The first predator I need to worry about is the English (or) otherwise known as the House Sparrow (HOSP). Here is a drawing of the male and female HOSP. They may look “cute”, but they are destructive and nasty birds. They take away cavities from our protected native birds. Source: www. Sialis.org. Thanks to Bet for a terrific site for our bluebirds!
These non-native invaders need to passively or aggressively be deterred from killing our native bluebirds and other native cavity nesters! As much as I love all birds, this particular species bird is overpopulated and out of control...an experiment gone terribly wrong. It's indeed unfortunate we bird lovers have to deal with this pest.
This is a 5-day old HOSP nest. Part of being a monitor is learning what kind of bird is occupying bluebird boxes. If it's a HOSP, this nest should be removed. It is not a protected bird since it isn't a native bird in the USA, so it is legal as a bluebird conservation monitor for me to do this. Then I need to do whatever I can to keep this happening again. It's a challenge to all bluebirders dealing with the House Sparrow. All other sparrow species in the USA are decent, gentle birds, such as the Chipping Sparrow, for example.
History of the House Sparrow can be found here on the Sialis bluebird site. This is very educational reading!
http://www.sialis.org/hosphistory.htm
We had had good luck with our Bluebirds for the past 3 years until now~ this year something killed all but one of our babies~ thank goodness he escaped. Four days later they are rebuilding and I am so worried that whatever killed them will do so again. Is there anything we can do to keep this from happening?
By: Carolyn Rothenberger on June 8, 2011
at 12:17 AM
Hi, Carolyn. I’m so sorry to hear you lost bluebird babies. For me to know more about the situation, can you explain in more detail of your nestbox setup (use of any predator guards and what they are), how is the nestbox installed and where, approximate age of the babies that were taken, any sign of scratch marks, such as from a raccoon claw, or any nesting material coming out of the entry hole, any sign of blood droplets? Did you look on the ground by the box for the babies? Did you find dead babies inside the nestbox, but one survived and fledged later? If you prefer, I can Email you privately on this. Let me know. If we discuss here, it will be educational for others to read on this site. I want to help you troubleshoot what happened, but I need more information. I hope to hear back from you.
By: Woolwine House Bluebird Trail on June 8, 2011
at 2:56 AM
Dang blubird will not quit attacking my windows. Whats his issue?
By: jeff on May 15, 2011
at 2:46 PM
Hi, Jeff. It is basically reacting to its own reflection. Here is the Cornell Lab of Ornithology page on why this happens. Be sure to read the whole article. Good luck. http://www.birds.cornell.edu/Page.aspx?pid=1184
By: Woolwine House Bluebird Trail on May 15, 2011
at 4:35 PM