Bluebird populations had been in decline with the rise of the non native house sparrow in the United States. House sparrows take the bluebird nest sites, destroy bluebird eggs, and kill the bluebird adults if they can catch them on the nest. Through people putting up nest boxes for the bluebirds, their populations are now recovering. But the house sparrow remains a threat.
This video is about identification of the bluebird species in your region, as well as the house sparrow. I review the bluebird nest boxes we have, and show methods of house sparrow control we are using in our own yard after a male house sparrow killed our adult male bluebird this breeding season.
Links:
-for more comprehensive information on providing safe bluebird nest sites in your yard, as well as troubleshooting problems, visit http://www.sialis.org
-bird identification pictures from https://www.allaboutbirds.org/
-bird range maps from https://birdsoftheworld.org/
-type of nest box we use https://songbirdessentials.com/product.php?productID=35217
-live house sparrow trap we use https://vanerttraps.com