Volume 6, Number 1 Winter 1984 8ialia Pages 1·40 The Quarterly Journal Of The North American Bluebird Society Sia/ia means bluebirds. Hence the title of this journal. Technically, sialla is the NORTH AMERICAN Latinized, neuter plural version of the Greek BLUEBIRD SOCIETY word sielis, a noun meaning a "kind of bird." Since the Eastern Bluebird was the first bluebird classified by Carolus t.ln­ naeus (1707-1778), he gave It the species name siali s, though he placed it in the Founder genus Motaeilia which is now reserved for Lawrence Zeleny the wagtails. It was W illiam Swainson President (1789-1855), who , in 1827, decided that the Lillian Lund Flies bluebirds needed a genus of the ir own with ­ in the thrush family (Turdidae). He selected Vice Presiden t the generic name Sialia which he simply Thomas M. Tail adapted from the species name sletis which Treasurer Linnaeus had used. Therefore, the scien­ Delos C. Dupree tific name for the Eastern Bluebird is Sialia sialis (pronounced see-ahl '-ee-ah see'-ah l­ Recording Secretary iss). Similarly, the Western Bluebird and Mark Raabe Mountain Blueb ird , the two other species Corresponding Secretary within the genus, were named Sia/ia mex­ Joseph G. Talt icana and Sialia currucoides (coo-roo-coy­ Directors dees) respectively. Their species names are Art Ayles worth descriptive of their locations. All three blue­ Montana bird spec ies are native only to the North Martha Cheslem American continent, although each ln­ Maryland habits different regions generally sep­ Richard J. Dolesh arated by the Rocky Mountains and by altl­ Maryland Sadie Dorber tudinal preferences. New York While the adult birds all show differ­ Gay T. Duncan North Carolina ing plumages, the young of all three Roger & Dollie Foy species look remarkably alike, prominently North Carolina displaying spotted breasts and large white Joan Glascock eye rings. This similarity in plumage was Oregon the principa l reason the Society chose the Theodore W. Gutzke North Dakota juvenal blueb ird for its logo. Since blu e­ L. Edward Haws birds almost always choose to raise their South Carolina young in sma ll enclosed cav ities, a young Charl ott e Jernigan bluebird sitting near a nest ing box seemed Oklahoma to symbolize our mission. The hope of any Reber B. Layton Mlsalsslppl species resides in its young. Because of Donald Sti les bluebird nesting preferences, the survival of Alberts their young may depend on the nesting box, Executive Director especially since natural cav ities, fo r a va­ Mary D. Janetatos riety of reasons, are d isappearing rapidly. The theme of bluebird young nurtured in Editor man-made structures w ill be a recurring one Joanne K. Solem in our art and literature. We hope that this theme will remind all about the plight of the bluebird, and wi ll st imu late action wh ich will allow this beautifu l creature to prosper. Sialia is published quarterly by the North American Bluebird Society, Box 6295, Silver Spring, MD 20906·0295. Subscription pric e is included in ann ual membership dues. Single copies: $2.50. Write for information abo ut bulk quantities. Checks and money orde rs should be made payable to North American Bluebird Society and should be in United States funds. Issues are dated Win ter, Spring, Summer and Aut umn and appe ar approximately on the fifteenth of January, April, July and October respectively. Deadli ne for submission of material is three months prior to date of publication; dated items only, two months. 8 ialia The Quarterly Journal A b o ut Bluebirds Volume 6, Number 1 Winter 1984 Pages 1·40 % ~ .~ C'/'~ EDITOR ~VE Jo anne K.Sol em CONTRIBUTING CONTENTS EDITOR Pres idential Points 2 Lawrence Zeleny lillian Lund Files ART EDITOR Eastern Bluebird Victi m of Richard L. Woodward Agonistic Beha vior by White· footed Mou se 3 George N Ken l Que sti on Corn er . , 4 Lawrence Zeleny A No vel Box to Discourage Hou se Sparrows 5 COVER Edward O. Theisinger ASimple Manual Trap for House Mountain Blu eb irds are Richard Sparrows 8 L. Woodward's co ver subject. Morr is M. Green. Jr. Female House Spa rrow Kills Blueb ird Nestlings 12 Sia lia welcomes origi nal art icles, art Lawrence Zeleny and photographs for pub llcation . Plantings for Bluebirds and Other Alth ough this jo urnal is named for Wildlife: Wo rthwhile Weeds 13 t he blueb ird , ma terial relat ing to all Karen Blackburn native cavi ty nestin g spec ies will be Blu ebird Boxes Should Be Set Out co ns idered. Ma nuscripts should be Now ' " 17 ty ped neatly and double-spaced. All Lawrence Zeleny mat eria l submitt ed is