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FROM THE PRESIDENT Last week I mentioned to a co-worker that Sandy and I were going to go up to Washington County that evening and help a lady set up a bluebird trail on her acreage. My co-worker asked me "why?" That got me thinking - why do we, (not only Sandy and I, but many BAN members) work so hard to help someone else become involved with bluebirds. What is it about these small birds that enraptures so many people. Is it their exquisite coloring? No doubt about it, bluebirds whether eastern, western or mountain are certainly one of the most beautiful birds in North America. Is it their willingness to let us become involved in their daily lives? There aren't too many wild birds that allow humans to come in close contact with them especially while they are nesting. Is it because it makes us feel good to help them to survive? I know when I help someone set up a trail and I get that call a week or so later saying "I've got bluebirds", it certainly makes me feel good. Perhaps there are different reasons for different people. Whatever the reason, these little birds have captured the hearts of many people in Nebraska and Iowa. BAN's County Coordinator program is a good example of this fascination. The only rule for a county coordinator to follow is to help increase bluebird population. Each coordinator draws from his or her own experiences, expertise and skills to help people in their community become involved with bluebirds. One person may enjoy working with children while another may prefer doing programs for adults. Some county coordinators prefer to set up trails rather than doing public speaking. No matter where their skills lie, they are making a difference. Many counties in Nebraska are still in need of a coordinator. Check the list of coordinators in this newsletter. If your county is not represented please consider becoming your county's coordinator. If your county is represented, consider becoming a co-coordinator. There can never be too many people spreading the word about bluebirds. After thinking about it for a while, I decided that the reason so many people are helping bluebirds is because it would be such a shame to lose them. If a bird that is so beautiful, so social and brings us so much happiness is allowed to disappear, what will be next?
By Kevin Berner, North American Bluebird Society Research Committee Chair Bluebird enthusiasts have long sought the perfect nest box. Numerous designs and modifications have been proposed to meet this goal. The perfect box should attract bluebirds and other native birds while being ignored by introduced species such as house sparrows and European starlings. It should also protect eggs and chicks from predators and severe weather. Monitoring the box should be easy to do without disturbing the occupants. Finally, it should be simple and cheap to build and durable. Some people feel that they have already discovered the ideal nest box. Others are still tinkering and searching. Each box style has its advantages and disadvantages, which I will discuss along with the results of my research on box styles. STANDARD (NABS) BOX The standard box is the common "bird house" which exists in a variety of designs. These are the boxes most people have seen or built. This standard box design is among the easiest and cheapest to construct. These boxes generally have 4 x 4 inch or 5 x 5 inch floors. They are designed to open from the side, front, or top for monitoring. Many people feel that side or front opening boxes are easier to check for blowfly infestations or to clean out the box. Others believe the top opening boxes may cause less disturbance to chicks in the box during monitoring, minimizing the possibility of premature fledging of the young during monitoring. Standard boxes should be constructed to reduce the chance that rain will enter the box. Boxes where the roof butts against the backboard often allow moisture to leak into the box; whereas a roof which extends beyond the back of the box is less likely to admit rain. The roof should also extend over the front of the box. My tests have shown that roofs that extend five inches beyond the entry hole will make it more difficult for raccoons to reach into the box from the box roof. The more common 2-inch overhang allows more rain and sunlight to penetrate the box and is easily reached around by a racoon sitting on the roof. The commonly used extra thickness of wood over the entry hole is not effective in deterring raccoon predation of nest boxes -- I have seen numerous boxes with this feature destroyed by racoons. As with any style of box, perches should never be included. Perches are not needed by bluebirds and may serve as a site for harassment by house sparrows. PETERSON BOXES The late Dick Peterson of Minnesota developed the Peterson box. These wedge-shaped boxes with sloping fronts substitute a 1 3/8 x 2 1/4 inch oval entrance for the more common 1 1/2 inch round entrance hole. Proponents in the north-central states feel that this heavily constructed (the frame is a 2 x 4) box provides better insulation allowing it to stay cooler in hot weather and warmer during cool weather. They also feel that the oval entrance makes it easier for the adults to feed the young without completely entering the box. Peterson box advocates also have observed that the blowfly tend to accumulate near the door due the slanted floor and therefore can easily be removed. Peterson boxes appear to keep the nesting material far drier during rainy periods than standard boxes. Numerous county [Schoharie, NY] residents have told me that they were unable to attract bluebirds to their standard nest boxes but had bluebirds entering Peterson boxes within hours or a day after erecting