What is the ideal habitat for Bluebirds

[Jean Pell]

I live on a little over 5 acres which is shared with a neighbor who is not really into birds "yet". I live on the back side and only control maybe 1 acre. The rest I let nature have her way. It is wooded with pine trees, one huge oak and wild cherry trees, and under growth. I do have a meadow between me and my neighbor. It is wild also. I would love to hear suggestions on any improvements I can make.

I live in NW GA zone 7b.

Jean

[Evelyn Cooper]

Hi Jean:

My yard is three acres. I have some trees on the three acres. I have two nesting pair in my yard. One is in the backyard and the other is on the far side with the house between blocking their view. This gives them at least one and one half acre to forge. There is property around my yard that is also open and mowed low and that is ideal. The boxes are 20 to 40 ft. from trees.

On my trail they are placed far enough apart that nothing has to be there to block the view.

It sounds like you do not have much open space. I think the one acre you have would support one nesting pair. If your neighbor has about that much open space, you might could persuade her to let you put up a box there.

I notice when we have lots of rainy and cooler temps during nesting season, both pairs frequent the feeder more. All my boxes on the rest of my trail have much more space for the bluebirds to forge.

Bluebirds will nest under trees that grow very tall like pine trees or large oaks with no low limbs. (we keep our trees in the yard with low limbs trimmed) If the limbs are low or trees are bushy, the Bluebirds have more competition from other birds.

Watching on the nest cam during times when it is harder to find food for the nestlings made me more aware of how important it is to have enough forging space.

Another important thing to consider is do they have a tree, bush or anything the babies can fledge to. Some people make a perch close to the box if it is placed too far from a tree or bush. If they don't have something to fledge to, they will hit the ground and be in danger of a predator getting them.

To sum it up, enough forage space for each nesting pair and the closer they are placed together, out of sight of each other is best, along with a good place to fledge to.

Evelyn
Delhi, LA

[Jean Pell]

Thanks Evelyn, Sadly I know you are right about my place. I had hoped to have more than one pair nest here. I rent this land and my landlord use to bushog every fall. He hasn't done this for the last 3 years so the place has really grown up. Should I talk him into bushogging this fall, would that work or not? There is about one acre plus behind me.

I hesitate to put a nest box up at my neighbor's. She has an inside/outside cat that I am always running off from my space.

Interesting information about keeping low limbs cut. That is one improvement I need to have done.

This has helped.

Jean

[Evelyn Cooper]

I don't blame you for not putting a box in the area where a cat is. However, the cat could roam to your place too if it is close by. Keep an eye out for that.

Bushhogging would help, but it would grow pretty high from fall to the next fall if it is not done any during the nesting cycle. I have to remind myself that Bluebirds managed many years before we had bushhogs and lawn mowers, but lowed mowed habitat is the ideal way. You might give it a try and see what happens.

Good luck.

Evelyn
Delhi, LA