With their bright blue feathers and their cheerful, melodious song, bluebirds are among the most distinctive and charming of all the songbirds. Unfortunately, their numbers have dwindled considerably over the last several years, but backyard conservationists and amateur naturalists across the country, both rural and urban, have confronted the problem. Because of their dedication in providing special nesting houses, numbers are increasing and bluebirds can once again be spotted across much of North America.
Identification
There are three different species of North American bluebirds: eastern bluebirds, western bluebirds and mountain bluebirds. Male western and eastern bluebirds have rust-colored breasts and white stomachs while the male mountain bluebird is vivid blue with no contrasting colors. Females of all three species are similar in appearance and tend to be paler blue with a grayish-blue or buff belly and throat. Bluebirds, members of the thrush family, measure from 5 1/2 to 7 inches in length. Mountain bluebirds have a longer bill, longer legs and longer wings than its Western and Eastern cousins.
Habitat
Western bluebirds live west of the Rocky Mountains from Mexico to Canada. They can most commonly be found in the desert, in brushy areas, steppe, parklands, coniferous forests and along roadsides, but unlike eastern bluebirds, they don't like grassy meadows. Eastern bluebirds reside east of the Rocky Mountains and can be spotted from Mexico to Canada. They prefer meadows, gardens, open fields and parks. Mountain bluebirds can be found in most parts of North America at elevations over 7,000 feet. They avoid dense trees and brush, preferring open spaces. They can often be spotted on the edge of dry-land forests, open woodland, on the grassland of the prairie.
Behavior
Western bluebirds like to perch on wire fences, fence posts and tree branches. They eat insects on the ground, but they can also catch insects on the fly. In the colder weather, they dine on fruit and plant matter. Bluebirds mate during the spring and summer months, sometimes will hatch two families in one season. The females lay their eggs in small, bowl-like nests. Both parents care for the babies for two to three weeks. Bluebirds that live in the mountains may move to lower elevations during the cold weather months, and birds that live at extremely high elevations may migrate south.
Population
Normally a very commonly-found bird, bluebirds numbers have been decreasing over the last several years. The decrease is blamed on a number of factors, including loss of habitat, use of pesticides, climactic changes and competition with starlings and house sparrows. However, conversation efforts have been successful, and bluebird numbers have recently been increasing. This is in large part due to the many people who have provided nest boxes that attract the birds, which look for already existing holes and cavities in which to build their nests.
Building a Bluebird House
Bluebird houses aren't difficult to build. The box should be placed on a pole that is tall enough to discourage predators. The roof should be slanted with the front sloping down to the back, and the front should hang over the entry hole far enough to protect it from sun and rain. The house should have drainage holes in the floor and adequate ventilation. One of the sides or the front of the box should be hinged in order to give the house an occasional cleaning. See Ohio's Department of Natural Resources web page for complete plans, including dimensions.
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