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How can
you look at a bluebird and not feel a
little bit better about the day? Their
shimmering blue coats and cheery calls
make these feathered wonders popular
wherever they are found.
Unfortunately,
bluebirds have experienced a precipitous
fall in population. (Down about 90% over
the past 50 years.) Bluebirds are cavity
nesters. As land has been cleared for new
developments and wooden fence posts
replaced with metal, the number of nesting
sites available has been greatly
reduced.
Aggravating
the situation has been the introduction
into the United States of two very
aggressive species, the European starling
and the house sparrow. Both of these
species compete with the bluebird for
nesting spots and have had significant
impact on the bluebird population.
Starlings also compete with bluebirds over
the fall food supply of berries and seeds,
with large flocks of starlings often
stripping a local supply in a short period
of time.
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Bluebirds
adapt well to man-made nesting boxes.
Bluebird boxes and trails play an
important role in supporting local
populations and are perhaps vital to the
species long term success. Trails are easy
to develop and are both fun and satisfying
to operate.
Additional
information on nesting boxes, trails and
other other resources is available from
the selections in the menu on the
left.
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