Because of their beautiful plumage, gentle song, and propensity to seek out man-made habitats, bluebirds are among our most popular songbirds.

Breeding male bluebirds sport a strikingly blue cap and back, a reddish-orange breast, and faded white belly and underbody. The female bluebird’s plumage appears as a pronouncedly faded or weathered version of the male’s.

At one time, a bluebird’s natural inclination was to seek out natural tree cavities and old woodpecker holes for nesting sites. However, as such places have become scarce, bluebirds have increasingly come to utilize man-made nesting boxes.

An important concern is that these man-made bluebird sites are often used or taken over by House Sparrows or European Starlings. A serious decline in bluebird numbers in eastern sections of the United States can be attributed to the encroachment and depredations of these introduced species.

Another cause for periodic decline in the population of this species has been very severe winters.

Modern agricultural practices have also adversely impacted bluebirds by reducing nesting sites and foraging opportunities as well as by the use of pesticides.

Bluebirds tend to seek out rather open, though not totally treeless, areas for nesting and foraging sites such as suburban lawns, golf courses, pastures, old fields, farm yards, and forest edges.

Though some bluebirds do remain in northern Michigan in winter, most spend winters in more southerly areas. They usually return to Leelanau nesting spots from March through early June. Bluebirds usually raise at least one, if not two, broods. The literature makes note of occasional assistance with the second brood by the first. Nesting season often continues into August. Most bluebirds have usually left the area by late October.

~ bob c.