Bluebirds Imprinting

Subj: Nest site imprinting
Date: 11/2/99 5:47:17 PM Central Standard Time
From: rscalf"at"jps.net (Rusty Scalf)
Sender: owner-BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Reply-to: rscalf"at"jps.net
To: BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu

Does anyone on this list know if there is evidence that Bluebirds born in a nestbox are 'imprinted' on such a nesting place, and will seek nestboxes for nesting when they come of age?

Such imprinting is pretty well demonstated in Purple Martins.

Is there any banding evidence to contradict this? Has a bluebird, born and raised in a box, nested in a natural cavity?

Rusty Scalf
Berkeley, CA

Subj: Re; nestbox imprinting
Date: 11/2/99 9:16:19 PM Central Standard Time
From: kridler"at"1starnet.com (Keith & Sandy Kridler)
Sender: owner-BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Reply-to: kridler"at"1starnet.com (Keith & Sandy Kridler)
To: BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu (BLUEBIRD-L)

Keith Kridler Mt. Pleasant, Texas
Harry Krueger had banded bluebirds born in flat roofed "Dick Tuttle" style boxes choose the following style boxes to nest in when they became adults:
hollowed out logs (identical to a natural site), PVC nestboxes, electric meter boxes missing the electric meter, US mail post boxes with front doors missing, paper chutes/holders beside mail boxes, kestrel boxes, Peterson boxes and Kentucky slot boxes, birdhouse gourds, plastic gourds for martins, woodduck boxes, top opening mailboxes, Purple Martin houses (aluminum apartment complex) and a vast assortment of different "cutesy" styles that "homeowners" placed near and around his trail.

If an object has a hole and a cavity big enough to hold a bluebirds nest it will be used! Bluebirds have used cliff and barn swallow nests in different parts of the country & I have seen them nest in open metal buildings up in the perlins just like house sparrows sometimes do. Where large numbers of bluebirds are nesting they get very creative if the site is good and will "make do" with almost any place they can squeeze a nest in. KK

Subj: Re: Nest site imprinting
Date: 11/2/99 9:31:56 PM Central Standard Time
From: hubertrap"at"webtv.net (Joe Huber)
Sender: owner-BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Reply-to: hubertrap"at"webtv.net
To: rscalf"at"jps.net, BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu

Hi Rusty, In answer to your question, YES I've seen this happen and have heard from others with the same experience. Bluebirds that nest in boxes will nest in natural cavities if the need arises. One good example for me was on a golf course where two boxes were about 100 feet apart. bluebirds had nested in these boxes for over 15 years. One spring tree swallows got one box and House sparrows were busy at the other. I trapped the sparrow and when returning the following week seen Bluebirds on a near by fence. Thinking there would be a nest in that box I opened it to a surprise. No nest of any kind. Apparently the
Bluebirds had already started a nest in a hole in one of the wooden fence posts and had an active nest going. I couldn't even see in that fence post hole to determine how many eggs were there. Their next nest was in the box. That was the only time that happened in over 20 years at that location. Joe Huber Venice Fl These were Eastern Bluebirds.

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Bluebirds Imprinting

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