Siting your birdboxes

A great way for golf courses to get started promoting wildlife habitat is to construct and place nesting boxes. But did you know that placing a box in the wrong place can attract marauding species such as European Starlings and House Sparrows? If left unchecked, the result can be a proliferation of these species and a reduction in the birds that actually need the boxes for nesting.

The most common nest boxes that I have seen in the NW Region are tailored for Western and Mountain Bluebirds. Historically bluebirds have been threatened by the removal of their natural habitat, such as dead trees. Groups across the country have been successful in building bluebird nesting boxes to a certain specification and monitoring their progress. One such group in the Willamette Valley is called the Prescott Bluebird Recovery Project (PBRP). I became familiar with them while working for Russell Vandehey, CGCS at The Oregon Golf Club in West Linn, Ore. As his assistant, I took it upon myself to discover why we had more than 20 bird boxes on the property yet none were being inhabited by bluebirds. I acquainted myself with the PBRP and soon learned it’s all about location.

House Sparrows
 Photo Robert Scott

Bluebirds are particular about choosing a nest box or a tree cavity to feed their young. If bluebirds are seen in the area during nesting season (April through August), chances are good that if you put up a nesting box they will use it. It’s all about the available food in the area in which to feed their young, as well as the competition for nesting sites. Often conflicts over nest boxes will result in the loss of eggs and young birds, as well as the killing of the adults. The most likely culprit will be House Sparrows. This species doesn’t normally require cavities to nest, but if given the opportunity they will take a nesting box over anything else. If nest boxes are placed in an area where House Sparrows are present, it will present an immediate danger to the survival of the bluebirds and their young. House Sparrows can have up to three broods of young, thus increasing the pressure on the bluebird population. This is why bluebirds are not commonly seen in urban settings. The sparrow competition is just too great. If you have a large population of House Sparrows, then I would strongly suggest not putting up any boxes until the population has subsided. Please refer to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s website, NestWatch for further resources in dealing with non-native species.

Fence posts make great locations

The location of your nesting box can dictate the type of bird that will use it. If you want to attract Tree Swallows, place boxes near a pond. If you want to attract House Wrens, Chickadees or Nuthatches, you can place boxes near heavy brush and undergrowth. Bluebirds prefer to hunt from a perch and like semi-open grassland. Fence lines or vineyards make excellent perching sites. If perching sites are not in the area, a simple T-shaped perching stick can be mounted on the back of the nesting box. Lawns make great areas for bluebird to hunt; this is why golf courses can be such desired locations. Since birds will be feeding their young during nesting times, all pesticide use should be curtailed around areas where they will be gathering their insects.

Be sure to leave your boxes up year around. Pairs will often scout for nesting sites in the fall and come back in the spring. They may also utilize the box to roost during the winter months. It is also important to clean out the boxes after each season. Boxes are designed to have a cavity, and if nests are built upon older nests, the eggs and the young are close to the opening and can become vulnerable to predation. If your boxes remain empty for two years in a single location, move them to another spot -- perhaps further away from traffic, or just turn the direction of the opening. Always be sure the opening is facing away from the prevailing wind; generally toward the east is a good rule of thumb.

Russell Vandehey, CGCS, inspects a successful nesting box.

Remember that providing nesting boxes isn’t a one-time effort. You need to monitor them on a regular basis. If you find it hard to get around to the boxes, then perhaps you can designate someone on your staff or a volunteer to make a round once a month or so. It's important to be sure wasps or mice aren’t taking up residence.

Check around your local areas for bluebird conservation groups. The PBRP will actually come out and band your young before they fledge so the population can be monitored. This also provides a wonderful opportunity to network with conservation leaders. Invite a local school or a scout troop to participate by helping construct your boxes and take part in siting them. This could be a great learning module to complement your First Green Program.

Providing nesting boxes can be a rewarding endeavor and open the door to many opportunities. Now go out there and help those birds proliferate!