Bluebirders have lots of choices when it comes to nestbox styles, but what do BLUEBIRDS prefer? In my experience, they prefer a wooden box over plastic, and a Peterson box with an oval hole or a Gilwood box over a NABS box.
Here are two comparison studies done in New York.
- E Dave Hofer, of East Concord compared standard (NABS) and Peterson boxes for five years, keeping detailed records and banding data.
- The Peterson boxes proved twice as successful as the NABS box.
- When Peterson boxes were paired with five Gilwood boxes and eight PVC boxes, one Gilwood was used twice by bluebirds. Tree swallows used all five of the Gilwood boxes and all eight of the PVC boxes.The following is condensed data compiled by Dave Ahlgren.
| Description | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # of boxes # of NABS boxes # of Peterson boxes # of Gilwood boxes # of PVC boxes Paired box locations |
52 42 10 0 0 22 |
82 61 21 0 0 36 |
82 54 28 0 0 38 |
87 53 34 0 0 41 |
95 41 41 5 8 46 |
| Fledged/NABS box Fledged/Peterson box Fledged/Gilwood box Fledged/PVC box Total birds fledged |
1.38 1.60 0 0 74 |
0.72 1.86 0 0 83 |
1.11 2.57 0 0 132 |
0.60 2.79 0 0 127 |
1.20 2.80 1.80 0 173 |
| Adults banded Chicks banded |
25 97 |
31 100 |
35 184 |
64 241 |
69 283 |
- Kevin L. Berner, of New York University, Cobleskill, presented some of his personal research at a North American Bluebird Society (NABS) Board meeting in Minneapolis:
- In my research through 1999, my most successful boxes to date had been NABS boxes with oval [Peterson] holes.
- This summer, I paired NABS oval-hole boxes with both Gilwood and Troyer boxes. The NABS oval boxes paired with Troyer boxes had twice as many bluebird attempts as the Troyer box. Tree swallows used nearly equal number of each style.
- When Gilwood boxes were paired with NABS oval-hole boxes, the Gilwood boxes had more than six times the bluebird use than the NABS boxes. Swallows used the NABS boxes at a higher rate than Gilwood, probably because bluebirds occupied most of the Gilwood boxes.
| Box style | No. of boxes | No. of nesting attempts | |
| Bluebirds | Tree Swallows | ||
| NABS oval Troyer |
21 21 |
17 8 |
12 11 |
| NABS oval Gilwood |
21 21 |
4 25 |
16 7 |
(Note: Troyer boxes are rectangular with a slot entrance at the top of a downward-slanting front. The Gilwood box is a sturdv wooden box, with adjustable entrance.)
Posted on the Bluebird Box with permission from the February 2001 Bluebird Recovery Program Newsletter “BLUEBIRD NEWS” 12/23/02
More Information and References:
- Bluebirding Basics: proper nestbox design, suitable habitat, etc.
- Nestbox styles, pros and cons
- Nestbox plans
- Nestbox Specifications – the proper size box for different bird species
- Bottom Line Advice for New Bluebirders
- House Sparrow Management and House Sparrow Identification
- Nest and Egg Identification
- Top Tips and Tricks to Attract Bluebirds to your yard
- How to Monitor Nestboxes
- Why Monitor?
- How to Start Your Own Bluebird Trail
- Is it safe to use a bluebird nestbox made of PVC?
- Building and Locating Backyard Houses, 18 page University of Wyoming free booklet
