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Nest Cavities - Book Early

February 27, 2022
Competition is fierce!
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Western Bluebird at nest box Expand Image
© John Matthews

Tree Swallows and bluebirds — like this Western Bluebird — are among the earliest northbound migrants to arrive, heralding spring a month before the equinox. These species will nest only in cavities, such as old woodpecker holes or man-made nestboxes. But the supply of specialized nest sites is limited, and competition is intense. By arriving early, these swallows and bluebirds improve their chances of securing unoccupied cavities. To learn more about building nestboxes, see Related Resources below.

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BirdNote®
Nest Cavities — Book Early

Written by Bob Sundstrom

This is BirdNote!

[Rapid series of male Tree Swallow’s song-like notes]

A flash of glittering dark blue cuts through the gray of late February, as a male Tree Swallow glides low over a cattail marsh. The Tree Swallow’s liquid notes hint at spring’s approach. [Repeat rapid series of male Tree Swallow’s song-like notes]

Where a broad, green pasture meets the forest edge, there is a second, even brighter flash of blue. A male bluebird alights on a fence post, the intense blue of its back glints in the welcome sunlight of late winter. [A bit of Eastern Bluebird song]

Tree Swallows and all three North American bluebird species are among the earliest northbound migrants to arrive, heralding spring a month before the equinox. Both species will nest only in cavities, such as old woodpecker holes or man-made nest-boxes. The supply of such specialized nest sites is limited.  Competition is intense. By arriving so early, Tree Swallows and bluebirds improve their chances of finding unoccupied cavities – and they may fiercely guard a nest site until April, before actually nesting.

Both species benefit greatly from nest-box programs.  But it is crucial to put up only nest-boxes with very specific hole-sizes that encourage these flashy blue migrants but deter non-native starlings and House Sparrows.

To learn about how to provide just the right home for Tree Swallows and bluebirds, come to our website, BirdNote.org.

###

Song of the birds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Tree Swallow recorded by G.F. Budney.  Eastern Bluebird recorded by W.L. Hershberger.
BirdNote’s theme music was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
Producer: John Kessler
Executive Producer: Chris Peterson

© 2016 Tune In to Nature.org   February 2014/2018/2020/2022   Narrator: Michael Stein

ID#022306cavityKPLU              cavity-01b-2010-02-17-MS

Bob Sundstrom
Writer
Michael Stein
Narrator
Tags: nesting

Related Resources

Great tips for building nestboxes!NestWatch — All About Bird HousesTree Swallow — More at the Audubon Guide to North American BirdsMountain Bluebird — More at the Audubon Guide to North American BirdsMountain Bluebird - More at All About BirdsEastern Bluebird — More at the Audubon Guide to North American BirdsEastern Bluebird - More at All About BirdsWestern Bluebird — More at the Audubon Guide to North American BirdsWestern Bluebird - More at All About Birds

More About These Birds

Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana)

Sialia mexicana

Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis)

Sialia sialis

Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides)

Sialia currucoides

Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)

Tachycineta bicolor

Sights & Sounds

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This Great Blue Heron nest is bursting with life!

Birds connect us with the joy and wonder of nature. By telling vivid, sound-rich stories about birds and the challenges they face, BirdNote inspires listeners to care about the natural world – and take steps to protect it.

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