The Eastern Bluebird, Sialia sialis, is a beautiful blue, medium-sized thrush found in open woodlands, farmlands and orchards.

Adults have a white belly. Adult males are bright blue on top and have a reddish brown throat and breast. Adult females have lighter blue wings and tail, a lighter cinnamon throat and breast and a gray crown and back. Eastern Bluebirds are found east of the Rockies, southern Canada to the Gulf States and southeastern Arizona to Nicaragua.

The bright blue breeding plumage of the male and its cheerful song makes this species a favorite of birders. The male's call includes sometimes soft warbles of jeew or chir-wi or the melodious song chiti WEEW wewidoo (Sibley, 2000).
Listen to the Song of the Eastern Bluebird from the National Park Service

Bluebirds feed primarily on insects. According to Martin, Zim and Nelson in American Wildlife & Plants - A Guide to Wildlife Food Habits the choice animal food items that they eat includes: Beetles, particularly ground beetles, May beetles and weevils, grasshoppers and crickets and caterpillars. Various other insects and spiders, centipedes, sowbugs and snails are also eatern. And that is where they get the nickname of "the farmer's friend". They will also feed on fleshy fruits and small berries like Black Cherry, Huckleberries (Blueberries), Holly, Flowering Dogwood, Virginia-creeper, Hackberry, Sumac, Elderberry and Service Berry.

Bluebirds nest in natural cavities in trees and fence posts. They will also eagerly use man made nest boxes.

Bluebirds were once a common site throughout the United States, but in the 1970's scientists and some bird watchers realized that something was wrong. Bluebird numbers were way down. It was thought that the lack of available natural cavities for nesting might be the reason. Lawrence Zelaney started the Bluebird Trail movement which brought Bluebirds back so that today, our children can enjoy the bright blue color and gentle warbling song of the Bluebird of happiness. People maintain Bluebird trails all over North America. A Bluebird Trail can consist of 1 or 2 nest boxes or hundreds of nest boxes.

Starting your own Bluebird Trail is not that difficult, but more is involved than just putting up the nest box(es). You must be willing to monitor and maintain the trail. Good bluebird monitors check each box at least once a week during nesting season and they keep records detailing the kind of birds, when the nest was built, the number of eggs laid and the number of young hatched and fledged. The bird houses must also be cleaned out at the end of the breeding season. Most monitors clean the nest out right after the young fledge because the birds seem to prefer nesting in clean houses and many times a pair will use the same nest box for a second nesting if the old nest is removed. Winter maintenance is also necessary so that the boxes are kept in good condition.

We have been maintaining a nest box trail on our property since 1999. Because of our land's versatile terrain, our nest boxes attract a variety of birds and animals. Many of the nest boxes are in a forested area so we don't get as many Eastern Bluebirds as we would like. But even though only 1-2 Bluebird pairs use our Bluebird Trail, we are fortunate to have been able to help the Prothonotary Warbler, whose numbers are decreasing due to habitat destruction and loss of natural cavities. Other birds that use our boxes include Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, Carolina Wrens, Brown-headed Nuthatches, Great Crested Flycatchers and Screech Owls. Other animals we've found in residence are Flying Squirrels, Cotton Rats and Bumblebees.

The old adage, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure", holds true when it comes to putting up nest boxes. If you put forth a little more effort initially to provide the most beneficial situation for the cavity nesting birds that you are trying to attract it will save a lot of time and heart ache in the long run. Here are a few pointers that will help make your nest box experience a positive one.

* Do Not Put Nest Boxes on Trees or Utility Poles. This is a recipe for disaster because trees are the first place predators look. Mounting on trees also makes boxes difficult to monitor. If you regularly monitor nest boxes, potential problems (like bees and wasps or predators) can normally be nipped in the bud before they get out of hand and kill young.

* Predator Baffles Save Lives. Many predators such as racoons, snakes, cats, starlings and crows can be foiled by good predator baffles and some modifications (like a large overhanging roof) to the nest boxes. Simple designs that are easy to construct can be found at the North American Bluebird Society Website.

* Nest box Design is Extremely Important. The roof should extend out to protect the birds from reaching predators and to shade from the summer sun. Hole size (1 1/2" diameter for Bluebird), nest box depth and sturdy construction are also important and in the hot, humid south good ventilation is crucial. Bluebird and smaller bird nest box plans can be found at the North American Bluebird Society.

