Telling Bluebird Nests from House Sparrow Nests

When starting out with bluebirds, it is important to know the difference between house sparrow nests and bluebird nests because house sparrows are not only invasive in North America, they fatally attack North American native cavity nesting birds like bluebirds, chickadees, tree swallows, and purple martins.
Population control is very important, and therefore knowing the difference between nest types is critical.
This video gives you ways to distinguish between house sparrow nests and bluebird nests and it talks about what to do when it's difficult to tell them apart.
There are a lot of pictures and examples to help guide you.
We have some other resources dedicated to house sparrow population management. You can find that on our playlist: • Invasive Sparrows and ...
Also, it's very important to be able to identify house sparrows from other birds. Here is a helpful video for that: • How to Tell House Spar...
Visit www.nesthollow.com to learn more about bird care and backyard bird conservation.

[@dzdncnfzd3]

Thank you for sharing this knowledge it’s so important

[@janetrauger8449]

a really excellent video! I have had nesting bluebirds for 30+ years, first on my farm and now at my home. I was thrilled when I realized they were nesting at my house, because it is not nearly their preferred habitat, i.e., it's a normal back yard, albeit with year-round feeding, and a water source. there is a small open area at the back and that's where I put the bluebird box. I figured I'd get wrens or chickadees, but was so happy to see bluebirds. They came to my feeders ( they love the mealworms!) and then began nesting, and I have them every year. One time I wasn't vigilant enough and the adult bluebirds were chased away, and the eggs destroyed. So sad. This morning, I went out to check the nestbox, and there is indeed a bluebird nest there. It's still chilly here so the female is waiting to lay her eggs til it warms. What concerns me is that my bluebird sightings right now are few, but then there's that nest. And I see sparrows now and then around the nest, so I'm checking several times a day to make sure they're not building a nest on top of the bluebird nest. So rewarding when the fledglings leave the nest!!

[@nesthollow5159]

It is an amazing thing to see the birds leave the nest, as you said. I call fledge day graduation day. It's also bitter sweet with the last of the last brood goes. I'm so excited for you though that you have a nest. I'd consider putting out a decoy box for the house sparrows if you can. Maybe they'll bother with that one, and if you trap, then you can catch them there instead. Sometimes the blues do go missing for a week or two after they build their nest. They call it the "bluebird honeymoon" And then suddenly momma is back and pop, you've got an egg! Hopefully that's the case in your situation. Keep me posted :)

[@jimingledue8277]

Nice video, thanks for the information

[@gregsmith3410]

Van ert trap.. Works wonders . recommend them to all. A bonus is more Tree Swallows,and House Wrens.. Both cavity nesters aa well..

[@salviabuckwheats7434]

Excellent video, thank you! Very clear elucidation of this important topic. Although I have seen many instructional videos on bluebird "nest boxes," I certainly learned a lot more here. And no "ums" - thanks for that! I do want to comment though that humans don't have a monopoly on art. Certainly I would think any species could appreciate it. That's at least as likely as saying only humans can appreciate art. I have heard about birds (I guess not bluebirds) decorating the nest. Anyway, I learned the lesson here - bluebirds are not likely to use feathers in the next but there may be one here and there. Pure Picasso. Excellent info, thanks for mentioning the other birds also: I see Chickadees around and don't want to harass house wrens.

[@nesthollow5159]

Im glad this helped. And the minimal ums took some practice and editing. It's hard not to do when just speaking conversationally on the topic. You're right too that some birds and animals seem to have an aesthetic attraction towards things - corvids and shiny objects, for instance. It does have me wondering about other examples, and I could easily find myself scouring publication on the topic in the near future 😉

[@williamjaeger5940]

Nest box traps work well! For me by far the best way to completely stop house sparrows from harassing bluebirds is an extremely accurate pre charged pneumatic air rifle in .22 or .25 caliber. I use them on both Starlings and English house sparrows! I've learned that English house sparrows are far more aware when they are being targeted and will not attempt to invade a nest box when they know it's being guarded!

[@nesthollow5159]

Definitely. Nest box traps really help out. It's almost an essential tool to have when hosting cavity birds. And I think you're right about how aware of us and our intent they are.

[@williamjaeger5940]

I enjoy your site! Thanks for your response! I have a few acres and have been providing nest boxes for bluebirds for several years! A big mistake I made early on was encouraging house wrens! Now I'm trying to discourage them! They are as tenacious as house sparrows at least! Thanks again!

[@nesthollow5159]

@@williamjaeger5940 thank you for your kind words. And awesome for providing care to the bluebirds! I know what you mean about house wrens. So far, I have been fortunate to have peace with them nesting nearby, but that's only after many safeguards are in place. Because they are native, I take the stance of promoting peace but knowing stuff happens... with that in mind, I still don't encourage them 😀. I did lose 2 eggs last year. That was because the blues didn't like the wren guard at first so I had it down. After that, I tried the wren guard again when she laid another egg, and this time they were OK with it. You'd think they'd be used to the drill by now.

[@matthewbuckner4000]

1st nest box, a chickadee checked it out

[@SpeedyCotton55]

Thank you so very much.

[@TaravillageBarbie.]

