News

What makes a good nest box?
Sufficient space for growing nestlings and ease of feeding by parent bluebirds.

This great video by Adam Edmunds of Michigan shows the interior of his homemade hexagonal nest box that is 30 in.² and allows both parents room to feed young nestlings. As they grow, they will have ample space to develop before fledging.

#bluebirds #nestboxmanagement #nabluebirdsociety #cavitynestingbirds #nestboxes

Q: What's the best thing to find under a rainbow? 🌈🍀🪙
If you said "a pot of gold" we beg to differ... 🪺
📸 by Dana Grayson of our affiliate Maryland Bluebird Society

It’s spring and bumblebee queens are out looking for nest sites, and they especially love old chickadee nests because of the moss and other soft material. If she claims a nest box, she will start her little colony down in the nest.

If a bumblebee queen is in your nest box (you’ll hear buzzing when you tap on the box), if it’s possible, put up another box for birds nearby and let the bee nest. If not, then the only real option if it’s an old bird nest is to remove it so the bee moves on. If there’s already an active nest, then that can't be done. The birds may drive off the queen on their own; others may abandon the nest. Some people have actually caught the queen bumblebee and put her in a box made just for bumble bees. Of course, there’s a chance of being stung so it’s not really recommended.

Bumblebees don’t have huge colonies like honeybees and they are not aggressive unless they are defending their nest site. They tend to be pretty calm. As one of our native bees, they are super beneficial for pollination and many bumblebee species are critically endangered, so they need all the help they can get. Please don’t harm them.

*Carpenter bees are a whole different species and they are the ones that bore tunnels into wood, so they are unlikely to actually be inside the nest box, so if you find a bee down inside a bird nest, it’s probably a bumblebee.

Some helpful links are in the comments. ... See more

Bluebirds and other wildlife conservation were represented well at the Bluebirds & Bluegrass Festival in Jackson, Georgia. Did anyone else local attend?

Affiliate Spotlight! 🔦
The Maryland Bluebird Society is hosting an online "Bluebird Boot Camp." The event will have daily presentations on different topics related to bluebirds and other native cavity nesters. This event is being offered free of charge and you don't have to live in Maryland to join. Learn more and register at the provided link!

This is a excellent article on bird egg development and coloration.
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/the-beauty-and-biology-of-egg-color/?fbclid=IwAR1PpXU6KY9Hql0D068JeqbKXIaSfdHHrhLV-S_bpNnJPuLuGGP199WxrYM#

This week the birding community said goodbye to Ron Kingston who passed away in March. Both Ron and his late wife, Priscilla, were active in the North American Bluebird Society and Virginia Bluebird Society over the years, giving presentations and talks all over North America and even internationally. They were the recipients of the 2015 Virginia Bluebird Society Heritage Award. Ron is well known for his revolutionary invention - the Kingston Stovepipe Baffle, a simple and inexpensive yet highly effective method of predator control that has undoubtedly saved the lives of countless birds over the years. Ron's positive contributions and impact were felt far and wide, and he will be deeply missed by all of us in the birding community. ... See more

In addition to bluebirds, there are many other birds that nest in natural cavities or nest boxes, including several duck species. This video captured the moment hooded merganser ducklings fledged from their nest box. The mother can be heard outside the nest box calling to them. How many ducklings do you count?

Video courtesy of Ralph Tanner
#cavitynestingbirds #northamericanbluebirdsociety #nabluebirdsociety #cavitynestingducks #hoodedmerganser #nestboxes #nestboxmanagement #nestboxbabies #nestboxmonitoring ... See more

Get to Know Bluebirds: A Guide for Young Nature Lovers is a downloadable eBook available on our website at https://www.nabluebirdsociety.org/publications. We encourage you to download the book and share it as widely as possible!

Nesting season is underway in some parts of North America, and in most others it will begin soon! Be sure to check out all of our Fact Sheets so you are ready to tackle any issue this nesting season.