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Some young stay around the nest to help raise another brood. Fledglings are grayish in color, with speckled breasts. The blue color becomes much more prominent and the speckles on their breasts disappear as they mature. Bluebirds may begin breeding the summer after they are hatched. [11] Eastern bluebirds can live for 6 to 10 years.
Bluebirds lay an average of 4 to 6 eggs per clutch. They will usually brood two or three times in a year. Bluebirds nest from March all the way through August. Bluebirds have blue, or blue and rose beige, plumage. Female birds are less brightly colored than males, although color patterns are similar and there is no noticeable difference in size.
Nest in a nest box. The western bluebird nests in cavities or in nest boxes, competing with tree swallows, house sparrows, and European starlings for natural nesting locations. Because of the high level of competition, house sparrows often attack western bluebirds for their nests. The attacks are made both in groups or alone.
The key for a bluebird nest box is to have the hole be exactly 1.5 inches in diameter. Too large of a hole invites starlings and makes it easier for squirrels and other larger rodents to get in.
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The young will usually take about 21 days before they leave the nest, and it can take up to two months to raise fledglings to a stage of development at which they are able to fend and provide for themselves. [12] Mountain bluebirds are cavity nesters and can become very partial to a nest box, especially if they have successfully raised a clutch.
Bluebirds have two or three nestings per year so do not give up trying to attract them. Keep monitoring your bluebird nest boxes and make sure that they aren’t occupied by house sparrows.
The nest is a structure of primarily three levels: the first level acts as a foundation and is usually made up of twigs, mud, small pebbles, and in at least a few reported cases, small river mollusk shells were used; the second level of the nest is made up of grasses, finer smaller twigs; the third level of construction composing the nest is a ...