Wow fantastic

[@randyreal5871]

Thanks

[@johngroeneweg9485]

We have a pair of eastern blue birds and we were building a nest in the bird house and now the sparrows toke it over what to do

[@nesthollow5159]

You will want to trap the house sparrows using a nest box trap called a Van Ert trap. vanerttraps.com/shop Nest box traps should only be set when you've seen the house sparrow enter - put it in the box and check the box every 15 minutes because a native bird can accidentally get trapped. There is an orange sticker on the trap that sometimes scare house sparrows, so cover it or pull it off. Some people glue grass or feathers to that section. After properly identifying the male and female, you will need to euthanize them. Relocation is not legal and can lead to other ecological problems. If you're uncomfortable euthanizing, look into finding a local falconer or join the Facebook group "managing house sparrows and European starlings" you may find someone in your area who will be willing to do the job. I have 2 videos demonstrating 2 different ways to euthanize. They're in this playlist along with a few other resources kzbin.info/aero/PLoR39W2-IwG8n3gNevtBXNDSriw5iz_fx The demonstrations do not use real animals since that might be off-putting for beginners. You can also use a pellet gun so long as you've properly identified the bird youre aiming at. Hopefully you'll be able to get it sorted out. Excellent question.

[@LordJesusChrist1968]

while nesting where does the male(Blue Bird) perch at night while female is on nest

[@nesthollow5159]

Usually in a nearby tree or nearby area. They like open areas, but they also like having a few decent trees available for that reason as well as for observation for threats or food.

[@LordJesusChrist1968]

@@nesthollow5159 Thank You

[@MemoryException]

Any tips on what to do about a Carolina Wren’s nest in my bluebird box? It’s been there a week and is unoccupied. At some point, should I remove it to try and get another brood of bluebirds?

[@nesthollow5159]

I wouldn't remove the nest just yet. Sometimes birds take "honeymoons" after they build the nest, and that can vary in time. Some have take more than 2 weeks before coming back to nest. So I would leave the nest for now, but you can put up a second box for the blues.

[@2SD251Jim]

Our bluebird nests are about 2 inches off bottom

[@jackielovell5315]

I’ve had a male sparrow kill the female bluebird today! I’m so sad and mad!! Don’t know what to do!! I’ve tried so hard to keep them out of the bluebird nest box!!! Help

[@nesthollow5159]

I am so so sorry. This is really heartbreaking. I've gone through this and I know how sick and sad it feels when you lose your birds, especially with how brutal the attacks are. A few things to do: 1. If you're putting out seed, stop. During the nesting season, bluebirds will be foraging for bugs. Most songbirds will be looking for bugs, and bugs and berries are the best nutrition for baby birds. 2. Add a sparrow spooker to the box after the first egg is laid. There's a tutorial on how to make on one this channel. Or you can search google to find one. I would wait to add it until the afternoon when momma bluebird is less likely to be laying her egg. This will give her more of a stress-free way of getting used to it. If she doesn't take to it or struggles, take a few streamers down. Then slowly add more. 3. Add a wren guard after the first egg is laid - make sure your bluebirds accept it. If they don't return to the nest after an hour of putting it up, take it down. You can also train them into it. I have a tutorial on this channel on how to make one from cardboard, and if you start with only a base of cardboard that doesn't fully hide the hole - see how they take to that, then add more cardboard to hide the hole, it should work. Few things: wait until momma blue has laid her egg for the day or she will be stressed trying to get in there and lay her egg, and she may dump her egg elsewhere. Second, don't add it in the evening when there is less light. You want to do this during the day when they can see what they're doing really well. 4. Always keep a vacant box on your property as a "decoy box". This can work as an accessible alternative to house sparrows, or keep a house wren busy. If I know that a house sparrow is investigating the decoy box, it becomes a trap box so I can catch it. If a house wren is using the box, since it's native, I let it be, and I add a new box to the property. 5. As hard as it is, you have to build the strength to trap and euthanize a house sparrow. A van ert nest box trap is a lifesaver. It does require frequent daily monitoring. I only set the trap when I know a house sparrow is going into the box. Then I check it every 15-30 minutes. You also have to be very very confident in house sparrow identification. 6. If you are not ready to euthanize, try to find a local falconer. They may take live birds, or be willing to euthanize for you. I work with a falconer, and it is such a great partnership. We both are doing conservation work, and we both teach each other so much. This is a grown playlist on house sparrow management. It has a video about the house sparrow problem, identification, trapping and trapping safety, how to euthanize (demonstrates with stuffed items so you don't have to watch a real bird be unalived), and we continue to add to it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oYSxm2hnpKmEpK8&pp=gAQBiAQB I am so so sorry about the situation. I hope this information is helpful though. Thank you so much for your question.

[@jackielovell5315]

Thank you for your help. I’ve had bluebirds for years. Always keep an eye on the box so I don’t get sparrows in it. The male sparrows are really aggressive this year ! Never had this happen before. Always see the bluebirds start to nest and almost immediately the sparrows comes and runs them off! I don’t want any more bluebirds killed. I’ll put up a decoy nesting box and keep an eye on them. I’ve been watching bluebirds for 50 years and this has made me sad. Thank you again 😊

[@KaranBagga87]

What the heck....you see then bird when they build the nest...

[@coldspring624]

I l;eave house sparrow nest permanently empty

[@2SD251Jim]

Not hard to tell...sparrows make a mess...

[@erikaerika7788]

Trap n dispatch HOSP