Time to make bluebirds welcome by Francis Skalicky

Time to make bluebirds welcome by Francis Skalicky
Published News-Leader February 16, 2012

The blast of cold weather we’ve had the past few days doesn’t have many of us thinking about nesting songbirds and hatchlings.

However, regardless of what the thermometer has read in recent days, now’s the time to start preparing a home for bluebirds if you enjoy seeing them on your land.

Many local residents, particularly rural ones, know Missouri’s state bird, the eastern bluebird, is a common and colorful sight in this region. What some people may not realize is that bluebirds arrive at nesting sites in February and early March.

So, if you’re one of the many people that put up nesting boxes with the hope of attracting bluebirds, now is the time to begin putting up new nest boxes or to clean out and refurbish old ones.

This creature (Sialis sialis) prefers rural grassland areas with scattered trees that can be used for perching and nesting. As with most bird species, the male’s colors are more eye-catching than the female’s. A male in spring courtship colors sports a striking shade of blue over most of its body complemented by a rusty breast and white belly. (The female has a blue-gray back. The rest of the body resembles the male.)

A bluebird’s diet in summer includes grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, caterpillars, spiders and flying insects. In winter, bluebirds in this region feed on rose hips, berries from cedar, poison ivy and sumac.

Besides creating a great bird-watching opportunity, putting up a nest box also provides a big benefit to bluebirds.

In the wild, bluebirds have to compete with starlings, house sparrows and other creatures for cavity nesting space. It’s thought this shortage of natural nesting space is one reason bluebirds will readily accept appropriately placed man-made nest boxes.

Bluebird boxes work best in rural locations. Most urban settings are too crowded to attract bluebirds. Nest boxes should be placed in open grassy areas that have perching sites.

Meadows, pastures or big yards that are not too heavily shaded are ideal. It is best if the grass is short. Fence lines, power lines, scattered trees or nearby woods provide good perches.

For best results, mount the box on a lone post. Posts can be fitted with a metal sleeve to discourage climbing predators. Nest boxes placed on fence posts may work, but remember that it’s often easy for snakes and other predators to climb fence posts and enter the box.

Tree trunks aren’t the best locations either because the boxes are often too shaded or can easily be accessed by squirrels or snakes.

Bluebirds will nest at varying heights, but a distance of four to five feet off the ground is convenient for human observation. If you put up more than one box, place them approximately 300 feet apart.

This allows for a bluebird’s sizeable territory. Boxes placed closer may be used at the same time if they’re not placed in the same line of sight.

Information about bluebirds and bluebird nest boxes can be found in the Missouri Department of Conservation publication “Bluebirds in Missouri.” This free booklet is available at the Department of Conservation’s Southwest Regional Office in Springfield and at the Springfield Conservation Nature Center. Nest box building instructions are also in the free Department of Conservation publication “Woodworking for Wildlife” and at www.missouri conservation.org.

Francis Skalicky is the media specialist for the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Southwest Region. For information about conservation issues, call 417-895-6880.

Article link: http://www.news-leader.com/article/20120216/LIFE06/302160024/skalicky-bluebirds-nesting