Bluebirds and Their Survival

Bring more bluebirds into your life with this “lavishly illustrated [and] easy-to-read” how-to book (Manchester Enterprise).

Bluebird expert Wayne H. Davis tells how to attract and care for this beautiful and gentle bird and offers solutions to the most common bluebird problems. Since bluebirds are almost entirely dependent on people for providing nesting sites, the book contains plans for erecting a structure that will attract bluebirds to a safe habitat. Instructions for building and maintaining a “bluebirds trail,” complete with drawings of various bluebirds houses and guards against predators, are also included. Davis shares his plans for his specially designed Kentucky Bluebird Box?a unique bird house attractive to the Eastern Bluebird but unsuitable for the bluebird’s rivals?as well a variety of other plans for using materials as inexpensive as milk cartons and scavenged pipes. A chapter by professional photographer Philippe Roca offers tips on photographing bluebirds. Whether you’re a beginning birder or an expert, Davis will help ensure your success in attracting and raising bluebirds.

“To ensure the survival of bluebirds (a North American native threatened by sparrows and starlings), the authors instruct on how to build habitats, distribute winter feed, and foil enemies, both feathered and furred. Scientific research is cited to back the authors’ claims on the best diet, nesting locations, and shelters. Finally offered are photography lessons and specific birdhouse designs, from simple milk jugs to a sparrow-inhibiting nest box. Bird-watchers, earnest and casual, will benefit from this guide.” —Booklist