Bluebird Nesting Box Trails

Eastern Bluebird populations have declined over much of this century as available nesting cavities in orchards and wooden fence rows have disappeared and competition from the European Starling and House Sparrow have increased.

A subcommittee of local bluebird enthusiasts and public school educators organized material donations, preparation of the wood and construction and placement of approximately 90 Bluebird nesting boxes. Predator guards were fashioned from donated aluminium newspaper printing plates. The nesting boxes were constructed from donated barn board and new materials cut to a pattern by local high school woodworking classes. A workshop showed teachers how to construct the boxes. Construction was then completed by 7 elementary school classes and environmental clubs in Blenheim and Ridgetown.

Local newspapers publicized the construction of the Bluebird boxes, outlined the characteristics of suitable bluebird habitat and encouraged rural residents in the Rondeau Bay area with suitable habitat to take ownership of the boxes. The need for regular monitoring of the boxes to maximize success and document results was emphasized. Information was sent home to the parents of students who had been involved in bluebird box construction and posters were placed in prominent locations throughout the towns to obtain suitable homes and interested monitors. The nesting boxes were placed in the Rondeau Bay watershed in time for the breeding season. The availability of these nesting sites should aid this species in recovering and maintaining a healthy, stable, local population.

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