Eastern Bluebird Nest Box Plan

1. Eastern Bluebird Nest Box Plan Zachary Burpee, Cade Horton, Olivia Kristek, Jackson White, Kendyl Gorick, Mackenzie Fosdick Ms. Eileen Mulcahy ~ Enrichment teacher Floyd Bell Elementary School Windsor, New York

2. Diet The eastern bluebird eats caterpillars, moths, katydids, spiders, and butterflies. They also feed on wild fruits.

3. Bell School Grounds Bell Elem Open field/farmland beyond trees/brush Brush & scattered trees

4. X Nest Box Trail X X X

5. Bell School Grounds

6. Habitat The eastern bluebird makes its home in meadows, openings around trees. They use nest holes and nesting boxes. You can find them at the edge of fields and other open areas. We have a large open field behind our school and at the edge of the field is some brush and scattered trees. We think bluebirds would like this location.

7. Eggs Female bluebirds lay a clutch size of 2-7 eggs. The eggs can be from 1.8cm-2.4 cm in length and 1.5-1.9cm in width. The eggs are light blue in color, rarely white. They take 11-19 days to hatch.

8. Nesting The female bluebird loosely puts grass and pine needles together and lines her nest with fine grass, horse hair, and sometimes turkey feathers.

9. Nestlings When the nestlings hatch they are naked except for sparse tufts of down and their eyes are closed. When they initially hatch the parents feed them 2 times every hour. Their eyes are open by day 18, and they start to grow feathers by day 11.

10. Materials Estimate • (3) 1 x 10 x 12 cedar $32.68 • (3) 1 x 6 x 4 cedar $20.58 • (about 60) 1 ¾” galvanized nails $ 4.58 • (6) 1 ¾” galvanized screws $ 1.34 • (3) double head nails $ .89 • 3 x 3’ sheet of 26-gauge galvanized metal $15.98 • 3 posts $24.67

12. Predator Guard

13. Nest Box Design We will place the nest boxes about 100 yards apart.