WHD Article - Eastern Bluebirds

WILDLIFE HABITAT DESIGN®

Eastern Bluebirds

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Bluebirds in Georgia will sometimes nest up to 4 times per year. This is due to our long summers. The nesting boxes for the Eastern bluebird should have a 1 1 2 inch hole. The floor dimensions should be 4 x 4 inches. The height from top of floor to the bottom of the entrance hole should be 5 to 7 inches. The side or front should open easily for monitoring and cleaning out. Ventilation in Georgia is very important. Leave a slit under the roof or drill air holes in the same area. Drainage holes should be drilled in the floor. Use 3 4 inch thick wood. Place the box on a pole away from tree limbs about 4 to 6 feet from the ground measuring from the hole. Face the box towards the most open part of your yard. Do not let things grow around the pole area. Bluebirds are very fussy about keeping the area open. Be sure to clean out each nest after the babies have fledged. This prevents predators from reaching in and taking the eggs or babies. When maintaining a bluebird trail the boxes need to be monitored at least once per week unless the female is incubating the eggs. In this case, leave her alone until the babies have hatched. Tap on the box first to entice the adult out of the box before you open it. Then check the nest and record the following:
• Box # • Month, day and year • Bluebirds seen • Empty box • Partial nest • Complete nest • # Eggs • # Young • Age of young • Fledged • Comments
The female will lay her eggs over several days. Only the female can incubate the eggs so if something happens to her the eggs will be abandoned. She will leave them in order to feed herself. Sometimes it will be hard to tell if the nest has been abandoned because of her frequently leaving the nest.

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