O'Brien Outdoors: Bluebirds

A male bluebird on the hunt for a meal of insects.

At the kitchen window sits an old wooden rocking chair. Colorful quilted pads adorn its seat and back. On the sill a pair of well-used binoculars remains at the ready. Through the pane of glass nature is visible and enjoyable. Not thirty feet away a birdfeeder and birdbath draw a myriad of feathered flyers. Many of these visitors color our world and brighten our day.

Nearby is a bluebird house. It has been occupied the last 8 years by nesting bluebirds. More than all the others this little bird in its cloak of blue casts a spell on the observer.

The bluebird’s charm is in large part due to their scarcity for so many years. In the late 1970s and 1980s their populations were reduced to almost devastating numbers. Ornithologists tell us the main causes for the decline were overcrowding of nesting areas by other birds (mostly sparrows and starlings) and loss of suitable nesting trees. Through the efforts of many state and non-profit organizations and individuals who built and maintained bluebird boxes there has been a population boost. In particular bluebird trails, which are long lines of bluebird houses. Bluebirds are now reestablished and sightings are common. They are a welcome visitor to any backyard and are true harbingers of spring.

The eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis) belongs to the thrush family. Their sweet song- “chur-lee, chur-lee”- is distinctive and quite melodious. This beautiful little bird is about 6” to 7” long dressed in complementary colors of orange and blue. The males of the species are vivid blue on their back and head with a red-brown breast and throat, the coloring extending to the sides of the neck. The belly and under the tail are white. Compared to the male, the female bluebird is not as brilliant in color, although still quite attractive. They are grayish on the head and upper back, with tinges of blue in the wings and tail. Their breast feathers are a dull orange.

Bluebirds prefer open pastures and meadows surrounded by trees. They are cavity nesters and typically have two broods each year, spring and summer. Bluebirds eat small fruits and insects, which constitute as much as eighty-percent of their diet. Perching on a low tree limb they flit down to intercept an insect; then return to the post to continue the hunt. Many avid birders will use a platform feeder to offer mealworms (the same ones purchased by fishermen) or water-soaked raisins to bluebirds, which are greedily accepted.  
   
If you have interest in attracting bluebirds to your backyard consider offering bird-nesting habitat. These boxes must be a certain height, face a specific direction, and periodically cleaned. Google bluebirds boxes to learn more. Blueprints for bluebird boxes can be found on the Pennsylvania Game Commission web site-www.pgc.state.pa.us; click on the “Self-Help” tab and select “Build Something for Wildlife.” Both Plan 1- Small Nest Box and Plan 4- Medium Nest Box are listed as suitable for bluebirds.

Also visit http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/381/articles/introduction

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