The Eastern Bluebird, with its bright plumage and lyrical tone, was once prevalent in Pennsylvania. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the population was soaring. Recent logging created open spaces and farms, the preferred habitat of the species, scientifically known as Sialia sialis. Missouri even made the Eastern Bluebird its state bird in 1927. From Honduras and Mexico to Canada, the survival of the birds was extremely successful.
Soon after this period, however, many factors arose and began to decimate the birds. English Sparrows were introduced to New York and took over quickly. Accompanied by starlings, this species outcompeted the native Eastern Bluebird, increasingly outnumbering sialis. The human population rose with the sparrows and starlings, and cities replaced the Bluebird’s fields. Even on the remaining farms, pesticides, such as DDT, left many of the birds unable to reproduce. Birds that would usually incubate eggs twice a year throughout their mature life were no longer capable of repopulating the species. With six to ten years per bird, that’s a loss of twenty birds per sterile breeding pair.
In the 1930s, people began to realize that this was a problem. Efforts made during this period were, unfortunately, obsolete, as the bluebird population issue was soon overshadowed by the preparations for World War II. It wasn’t until decades after the war, in the 1960s and 1970s, that the birds were once again mainstream. In 1970, sialis was declared the state bird of New York.
Many groups are now committed to ensuring the bluebirds’ survival, including the Game Commission, the Conservation Foundation, the North American Bluebird Society, and the Bluebird Society of Pennsylvania. Through their work, populations have gone up significantly since 1965.
To further this progress, these foundations recommend the use of bluebird boxes. Many people enjoy its presence as a songbird, making this a win-win situation. It is important to put the boxes in the right area and conditions. Otherwise, it is more likely that a sparrow will inhabit the box than a bluebird.
It is recommended that boxes be hung on fence posts near open spaces in direct sunlight, four to six feet off of the ground. Male Eastern Bluebirds will begin looking for boxes to nest in in March, with the females joining them in April.