them. The main concern expressed about these boxes is that unlike standard boxes, starlings can occasionally enter them. I have never observed this to be a problem. SLOT BOXES Dr. Wayne Davis, a now retired bluebird researcher at the University of Kentucky, is the leading proponent of this nest box design. His research has indicated that house sparrows prefer boxes with circular openings over a box with a slot (1 1/8 inch) across the top of the entire box front. He has found that bluebirds readily accept slot boxes. Davis feels that the slot opening also gives bluebirds a greater opportunity to escape a box when attacked in the box by house sparrows than a single circular opening does. House sparrow will often kill bluebirds in nesting boxes then build their own nests in the boxes. I have had heavy use of slot boxes by bluebirds in Schoharie County but I have also had sparrows using them as well. PVC BOXES Steve Gilbertson of Minnesota has had good luck with bluebird boxes constructed from 4-inch PVC fitted with a wooden roof. He is promoting these boxes as sparrow resistant. Gilbertson feels sparrows avoid the slick plastic surface. The boxes are mounted on a 1/2-inch conduit treated with carnauba car wax to predator-proof the pole. I conducted tests on these boxes for several years and had moderately high bluebird use. I have had almost no use of these boxes by house sparrows. This is the box design I would most recommend for individuals having problems with house sparrows. GILWOOD NEST BOXES Gilwood nest boxes are a square flat roofed box with a recessed front. The entry hole is a 2 3/4-inch circle that is somewhat cut off at the tope and is bisected with a metal rod that serves as the hinge for the opening on the front of the box. The large entry hole is designed to provide sufficient light entry to deter house sparrow use. In my tests in the summer of 2000 this box was preferred over my previously most successful box design -- a standard shaped box with an oval entrance like those found in Peterson boxes. TROYER BOX Andrew Troyer designed this box which combines the shape of a small Peterson box with a slot entrance. Bluebirds Across Nebraska has had a high level of attracting bluebirds with this design. A wide variety of nest box designs are available for attracting bluebirds. We would like to encourage you to try these designs and report on what worked best for you. Whatever box you choose, your primary concern should be placement of the box in the proper habitat. Secondarily, the box should he made predator free by mounting it on a metal pipe heavily coated with automotive grease.
[Reprinted from Minnesota Bluebird Recovery Program Bluebird News, Vol. 14, #1, Feb. 2001] A male house wren may put "dummy" sticks in many bluebird boxes in hopes of attracting a female to one of those boxes. In 1989, Larry Hood, then Director of the Migratory Bird Department, Midwest Division of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, assured BBRP that removing the dummy sticks [only] is legal. It is, of course, illegal to remove them once the female has chosen a box and started her real nest of fine grasses and feathers. At this fall's North American Bluebird Society Board meeting in Minneapolis, that ruling was questioned once again, so we decided to go to the top: Cyndi Perry, Chief Branch of Bird Conservation, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Arlington, VA. Her reply follows: From the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Arlington, VA: December 7, 2000 "Thank you for your November 25, 2000 letter regarding the problem os house wren predation of your bluebird nest boxes. The short answer to your query is that you may legally remove the dummy twigs placed in the sting cavities by the house wren. The issue you raise, regarding the legality of removing nesting material from nest boxes - or other locations - does merit clarification from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In general, inactive nests may be legally destroyed, while active nests may not. A permit is not needed to destroy nuisance empty nests of non-colonial species of birds (those that do not cluster nests in colonies). This includes nests in the process of being constructed. If live eggs or nestlings are present in the nest, then the nest is active and may not be destroyed without a permit. The law prohibits possession of migratory bird nests without a permit, so anyone removing inactive nests should take care to destroy them at once. If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me again."
Sincerely,
The Purple Martin Society has granted Bluebirds Across Nebraska the opportunity to develop a "conference table" forum site on its Round Table Conferences web site. This conference table is a place to share ideas and information and network with other BAN members and any other interested bluebirders visiting this web site. To participate, log on to: http://purplemartins.com/pm-roundtable This site is intended to be informational only and will be monitored to ensure all items posted on any forum are kept in good taste. Marty Raiser has volunteered to be the moderator of the BAN forum. We are grateful to the Purple Martin Society for offering us this opportunity and to Marty for taking on the role of moderator.
Betty Noffke of Hampton, NE shared the following on her report form last year: "We've had boxes up for several years (probably 8 or 9) but this was the first time we had monitored. Two of our grandchildren were with me when I opened a box on July 5th & they saw 5 tiny, naked, newly hatched bluebirds. I'm not certain who was more excited - them or Grandma, even though this was the third successful brood we had this season."
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