to leave the nest
and start feeding at bluebird feeders in 15 days. Bluebird pairs will raise 2 or 3 broods of
young each season.
Bluebirds are very
enjoyable to watch and listen to. During the spring courtship it
is so fun to watch the male bluebird devoting all his energy
luring a female with his song. He will sing and sing while the
female sits passively by enjoying his passionate effort.
The bluebird’s main
competitors are the house sparrow and the starling. Sparrows
will break the bluebird’s eggs or will peck baby bluebird’s to
death. The adult bluebirds are often unable to defend themselves
or their young. Starlings are even worse and will drive all the
bluebirds out of an area occupying every available nesting
cavity unless man intervenes.
There are three species of Bluebirds. The Eastern Bluebird, The
Western Bluebird and The Mountain Bluebird.
The Eastern Bluebirds breed in every state east of the Rocky
Mountains. The Eastern Bluebirds head, back, wings, and tail are
bright blue. His throat, breast and sides are rusty and the
belly is white.
The Western
Bluebird breeds in the western states from Canada to Mexico
and east to Colorado. The Western Bluebirds head, back, wings, throat and
tail are bright blue. His breast and sides are rusty and the
belly is white.
The Mountain Bluebird
likes high elevations and breeds in the Northwest east to the
Dakotas and north into Alaska. The Male Mountain Bluebird is
entirely blue except for his white belly. The female Mountain
Bluebird is mostly gray with just a little blue showing on her
wings and tail.
To assist the bluebird
we need to provide suitable habitats, winter roosts and keep a
good food supply available for them using bluebird feeders.
