Update on Bluebird and Kestrel Boxes - May 2024

At the UF/IFAS Range Cattle Research and Education Center in Ona, FL we have 20 Eastern bluebird boxes, checked once a week, and 14 kestrel boxes, checked once every two weeks, located along the main roads and in some pastures of the center. The first appearance of bluebird eggs was on March 15th, and since then, we've had 8 successfully fledged nests! Currently, three of the bluebird boxes have live young that are just starting to get their feathers and open their eyes (this is their second nesting attempt). Two of the boxes have new eggs, and six of the boxes have nests without eggs. This could mean they were used during the first nesting attempt and have since been flattened, or that a bluebird plans to lay more eggs soon. The kestrel boxes, which can be seen higher up on poles around the center, have two bluebird families (who now have squatters' rights) and one nesting pair of kestrels with a clutch of eggs. However, since we originally found these eggs in March, we suspect they aren't viable as the incubation period is between 26-32 days, and they have yet to hatch.
If you see us out and about checking boxes, feel free to stop by and view live images of our birds with us!
- the Rangeland Wildlife Ecology Lab Team