Eastern Blue Bird

EASTERN BLUE BIRD http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Bluebird/id

Measurements (Both Sexes) Length: 6.3–8.3 in Wingspan: 9.8–12.6 in Weight : 1–1.1 oz

Relative Size: About two-thirds the size of an American Robin

Nesting Facts Clutch Size: 2–7 eggs Egg Length: 0.7–0.9 in Egg Width: 0.6–0.7 in Egg Description: Pale blue or, rarely, white. Incubation Period:11–19 days Nestling Period: 17–21 days Condition at Hatching: Naked except for sparse tufts of dingy gray down, eyes closed

Behavior Eastern Bluebirds perch erect on wires, posts, and low branches in open country, scanning the ground for prey. They feed by dropping to the ground onto insects or, in fall and winter, by perching on fruiting trees to gulp down berries. Bluebirds commonly use nest boxes as well as old woodpecker holes.

Habitat Eastern Bluebirds live in meadows and openings surrounded by trees that offer suitable nest holes. With the proliferation of nest boxes and bluebird trails, bluebirds are now a common sight along roads, field edges, golf courses, and other open areas.

Diet Blue birds love mealworms. 68% of a bluebirds' diet is made up of insects: grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, spiders, and caterpillars (usually spied from a perch and then caught on the ground.) (Beal 1915). The rest is mostly fruit - e.g., flowering dogwood, holly, mulberry, wild grape, Virginia creeper, pokeweed, and Viburnum.

Cool Facts  Bluebirds leave breeding grounds in the north of their range to winter in the southeastern U.S. or Mexico  The male Eastern Bluebird displays at his nest cavity to attract a female. He brings nest material to the hole, goes in and out, and waves his wings while perched above it.  Only the female Eastern Bluebird builds the nest and incubates the eggs.  Eastern Bluebirds typically have more than one successful brood per year. Young produced in early nests usually leave their parents in summer, but young from later nests frequently stay with their parents over the winter.  Some studies have shown that 30% of bluebirds return to previous nesting sites the following season.  As many as 20% of nestlings may be fathered by a different parent  Flying speeds have been measured at 17 miles per hour  The oldest recorded Eastern Bluebird was 10 years 5 months old. Where to set your nest box: Select habitat in an open area with scattered trees, at least 300 feet from brush. Place the nest box in SHORT or MOWED GRASS, with nearby perching sites: overhead wires, pasture fencing, or a standing dead tree.

Mounting nest boxes: First: have the site checked for underground utilities. Mount nest boxes on 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch SMOOTH METAL PIPE, with at least five feet from ground to entrance hole, with the hole toward a tree or perch, not a road or highway. To eliminate climbing predators, NEVER mount on trees, fences or wood posts.

Space nest boxes at least 500 feet apart. Allow nest boxes to be used by native cavity nesters, such as black-capped chickadees and tree swallows. Try PAIRING two nest boxes 10-15 feet apart, with at least 500 feet to the next pair.

Links: National Blue Bird Society http://www.nabluebirdsociety.org/PDF/educational%20packet.pdf

Blue Bird Recovery Program http://www.bbrp.org/pdf/Bluebird%20Top%20Ten%20Tips.pdf

Blue Bird Restoration Association of Wisconsin http://www.braw.org/PDFs/IP%203%20final.pdf

Bet Zimmerman website for everything about bluebirds http://www.sialis.org/index.html

Bluebird Nesting Timeline: http://www.sialis.org/runt.htm  The male bluebird scouts out nest site locations in March  Nest building usually takes 2-6 days  Bluebirds usually lay 4-7. Second and third broods tend to have fewer eggs  Incubation does not begin until all eggs have been laid, so they will hatch at the same time  Incubation typically lasts 12-14 days. The female may wait about a week to start incubating the clutch if weather is still cold  It can take 24-48 hours for all eggs to hatch  If any eggs haven't hatched by the 4th-6th day after the others, it's okay to remove the unhatched egg  Eyes usually open on Day 5-8. First feathers burst from tip of sheaths.  By Day 11 the nestlings start to preen, pulling at the sheaths of emerging feathers  By Day 13-14, males have bright blue feathers. Stop active monitoring now to avoid premature fledging, unless you suspect a problem. You can still check the box from a distance.  Bluebirds generally fledge 16-21 days after hatching