Bluebirds

Sitewide bird observations conducted in May, June, August, and September of 1994 at BNL were used to calculate habitat-specific diversity and to compare diversity and species richness between habitats. The results of each 1000-ft and 5000-ft upland transect were pooled, the results of the six 1000-ft wetland transacts were pooled; and the results from upland transacts were discarded as no spring (May) observations were made because this habitat was added after the May survey.

Nest Box Use by Other Species

Bluebird boxes are used by several other species of birds including tree swallows (see photo), house wren, black-capped chickadee, and house sparrows. The size of the entry hole limits the use to birds that are of similar size compared to bluebirds.

Nest Box Nesting Success

As mentioned above BNL has 46 boxes established around suitable habitat located on Lab property. Individual box use may be variable from year to year, but nesting success has been consistent over the past two years with 19 successful bluebird nests. The table below presents the nesting success for 2001 through 2004.

Bluebird Nest Box Success

Box #	2001	# of nests	2002	# of nests	2003	# of nests	2004	# of nests
1	Empty		Empty		House Wren	1	Few Grasses
2	Bluebird	1	Bluebird	1	Bluebird	1	Bluebird	1
3	Bluebird	2	Empty		House Wren		Few Grasses
4	Bluebird	1	Bluebird	1	House Wren		House Wren	1
4					Bluebird	1
5	Bluebird	1	Bluebird	1	Bluebird	1	Bluebird
6	House Wren		House Wren	1	House Wren		House Wren
7	Empty	1	House Wren		House Wren		House Wren
8	Bluebird	1	Bluebird	2	Empty		Bluebird	1
9	Few Grasses		House Wren		Empty		House Wren	1
10	House Wren		Bluebird	1	Empty		Bluebird	1
10							House Wren	1
11	Bluebird	1	Bluebird	1	Empty		House Wren
12	Moss		Chickadee	1	Mushroom		Empty
12A							Mushrooms
13	Empty		Empty		Empty		Empty
14	House Wren	1	Chickadee	1	Empty		House Wren
14	Bluebird	1
15	House Wren	1	House Wren	1	House Wren		Few Grasses
16	House Wren	1	House Wren		Bluebird	1	Bluebird	1
16	Bluebird	1					House Wren	1
17	Empty		Bluebird	1	House Wren		House Wren
18	Empty		Wasps		Empty		Bluebird	1
19	Empty		Tree Swallow	1	Bluebird	1	Empty
20	Empty		Bluebird	1	House Wren		Twigs
21	House Wren	1	Tree Swallow	1	House Wren		Bluebird	2
21					Bluebird	1
22	House Wren		House Wren		House Wren	2	New Box
22					Bluebird	1
23	Bluebird	2	Bluebird	1	Missing Box		Bluebird	1
24	House Wren	1	Bluebird	2	Tree Swallow	1	Tree Swallow	1
24	Bluebird	1			Bluebird	1	Tree Swallow	1
25	House Wren	1	Tree Swallow	1	Tree Swallow	1	Tree Swallow	1
25	Bluebird	1	Bluebird	1	Bluebird	2
26	House Wren		Empty		Bluebird	1	Tree Swallow	1
27	Few Grasses		House Wren	1	Tufted Titmouse	1	House Wren	1
28	Empty		Wasps		Wasps		Yellow Jackets
29	Empty		House Wren	1	Bluebird	1	Tree Swallow	1
30	Bluebird	1	Tree Swallow	1	Bluebird	1	Bluebird	2
31	Bluebird	1	Empty		Empty		House Wren	1
32	Bluebird	1	Bluebird	2	Bluebird	2	Bluebird	2
32			Tree Swallow	1	Empty
33	Bluebird	1	Bluebird	1	Tree Swallow	1	House Wren
33					Bluebird	1
33A			Bluebird	1
34	Tree Swallow	1	House Wren	1	House Wren		Empty
34					Tree Swallow	1
35	Bluebird	2	Bluebird	1	Bluebird	1	Bluebird	2
36	House Wren		Bluebird	1	House Wren	1	Bluebird	2
36			Tree Swallow	1
37			Wasps		Empty		Bluebird	1
38			Empty		Bluebird	1	Empty
39			Empty		House Wren		Bluebird	2
40			House Wren		House Wren		Bluebird	2
40					Bluebird	1
41			House Wren		Empty		Bluebird
42			Empty		Bluebird	1	Few Grasses
43			Few Grasses		Tree Swallow	1	Chickadee
44			Empty		Tufted Titmouse	1	Bluebird	1
45			House Wren	1	Bluebird	1	Bluebird
46							Tree Swallow	1

For added information about the eastern bluebird and bluebird boxes visit the North American Bluebird Society on the web.

Another good site for bluebird information is Sialis.org

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