Montshire Minute: Bluebird Houses

Originally aired during the week of February 4, 2002

Monday

Look, ma no cavities! That might be good news for parents, but its not such hot a situation if you are a bluebird. The eastern bluebird is said to be a "cavity dweller" because it likes to nest in holes it finds in trees. Often these cavities are left behind by woodpeckers. Bluebirds will also settle in hollows of wooden fence posts. With the clearing of forests in some areas and replacement of old wooden fence with metal materials, bluebirds are hard pressed to find suitable nesting sites. You can help bring this beautiful bird back to your neighborhood by putting up a bluebird house. Join us at the Museum on Tuesday, February 19, from 10-11:30 a.m., and we'll give you all the materials and know-how you need to build one. We'll also learn about the migration, habitat needs, and nesting behavior of this bird.

Tuesday

The first thing you may notice about the eastern bluebird is its rusty red throat and breast, which makes a striking contrast with its white belly. It's the bird's crown, wings, and tail that are a vibrant blue color. The arrival of bluebirds to their nesting sites used to be a sure sign of spring in New England. But the eastern bluebird is less common today. Part of the reason has to do with two non-native species that have invaded the bluebird's habitat. We're talking about the house sparrow and the European starling. Like the bluebird, these birds are "cavity dwellers" - they like to nest in hollows of trees or wooden fence posts. House sparrows are very aggressive, and they are small enough to squeeze through any hole that a bluebird can. A hole with a diameter of one and a half inches in a bluebird box will, however, be small enough to keep out a starling.

Wednesday

The eastern bluebird seems to be disappearing. We don't hear its rich springtime song as much as we used to. So are we going to mope about it all day? Heck no! What we need to do is create new habitat for the bluebird. And you don't have to be Bob Villa to whip up a house that will be a comfortable nesting site for bluebirds. The bird will nest in a box with an entrance of about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. They don't need a lot of space - this isn't a trophy birdhouse we're building here. If the walls inside are four to five inches wide, that should be plenty of room for the whole family. But it's hard for me to give a set of house plans over the radio. Come to the Museum and build one yourself during our bluebird house building workshop Tuesday, February 19. You'll be surprised to see how easy it is. We'll supply all the materials and know-how for this do-it-yourself project!

Thursday

Bluebirds usually return to our area in late March or April. Their nests are hidden from view because bluebirds like to dwell in cavities of trees. We can help this bird make a comeback by putting up special houses that create bluebird habitat. There are many different birdhouse plans available on the Internet, but here are a few guidelines: The round opening should be about seven or eight inches above the floor of the birdhouse. Use wood that's about 3/4 of an inch thick, thick enough to insulate the birds from heat and cold. If you want to attract bluebirds, don't install a perch. It may be a nice design touch, but what you'll get are sparrows or wrens. Drilling some small holes in the sides of the box provides ventilation. Be sure not to use pressure treated wood, as it contains chemicals that may be harmful to the birds.

Friday

We don't see as many bluebirds as we used to because the bird's habitat has been hampered by development and the spread of non-native species like the house sparrow. We can help the bluebird make a comeback by offering it new places to live, and this week we've been sharing a few ideas about building houses that are especially attractive to bluebirds. If you are real ambitious and have enough property, you might consider building a bluebird trail. Think of it as a mini-housing development for bluebirds. Each box should be about 100 to 150 yards apart. The North American Bluebird Society advises that the boxes should face away from prevailing winds. A perfect environment for the bluebird is open rural country with scattered trees or pastureland-the birds like to have trees, shrubs, fencing or other landing spots that allow them to search for food and avoid predators.