With bluebird nesting season on the rise, Georgian's can help these brilliantly plumaged birds find the perfect home announced the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Wildlife Resources Division (WRD). These beloved birds have always charmed us with their tameness, beauty and most of all, with their fondness for nesting boxes. Typically, bluebirds depend on naturally occurring cavities in snags for nesting, but due to a shortage in these cavities for all cavity nesting bird species, bluebirds have become almost totally dependent on humans for their nesting sites.

“This is an excellent time to start putting up bluebird boxes because the birds are already looking for nesting sites in Georgia,” said Terry Johnson, Program Manager of WRD's Nongame-Endangered Wildlife Program.

The WRD website (www.georgiawildlife.com) offers excellent information on constructing and erecting bluebird boxes along with diagram instructions for both the traditional round hole box and the slot box.

“Research has shown that the slot box design is very well accepted by bluebirds,” said Johnson. “We have also found that they work well at sites where people are having problems with house sparrows, an introduced species that may compete with other cavity-nesting birds.”

The design of the slot box allows for more sunlight to enter the cavity of the box than the traditional round hole box, a less desirable feature for house sparrows.

It is important to erect bluebird boxes in an open habitat with sparse trees and low vegetation, such as old fields, pastures and orchards. Many bluebird nest box efforts fail because boxes have been placed in shrubby and forested conditions. Whenever possible, mount the boxes on poles made of metal or sunlight-resistant PVC pipes equipped with a predator guard.

“If you feel you may not have enough open space in your yard, go ahead and put up a bluebird box because you may encourage other cavity nesters such as the Carolina chickadee or tufted titmouse to take up residence in your newly erected home,” said Johnson.

To obtain a copy of WRD's information sheet Constructing and Erecting the Perfect Home for Your Bluebirds funded by the Nongame-Endangered Wildlife Program's Friends group The Environmental Resources Network, Inc. (T.E.R.N.), visit WRD's website www.georgiawildlife.com, click on “Nongame Animals & Plants” and choose “Backyard Wildlife – Wildlife in Your Backyard.”

To support conservation projects for eastern bluebirds as well as Georgia's other nongame wildlife, Georgians may purchase a wildlife license plate for their vehicles. Since December 2003, more than 365,000 of the nongame bald eagle tags have been sold, raising more than $6.9 million for wildlife conservation, recreation and education projects. The primary source of funding for the Nongame Wildlife and Natural Heritage Section, the plate depicts a bald eagle silhouetted before the American flag.

Georgians can contribute monetary donations to help fund the Nongame Wildlife and Natural Heritage Section by donating to the Wildlife Conservation Fund on the State Income Tax Checkoff. This tax season, you can “Give Wildlife a Chance” and take part in wildlife conservation by indicating your donation on line 27 of state income tax form 500, or on line 10 of form 500EZ.

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