for Bluebirds Cub Scouts of Pack 165 in Spencerport, mostly 8 and 9 year old third graders from St. John’s School, made their second annual trip to Northampton Park last week to clean and repair the birdhouses in anticipation of this spring’s arrival of migratory songbirds, including the much loved bluebird. The bluebird boxes in Northampton and Black Creek Park in Chili are part of a project run by the Genesee Valley Chapter of the Audubon Society led this year by Jerry Sullivan and Carolyn Emerson. The cub scouts at Northampton included Nick Coykendall, Jason Ross, Joe Marino, Nathan Fien, Alex D’Ettore and Geoff Brown of Spencerport and Sam Knapton of Churchville. The boys cleaned out last year’s nests, swept out the boxes, made repairs and painted the poles with grease to deter predators which range from ants to raccoons. At Black Creek Park, Carolyn Emerson was helped with the 26 birdhouses she tends by a group from Single Volunteers of Rochester, a social and service organization of single adults who volunteer for public projects in the community. Between the two groups in both parks, nearly fifty birdhouses were readied for the imminent arrival of several protected species of songbirds including tree swallows, yellow and blue-winged warblers, grasshopper and field sparrows, and bluebirds. With few exceptions, bluebirds may be the most beloved, most protected, most pampered, most promoted wildlife species in our place and time. Besides being a romantic symbol of love, happiness, and the state bird of New York, eastern bluebirds are emblematic of the state of the environment and the ecological changes that have taken place over the past few decades. Once among the most common songbirds in western New York, the eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis) began a rapid decline in the northeast in the 1950s and 60s because of loss of habitat and competition for food and nest sites with aggressive non-native species such as the European starling and house and tree sparrows. Like other wildlife, bluebirds also suffered from the toxic effects of pesticides such as DDT Since then, public enthusiasm for bluebirds has done a lot to save the species from further decline, and human intervention has led to a remarkable turnaround in their status. While loss of habitat continues to be a concern, the building and placing of nest boxes for bluebirds has become a widespread practice in open fields and public parks much to the benefit of the species. Pat Rauber of Holley is a leader in the move to save endangered bluebirds in western New York. She was among the first of the Audubon Society volunteers to build, place and tend bluebird boxes in Northampton Park and elsewhere. Rauber, almost single-handedly, led the way in the protection of bluebirds in the area, looking after the bluebird nest boxes for nearly a decade before turning over the responsibility to Jerry Sullivan two years ago. Some bluebirds in the area live here year-round when food is plentiful, but most migrate to southern climates for the winter. They like to eat insects, which they find on the ground in tall grassy areas. Spiders, worms and caterpillars are among their favorites; they also eat wild fruits and seeds they find in their preferred habitat - open fields, unmowed meadows and orchards, near water. It is uncommon to find bluebirds in congested residential or heavily wooded areas. Male bluebirds are a brightly-colored blue on their heads, wings, backs and tails. The chest is red, like a robin’s; the under belly, white. Females are dull by comparison, more gray in appearance, with a less vibrant reddish chest. Adult bluebirds often return to the same breeding area year after year, although they may not use the same nesting site. Only a small number of their offspring return to the area in which they were born. Breeding pairs are usually monogamous, staying together during the breeding season to raise two broods. The breeding season in western New York begins in mid to late March, depending on the weather and continues some years as late as June. Upon arrival in the spring, the male scouts out several possible nest sites and displays his selections to the female who makes the final choice of where to build her nest. It takes the pair about five days to construct a nest out of dry grasses, stems and roots, pine needles, hair and fur. Males find and carry building material to the site, but only the female actually builds the cup-shaped nest. The males are very territorial during the nest building, aggressively defending the perimeter of the nest from other suitors or intruders. Females tend only to protect the nest itself. Preferred bluebird nesting sites include old fence posts, standing dead or rotted trees, especially those with hollowed out cavities or woodpecker holes; or, man-made nest boxes. Bluebirds compete for nesting sites with tree swallows and several species of sparrows. While a male bluebird will not allow another bluebird to set up a nest nearby, a tree swallow or sparrow family is tolerated. Similarly, tree swallows will not tolerate other tree swallow nests close by, but they are not bothered by bluebird neighbors. That’s why nesting boxes are usually set up in pairs, one box for tree swallows, one for bluebirds. (This may also explains why, when tree swallows are spotted performing their aerial acrobatics, birdwatchers will often also find bluebirds nearby.) According to Jerry Sullivan, a man who knows his birds, these days the loss of habitat is still the single most important factor affecting local bluebird populations. But some natural habitat loss can be overcome by placing man-made nesting boxes in appropriate areas in the hope of attracting and encouraging bluebirds to build nests in areas to which they will return year after year. Sullivan, who has been a member of Audubon and the Rochester Birding Association for many years, recommends a particular design: "Peterson boxes, the ones with a long narrow cavity, because they are thought to be more attractive to bluebirds because of the depth and narrowness of the cavity," he says. Bill Tyra, a Rochester general contractor has built over a hundred bluebird boxes of the Peterson design. He makes the boxes during the winter out of scrap lumber left over from his building projects. He has given most of his boxes to neighbors, cub scouts, and others willing to place them in suitable locations on public or private property. Tyra recently donated 10 new boxes to Jerry Sullivan for use in Northampton Park and at Beatty Point in North Greece. Tyra’s is a labor of love. He says, "Bluebirds are incredibly beautiful, and they have a beautiful song and will only live in a specific habitat, with special conditions. I just get a great satisfaction doing something that has a special meaning - building something that’s worthwhile." Whether in a hollow tree or a man-made nesting box, once a nest is constructed, females begin to lay eggs, one a day, until there are, on average, 3-5. Bluebird eggs may be sky blue or white, but never both in the same nest. All eggs of one mother will be the same color. Only after the last egg is laid does the female begin a continuous incubation for a 12-14 day period. Chicks hatch within a few days of each other. They are kept warm and fed by the female for about a week, or more depending on the weather. During that time the chicks sprout their fluffy down and first feathers, becoming capable of regulating their own body temperatures. They are especially vulnerable during this time to extreme cold. The male’s job in the first week or so is to constantly supply the female and the chicks with food. Jerry Sullivan has been known to lend a hand during cold snaps by delivering mealworms to the nest boxes helping to ensure the birds’ survival until the weather clears and the bluebird family can fend for itself. Chicks begin to leave the nest after 16 to 22 days, but remain dependent upon their parents for food and protection for three to four weeks. Thereafter the young bluebirds flock together with adults, the first brood helping to feed the second, until fall when several families join together for the long journey south to Mexico and Central America for the winter. To learn more: Bill Tyra recommends a good source of information about building nesting boxes: |
