.

SETTING UP A BLUEBIRD TRAIL

•  abitat is the key factor to consider when setting up a bluebird
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trail. Open rural country with scattered trees and low or sparse
ground cover is best. Suitable habitat should include a fence line,
wires, tree branches, or other sites where bluebirds can perch to
search for food. If bluebirds do not like the habitat, they probably
will not use your nestboxes.
• Open pastureland, parks away from human traffic, and mowed
areas such as cemeteries and golf courses are all good locations
for a bluebird trail.
• Avoid areas of heavy pesticide use.

Susan Tartaglino
• Mount nestboxes at least 50–200 feet away from brushy and
heavily wooded areas—this is the habitat of the House Wren, a
native species that may destroy bluebird eggs and/or compete
with bluebirds for nestboxes.
• Avoid areas where the House Sparrow is abundant, such as
farmsteads and feedlots, or where people feed cheap birdseed Male House
containing millet and cracked corn. House Sparrows are vicious Sparrow
competitors. People who successfully raise bluebirds (and other
native secondary cavity nesters) in House Sparrow territory
generally trap and euthanize House Sparrows that invade
nestboxes, but this may be too late to save young or adult
bluebirds from House Sparrow attack.

Luc Viatour
• For convenience, mount nestboxes so the entrance hole
is approximately five feet (eye level) above the ground.
Alternatively, a large hook can be installed on nestboxes, which
can then be hung in trees by using a long pole. The Southern California Bluebird Club has had good success with
this method; they are an excellent source of information.
• Face the nestbox away from prevailing winds, and if possible, face it toward a tree or shrub that is within 100
feet of the box to provide a landing spot for the young bluebirds when they first leave the box. This will keep
them off the ground, away from predators.
• Nesting density for all three species of bluebirds is dependent on many factors. These factors include population
density, habitat suitability, food supply, individual tolerance levels, visibility between boxes, the number of
cavities available, weather, and the level of competition from other species (especially Tree Swallows or, in the
West, Violet-green Swallows). It is therefore difficult to predetermine the optimal spacing for any given area. The
 following distances are given as general guidelines only; contact your local bluebird affiliate organization to find
out what they recommend, and experiment by adjusting the distances between your own boxes until you have
established ideal spacing for your particular location. In many cases, bluebirds have been observed nesting closer
than the distances recommended. However, it is better to start a bluebird trail with boxes placed too far apart
than too close together.
Western Bluebirds — 100 yards apart — 200-300 yards may be better
Eastern Bluebirds — 100 yards minimum — 125 to 150 yards apart may be better
Mountain Bluebirds — 200 to 300 yards apart
• Nestboxes can be mounted in pairs in areas where Tree Swallows
are abundant. When paired, boxes should be mounted 5 to 15
feet apart. This provides nesting sites for both species and helps
to prevent competition between them. Different species of native
birds usually do not mind nesting close to each other.
• Although bluebirds generally prefer rural areas, they will nest in
golf courses, cemetaries, and along the outer edges of cities or in
small towns.

MONITORING A BLUEBIRD TRAIL

Note: For more detailed information on this topic, refer to the
NABS factsheet Monitoring Bluebird Nestboxes (available online at
www.nabluebirdsociety.org/bluebirdfacts.htm).

Dave Kinneer
Please do not put up a bluebird nestbox if you do not plan to monitor
it. Check your bluebird boxes at least once or twice a week during the
nesting season, until chicks are close to fledging.

Do not open the box after nestlings are 12–13 days old. Doing so could result in the nestlings leaving the box before they
are able to fly, greatly reducing their chance of survival.

Do not allow House Sparrows to use nestboxes. House Sparrows are a non-native, nuisance species that will kill adult and
nestling bluebirds and destroy eggs. Like starlings, they are not protected by federal law. For more information, see the
NABS factsheet House Sparrow Control (www.nabluebirdsociety.org/bluebirdfacts.htm).

Any other native bird that uses your nestbox (e.g., chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, Tree or Violet-green Swallows) should
be welcomed, as these small cavity nesters need help, too. It is also illegal to disturb an active nest of a native bird
without a permit.

Bluebirds usually begin to nest in late March or early April, depending

on weather conditions. In southern states, where bluebirds reside
year round, nesting may occur even earlier.

Have your bluebird boxes in place by early spring when the bluebirds
are looking for nesting sites. Boxes may also be put up later in the
nesting season. In areas where bluebirds are present year round, they
may use nestboxes for roosting on cold nights.

Bluebirds usually have two broods per season, but three or even four
broods are possible, especially in warmer climates.
Virginia State Parks

Learn to recognize a bluebird nest. It is a cup-shaped nest that is

usually made entirely of woven grass or pine needles.
Bluebirds usually lay 4 or 5 light blue eggs, but may lay as many as 6
or 7. About 4–5% of bluebirds lay white eggs.

The typical incubation period for bluebird eggs is 12–14 days. A rule
of thumb for Eastern Bluebirds is that eggs will hatch 17 days after
the first egg is laid.

Nestlings remain in the nest 17–21 days before they fledge.

Remove bluebird nests and those of other birds as soon as the

young birds have fledged. Brushing out the box and scraping off the
guano is all that is necessary.

Keep records of the activity on your bluebird trail. This information is

Flickr Creative Commons/mctheriot

valuable to organizations like the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology,
which compiles data on bluebird populations in North America.
Many NABS Affiliates also keep records of trail activity.

Don’t be discouraged if your nestboxes are not used right away.

If bluebirds are not common in your area, it may take them a
few seasons to find your new box. Bluebirds generally return to
the same area each year. Bluebird trails have been an extremely
effective method of reestablishing the bluebird populations across North America.

Revised May 2012

The North American Bluebird Society, Inc. is a non-profit education, conservation, and research organization
that promotes the recovery of bluebirds and other native cavity-nesting bird species in North America.

www.nabluebirdsociety.org