The Bluebird of happiness

By Warren Nelson

I am sure that everyone has heard the expression “the bluebird of happiness”. For those who may not know, for hundreds of years throughout Europe the color blue was always considered to be magical, even mystical. To them, blue was the color of good, of Heaven and even the color of the robe of the Virgin Mary. In the early 1900’s, Maurice Maeterlinck wrote a play called the “Blue Bird of Happiness” in which two children go in search of a blue bird that probably doesn’t exist and if it does, they are warned not to put it in a cage because it will change color. Its moral is that the color blue is special, magical and for all to enjoy. Needless to say, when the Europeans came to America, the Eastern Bluebird was immediately something special to them.

Over the past twenty years, probably no other bird has caught the imagination of the American public more than the bluebird. The numbers of the beautiful little birds were starting to diminish and people became very concerned.  The beautiful bird of blue with its soft warbling call (which is sometimes called a rumor in the air) was once commonly seen in open country, farmlands, parks and gardens.  But what was happening to them? Well, the main trouble for their demise turned out to be what we refer to as “progress”.  The preferred nesting sights of the birds were in woodpecker holes and natural cavities of old trees around open fields or in holes in wooden fence posts around farmlands. People were getting rid of the dead wood to “beautify” their property and the wood fence posts were being replaced by metal ones and suddenly there were few nest sights left.  The few available spaces were competed for by swallows, sparrows and starlings. In 1972, The National Audubon Society placed the Eastern Bluebird on its “blue list” which is a list of birds whose numbers have dropped significantly.  And in 1986, the Eastern Bluebird was elevated to its “special concern” list. Since determining the problem, bluebird societies have sprung up throughout the United States with lots of groups and individuals starting bluebird trails with dozens of houses surrounding open fields.  The bluebird has made a great recovery over the years, thanks to a lot of caring individuals and the love for the bird’s presence.

Our Eastern Bluebird is actually a thrush and is related to the Robin.  At seven inches long, the male is a bright blue above with white underparts. Its breast and sides are a reddish-brown color.  The female has the same colors, only paler and duller.

The bluebird returns to northern Minnesota in early March when there is still snow on the ground.  They feed on quite a variety of things: insects, berries such as blackberries, wild grapes also honeysuckles and sumac seeds, which can be one of its main food sources in early March.

The nest is a nicely constructed mass of grasses inside the hole. The female lays four to five pale blue eggs and almost solely incubates them for two weeks until hatching. While the female incubates the eggs, the male will bring food to the female inside the nest hole. The young develop quickly and can take their first flights at about eighteen days of age. The pair usually has two broods but occasionally they may have three broods.

I remember setting up a blind across from a nest box, on the side of my garage to photograph the bluebirds that were nesting there.  Besides the beauty of the birds themselves, I had to marvel at the dedication of the parents for their young.  In a period of forty minutes, the adults came in to feed the young thirty times with fifteen different types of insects and also honeysuckle berries from a bush on my property.  Not only were they taking great care of their young but they were helping to cut down on the insects around my property.  With their constant attention, it is no wonder that the young develop so quickly.

If you have put out nest boxes for bluebirds, the time is here to make sure that they are cleaned and in good shape. Around fields, Jumping Mice are notorious for nesting in them over the winter and checking them is essential. If they need to be replaced, there are some good ones to think about. One of the newest and best ones is the Gilbertson Bluebird Box designed and marketed by local entrepreneur Steve Gilbertson. It is widely sold and accepted by the Bluebird Society as one of the best. Made from PVC pipe and colored to look like a birch tree, it is almost predator proof, very easy to clean, won’t deteriorate like wood and being on a conduit pole, the height is easily adjustable.  There are a couple of wood houses that have stood the test of time too: the Peterson Bluebird House and the Wisconsin Bluebird House — both are quite easily made. For best results, put two boxes near each other. This will most likely eliminate competition with swallows and insure one will be available for the bluebirds. Maybe putting out a few nest boxes will bring you good luck.  They will certainly bring you happiness!