Get Life Cycle Of Eastern Bluebird

Females often build nests in each available hole, but typically only use one of these. Bluebirds may use the same nest for multiple broods.

Both parents bring food to the nestlings, and young from a previous brood also help to feed them in some cases. Young leave the nest at about 18-19 days on average. 2 broods per year, sometimes 3.

Bluebirds raise their young in old or pre-existing nesting cavities and have a nesting success rate of about 60%. In contrast, birds that construct a new nesting cavity each year (such as woodpeckers) have a success rate of up to 85%.

Adult Bluebirds tend to return to the same breeding territory year after year, but only a small percentage (three to five percent) of young birds return to where they hatched. Bluebirds love mealworms and can be drawn in with a small dish filled with mealworms.

Incubation is mostly by female, about 13-16 days. Young: Both parents bring food to the nestlings, and young from a previous brood also help to feed them in some cases. Young leave the nest at about 18-19 days on average.

The survival rate of fledgling bluebirds is probably roughly 50% per year. That is, at the end of the first year, 50% of the birds would survive; after two years, 25% would still exist, and, extrapolated to the fifth year, only about 3% of the original group would still be alive.

If she is killed during these critical stages, the nest is doomed unless the nestlings can be cared for by a songbird rehabilitator. If the nestlings are older than about seven days, they are sufficiently feathered to stay warm at night, and the male can take care of them (as long as there is adequate food).

It's a good idea to clean out your nest box once the young birds have fledged. Photo of Mountain Bluebird eggs by Anne Elliott via Birdshare. You can definitely clean out a nest box after the fledglings leave. NestWatch suggests cleaning out nest boxes or birdhouses at the end of the breeding season.

Bluebirds generally fledge 16-21 days after hatching, typically 17-18. Development depends on food availability. The parents often get more defensive around the box at this time, and may divebomb passersby.