A standard, North American Bluebird Society approved nest box will be used by Bluebirds and, depending on the part of the country that you live in, many other species of birds, including Carolina and Black Capped Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, Carolina Wren, Prothonotary Warblers, Brown-headed Nuthatches, Tree Swallows and Great Crested Flycatchers, etc. The size of the entrance hole will determine type of bird (or animal) will use the house. Bluebirds prefer a hole with a 1 1/2 inch diameter and many of the other birds I listed will use houses with this size hole, too. Plans for boxes for larger birds can be found in pdf file format from North Prairie Wildlife Research Center.

Building a Bluebird nest box can be a family affair and monitoring the box will be a learning experience for one and all. The first step to becoming a scientist is to learn to be a good observer and to record those observations accurately. We need more ornithologists and other scientists.

Male bluebirds will stake out a territory containing several good nesting sites. Once the female has decided on one, she begins to build the nest, while the male keeps watch. The nest is made of grasses, plant stems, pine needles, and is lined with hair or fine grasses. Once the nest is complete, the female lays 3-7 pale blue eggs. Occasionally the eggs are white.

The female incubates the eggs for 11-19 days. When the young hatch they are helpless. Their eyes are closed and they have no feathers.

The babies grow fast and before you know it little quills are forming on the wings. In the first picture below, the babies are about a week old. In the second one, they are about 2 weeks old.

For the next 17 to 19 days, both parents feed the young a variety of progressively larger insects. The young fledge (leave the nest) within 17-20 days.

The babies peer out into the great big world out there. It takes awhile before the first one finally jumps.

By 12:51 p.m. they are all out and just in time because a storm is coming. It rained all afternoon and into the night.

The male Eastern Bluebird will often keep feeding the fledglings while the female begins a second nest.

Many other kinds of cavity nesting birds and animals (depending on where you live) will take advantage of the prime nesting sites that well built Bluebird size and other nest boxes provide. The size of the hole determines the bird or creature that will use it. Here is a list of most of the birds and other creatures that nest in man made houses.

Cavity Nesting Birds of North America
Click on the links to go to other lenses about some of the cavity nesting birds and other animals that use nest boxes on a bluebird trail.

• Eastern Bluebird - See description above
• Mountain Bluebird - 7.25" long, male is solid blue, female is gray with pale blue wing and tail feathers. Breed in the Western part of North America.
• Western Bluebird - 7" long, look very similar to Eastern Bluebird, except male has red extending to its back. Breed in the Western U.S. and just into Canada.
• Purple Martin - 8" long, male is uniformly bluish-black, female is bluish gray above and dingy gray-brown below. Breed mostly in Eastern North America, with some pockets in the west.
• Tree Swallow - 5.75" long, male has a blue-green back and white breast, female is gray-brown above and white below. Nests all over North America, except the lower southern states.
• Barn Swallow - 6.75" long, male and female have dark blue-black uppersides, male has more white underside, where female's is orange. Nests all over North America except extreme northern Canada.
• Violet-green Swallow - 5.25" long, males have multi-colored uppersides with emerald green backs, females are a drab greenish gray upper with white underside. Nests in the western United States.





• Black-capped Chickadee - 5.25" long, male and female are identical. Permanent resident in Northern North America.
• Carolina Chickadee - 4.75" long, male and female are identical. Permanent resident in the Southeastern United States.
• Tufted Titmouse - 6.5" long, male and female are identical. Permanent resident of the Eastern United States.
• Carolina Wren - 5.5" long, male and female are identical. Permanent resident of the Eastern United States.
• House Wren - 4.75" long, male and female are identical. Nests in most of North America except the lower southern states.



• Prothonotary Warbler - 5.5" long, male is golden yellow with blue-gray wings, female is similar, but more dull. Nests in the Eastern United States and Southern Canada.
• Great Crested Flycatcher - 8.75" long, male and female are identical. Nests in the Eastern United States and southeastern Canada.
• Ash-throated Flycatcher - 8.5" long, male and female are identical. Nests in the Western United States.
• Northern Flicker - 12.5" long, male and female are almost identical except male has a moustache. Nest all over North America.