SUbject to Emergency Aid for Blu ebirds 18 edit ing or rewriting. Submit th e France s Hanes original manuscript plu s a duplicate On the Tra il 19 copy if you wish to pro of the material Do Something Wi ld for Bluebirds 20 before publication. If th e arti cle has Glldo MTori been submitted el sewhere (o r Blu ebird 22 pre viously publ ished) that fact must Floren ce A. Merriam be stated at the time of submission. Mountain Bluebird Trai l 23 Al l man uscripts wi ll be acknow l­ Dunca n Mackonlosh edged. Bla ck and white glossy photo­ Bluebirds Nest in Flowerpot 29 graphs are pref erred . Print the SUb. Flo rence E. Dillee ject, names of individuals pictu red , Report of Sixt h Annual Meet ing 30 photographer and return address on Mary O.Jane tai os the back of each photograph. Art is Than k You, Volunteers! 34 welc ome and sh ould be in black pen­ Blue bird Expr ess 36 and -ink. We do not assume respon­ Blueb ird Tales 38 si bility for manu scripts, photographs Mary 0 Ja net atos or art submi tted. The ed ito r's address Poet ry 40 is 10617 Graeloch Road , Laurel, Mary­ Kalhanne M.Braun land 20707. Presidential Points Li ll ian Lund Files he Sixth Annual Meeting of NABS Tat Binghamton, NY, was well-at­ tended by many enthusiastic bluebird­ ers from throughout the United States, Canada and Bermuda. We all had come to learn and share ideas and we came away with much valuable information that might solve some of our own local bluebird problems. I'm sure some of us feel , at times, we are fighting a losing will be expensive to produce. Anyone battle so that these meetings become having any suggestions for or annual " booster shots." (Not that any knowledge of Obtaining funds, kindly bluebirder really needs one!) A com­ contact Anne Sturm, Box 341, Barnes­ plete report of the meeting by Mary ville, MD 20703 (301-428·8588). Janetatos can be found elsewhere in th is issue. Awards Presented I wish to thank Chairperson, Sadie Dober, and all the other wonderfully At its annual meeting NABS dedicated folks of our Society that presents awards to individuals and helped make the meeting such a suc­ groups who have made outstanding cess. Sadie made sure the bluebird had contributions to bluebird conservation . good (publicity) coverage in newspap­ If you wou ld like to nominate an in­ ers, radio and television. We might all divid ual, group, or organ ization for con­ do the same in our own home towns to sideration by the Awards Committee, att ract new bluebirders and member­ please send a letter documenting the ship. work of your nominee to Anne Sturm, Awards Committee Chairwoman, Box Board Member Dottie Foy (Box 341, Barnesville, MD 20703. 457, Oriental, NC 28571) has graciously offered to be the Librarian and keep a The JOHN AND NORAH LANE NABS scrapbook Which will include all AWARD for an outstanding contribu­ official proceedings and documents of tion to bluebird conservation by an in­ the Society. She would appreciate dividual was made to the following per­ receiving any newspaper or magazine sons: articles especially those with pictures concerning any significant effort by Ralph K. Bell of Clarksvil le, PA, who members to promote bl uebi rd conser­ has been active in bluebird trail work vation. for almost 20 yea rs in southwestern Pennsylvania, where his utility-pole IMPORTANT: Our biggest project mounted boxes seem to provide pro­ this year will be trying to fund a tection against climbing predators. 26-minute first rate professionally made bluebird film. During the conven­ Junius Birchard of Hackettstown, tion we had a sneak preview of some NJ, who has been a major force in in­ int eresting footage of nesti ng activity creasing bluebird awareness in New in an apple tree, in a post and in a Jersey. Working through the public nesting box. We are seeking fu nds as it (Continued on page 26) 2 Sialia, Winter 1984 Eastern Bluebird Victim of Agonistic Behavior by White-Footed Mouse George N. Kent n 1 June 1980, a neighbor reported Peromyscus has been estimated to be Othat when he checked his nesting 90% (Blair 1953; Burt 1940). Eastern Bluebirds (SiaJia sia/is) he had The soft bodies of the nestlings found a White-Footed Mouse (Peromys­ were left untouched. This suggests that cus sp.) in the box. Four of the five moving or projecting parts of the nest­ young birds were dead. He added that lings attracted attention and may well the beaks had been partially or entirely have provoked agg ression. eaten off four, a foot had been eaten off The mouse proved to be an adult one nestling and both feet had been male in prime condition.