Bluebirds & Kingbirds

Date: Mon, 28 May 2001 08:47:56 -0500
From: Don and Jo harmony"at"telapex.com
Subject: Kingbird

Just wondering if anyone can tell me if the Eastern Kingbird is a threat to young Bluebirds? Seems as though when the Kingbirds showed up this year the Bluebirds left.

Thanks,
Jo

Date: Mon, 28 May 2001 09:07:38 -0500
From: "Bill Darnell" bdarnel3"at"bellsouth.net
Subject: Re: Kingbird

The Kingbird does harrass other birds, particularly the Purple Martin. Birds which harass or strongly defend territory from others usually do it because because they are competitors feeding on the same things. For instance, the Kingbird and Martins food supply overlaps (insects on the wing). Bluebirds
are strongly harassed by Mockingbirds mainly because of this.

Last year, a Kingbird did harass the devil out of Bluebirds in our yard. Not one left, no damage was done. If mine could stand such an onslaught and stay, I don't believe the Kingbird caused your to leave.

Just wondering if anyone can tell me if the Eastern Kingbird is a threat to young Bluebirds? Seems as though when the Kingbirds showed up this year the
Bluebirds left.

Thanks,
Jo

Date: Mon, 28 May 2001 11:30:14 -0400
From: "Fawzi P. Emad femad <at> fpemad <dot> com
Subject: Re: Kingbird

Jo and all. I have nesting EABL and TRES in my yard, and I see lots of Eastern Kingbirds around! They seem never to harass the cavity nesters at all. Imagine, these Kingbirds come up from Peru and Bolivia every year to nest, and they go back there when we have winter up here. Fantastic journeys...

Fawzi from MD

Date: Mon, 28 May 2001 11:35:20 -0400
From: "Bruce Burdett" blueburd"at"srnet.com
Subject: Re: Kingbird

Jo, Don, et al,
I have never known Kingbirds to be a threat to Bluebirds, and I've never read about it. They are notorious eaters of honeybees, though I doubt that they ever affected the populations of my hives significantly. The bees they caught comprised only a tiny percentage of the colonies. Further, stomach analyses have suggested that they eat mostly drones.
Bruce Burdett, Sunapee NH

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