• Red-bellied Woodpecker - 9.25" long, male and female alike, except female has no red on top of head. Use nest boxes infrequently, mostly as winter roosts.
• Brown-headed Nuthatch - 4.5" long, male and female nearly identical. A southern bird that will nest in boxes and often has a third family member that helps.
• Red-breasted Nuthatch - 4.5" long, male and female almost identical. It nests in the northern forests and winters in the milder regions of the central and eastern U.S.
• White-breasted Nuthatch - 5.75" long, male and female alike. It is a permanet resident in most of the U.S. except the south.
• Wood Duck - 18.5" long, male is very colorful with green, rusty red and gold. Female is brown with white around the eye. They readily nest in large houses placed near water.
• Bufflehead Duck - 13.5" long, male and female similar. Breeds in Canada.
• Goldeneye Duck - 18.5" long, female is more brown. Breeds in Canada.
• Hooded Merganser - 18" long, male is striking black and white and rust, female is shades of brown. Nests in Southern Canada and Northeastern U.S.
• American Kestrel - 9" long, male has gray wings and is more colorful. Nests in most of North America except extreme southern LA and TX.



• Screech Owl - Both Eastern and Western are 8.5" long, male and female and Eastern and Western are almost identical with the Eastern being a little more brown. Ranges overlap some. They are permanet residents in almost the entire contiguous U.S.
• Northern Saw-whet Owl - 8" long, male and female similar. Breeds in Canada and extreme northern U.S.
• Barn Owl - 16" long, male and female identical. Permanent resident in much of the U.S. and Mexico.
• Barred Owl - 21" long, male and female identical. Permanent resident in the Eastern United States and into Canada.
• Eastern Phoebe - 7" long, male and female identical. Breeds mostly in the Eastern United States, but not the Coastal South.
• House Finch - 6" long, male reddish color on head and breast, female brown with indistinct streaks on breast. Permanent resident all over the contiguous U.S.

Unwanted Occupants


• European Starling - European Starlings are another import that has become a nuisance and a treat to several of our native cavity nesting birds, including bluebirds and woodpeckers.
• House Sparrow - Imported from Europe in the 1800's, House Sparrows have over run the country. They will kill adult and baby Bluebirds and take over a nest box. Since they are an imported species, they are NOT protected by the Federal migratory bird acts.

Flying Squirrels
Other Squirrels
Mice
Rats
Bumblebees
Wasps
Honeybees

Food Plants for the Birds and Other Wildlife

Trees, shrubs and vines can add beauty and form to the landscape, but with a little planning they can also provide a year round food supply for wildlife, too. Try some of these natives and old favorites for a low maintenance, pesticide free addition to your yard.

Trees
Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)- Large deciduous native, early summer fruit, full sun/partial shade. Larval food of the tiger swallowtail butterfly. Attracts 30 bird species (bluebird favorite).

Red Mulberry (Morus rubra) - Large deciduous introduced species, spring fruit, full sun/partial shade. Attracts 29 bird species (bluebird favorite)

Black Gum (Nyssa Sylvatica) - Medium/large deciduous native, fall fruit, full sun/light shade. Attracts 16 bird species.

Southern Crab Apple (Malus angustifolia) - Small deciduous native, fall fruit, full sun/partial shade. Attracts 15 bird species.

Dogwood - Flowering (Cornus florida) Medium deciduous native, fall fruit, sun/shade.
Rough-leaf (Cornus Drummondii) Small deciduous native, early summer fruit, sun/partial shade. Larval food of spring azure butterfly. Attracts 15 bird species (bluebird favorite).

Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) - Small deciduous native, late spring fruit, full sun/light shade. Larval food of the spicebush swallowtail butterfly. Attracts 14 bird species.

Service Berry (Amelanchier arborea) - Small deciduous native, spring fruit, sun/partial shade. Attracts 14 bird species (bluebird favorite).

Magnolia - Southern (Magnolia grandiflora) - Large evergreen native, late summer-fall fruit, full sun/partial shade. Sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana) - Medium/large evergreen native, July-October fruit, full sun/partial shade. Larval food of the tiger swallowtail butterfly. Attracts 13 bird species.

Common Fig (Ficus carica) - Small deciduous introduced species, midsummer fruit, full sun. Attracts 10 bird species.

American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) - Large deciduous native, fall nut-like fruit, medium sun to shade. Attracts 10 bird species.

Devil's Walking Stick (Aralia spinosa) - Small deciduous native, summer-fall fruit, full sun/partial shade. Attracts 9 bird species.

Hackberry (Celtis laevigata) - Medium to large deciduous native, early fall fruit, sun/shade. Larval food of the hackberry, eastern snout, & question mark butterflies. Attracts 8 bird species (bluebird favorite).

