PENNSYLVANIA (WHTM) — The Pennsylvania Game Commission took to Facebook earlier today to encourage people to clean and/or install their Bluebird boxes before the species starts laying their eggs for the year.
According to the PA Game Commission, the Bluebird species are early nesters compared to other birds – these birds lay their first ‘clutches’ (multiple eggs) by late March or early April. Upon laying their eggs, Bluebirds will then incubate them for about two weeks. Additionally, Bluebirds tend to prefer more open habitats, such as:
- Orchards
- Pastures
- Lawns
- Suburban gardens
- Parks
This preference for an open environment makes your backyard an ideal location to place a Bluebird box. Here are some tips that the PA Game Commission has for people that decide to hang a Bluebird box outside their homes:
- Boxes should be 4-6 feet above the ground
- If you place more than one box, they should be at least 100 yards away from one another
- The entrance hole to the box should face east and toward the open space (It can also face southeast or northeast).
According to the PA Game Commission, a Bluebird (Sialia sialis) is about six inches long and weighs about one ounce. The population of Bluebirds peaked back in the 1900s and then faced a decline for a number of years due to the re-forestation of abandoned farmland. In recent decades, the number of Bluebirds has increased due to thousands of bluebird boxes put up by humans.
If you want to hang your own Bluebird box this year, click here to purchase one! Or if you would prefer to build your own, you can click here for Bluebird nest box plans.
For more information on Bluebirds and other Thrushes in PA, you can visit the PA Game Commission webpage.
According to the PA Game Commission, the earlier you hang your box up the better chance you have of attracting Bluebirds.