Shrubs and Vines

American Beauty Berry (Callicarpa americana) - Large native deciduous Shrub with beautiful red-purple colored berries in fall. Attracts 10 species of birds.

Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) - Large, semi-evergreen shrub, summer- fall fruit, full sun/light shade. Attracts 31 bird species (bluebird favorite).

Blackberry and Dewberry (Rubus spp.) - Deciduous thorny brambles, late spring fruit, full sun/partial shade. Attracts 31 bird species (bluebird favorite).

Grapes, Muscadines (Vitis spp.) - Large deciduous native vines, late summer-fall fruit, full sun/shade. Attracts 28 Bird species.

Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) - Deciduous vine, summer fruit, full sun/shade. Attracts 24 bird species (bluebird favorite).

Southern Wax Myrtle (Myrica cerifera) - Small evergreen native, early fall fruit, full sun/partial shade. Larval food of the red-banded hair-streak butterfly. Attracts 22 bird species.

Pokeweed (Phytolacca Americana) - Large perennial herb, summer-fall fruit, full sun/partial shade. Attracts 20 bird species (bluebird favorite)

Huckleberry (gaylussacia spp.) / Blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) - Most are large semi- evergreen native shrubs, spring fruit, full sun/partial shade. Attracts 21 bird species (bluebird favorite).

Hollies - American (Ilex opaca) - Medium evergreen native tree, fall fruit, full sun/partial shade. Yaupon (Ilex vomitoria) Large evergreen native shrub, fall fruit, full sun/partial shade. Attracts 18 bird species (bluebird favorite).

Greenbriars, Sawbriars (Smilax spp.) - Evergreen or deciduous native vine, late summer-fall fruit, sun/shade. Attracts 13 bird species.

Arrow-wood (Virburnum dentatum) - Large deciduous native shrub, late summer fruit, full sun/partial shade. Larval food of the spring azure butterfly. Attracts 12 bird species (bluebird favorite).

Pyracantha (Pyracantha coccinea) - Evergreen introduced shrub, fall/winter fruit, full sun. Attracts 12 bird species (bluebird favorite).

Hawthorne - Parsley (Crataegus Marshallii) Large deciduous native shrub, fall fruit, full sun/partial shade. Mayhaw (C. opaca) Small deciduous native tree, spring Fruit, full sun/partial shade. Great for jelly. Attracts 12 bird species (thrush favorite).

A wide variety of birds like to eat suet. We put it out all year long, so we make a special "no-melt" kind. You'll find the recipe below.

Home Made Suet
2 cups (1 block) of LARD (animal fat)
1 cup CRUNCHY Peanut butter (cheap kind)
1 cup of Oat meal
1 cup of unbleached flour
1 cup of corn meal or wheat germ

Melt the lard a little in a big glass bowl (30 sec. in the microwave) and mix all of the ingredients together. It gets messy so let the kids get involved, they'll love it! Line a rectangular pan with a sheet of wax paper and press the mixture in. Pop it in the freezer for an hour or so, then cut it into blocks. We find that smaller ones (4" x 2") work best because the birds eat it before it can mildew in the hot, humid weather. Store the blocks in a ziploc bag in the freezer and refill your suet feeder as needed.

Mealworm Facts
Bluebirds like to eat mealworms especially when they are nesting. Mealworms are the larval form of an imported beetle called the mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor, a species of darkling beetle. The darkling beetle goes through four life-stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Larvae typically measure about 2.5cm or more, where as adults are generally between 1.25 and 1.8cm in length.
Mealworms are used as a food source for reptile and avian pets. They are also put out for wild birds in bird feeders, particularly during the nesting season when birds are raising their young. They can be purchased at most pet stores and are also available via mail order and the internet. Mealworms are usually sold in a container with bran or oatmeal for food. Mealworm feeders are available on-line or you can make your own. Mealworms are easy to raise and many lessons can be learned during the process.

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A man's interest in a single bluebird is worth more than a complete but dry list of the fauna and flora of a town.

Letter, November 22, 1858, from Henry D. Thoreau to Daniel Ricketson, in The Writings of Henry David Thoreau, 1906

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Bluebird flying high,
Tell me what you sing.
If you could talk to me,
What news would you bring
Of voices in the sky?

The Moody Blues, In Search of the Lost Chord, lyrics from Voices in the Sky, Justin Hayward, 1968

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The nesting cycle of the Bluebirds and related subjects are ripe with learning opportunities. This section contains a collection of outstanding lists and lenses with great books and activities for the little ones.