Steve and I have some sad news today: the mama Eastern Bluebird at Steve’s nest box is no more. The last time we saw her at the nest box was Sunday evening.
On Monday morning, Steve and I went to Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge. We left his home well before dawn to get there. It was still pitch dark at that time.
On Monday afternoon, when we returned from the refuge, I noticed that the female Eastern Bluebird wasn’t coming into to feed the chicks with the male. Steve and I spent more than an hour and a half sitting on his deck, waiting and watching for her to show up, and we also looked for her at other times.
The female bluebird didn’t appear even as day turned to night. The male Eastern Bluebird was working hard at keeping the chicks in the nest box fed. In fact, he was doing double duty.
At first, we wondered if a cat had gotten the female bluebird; there has been a large feral tom at the edge of Steve’s yard a couple of times. That theory didn’t make much sense, though, because the female bluebird was able to fly, and she was very wary of predators.
Yesterday morning, I think we figured out who was responsible.
I was inside Steve’s home making and eating toast. When I went back outside, Steve said he saw a hawk fly through, which made all of the birds sound alarmed, and they hid. Knowing that Red-shouldered Hawks don’t usually prey on birds, we talked about Cooper’s and Sharp-shinned Hawks, whose primary diet is birds.
Later on yesterday morning, I heard birds near the road that were calling out in alarm, and then heard the cry of a hawk. About that time, we both saw an adult Cooper’s Hawk fly from the front of Steve’s yard to the back of it. That answered the question of what happened to the beautiful, dutiful mama Eastern Bluebird.
While it is sad that she is gone, I have to say that in death she fed the hawk, and that is part of the circle of life and what may seem to be the harsher side of nature.
The male Eastern Bluebird will continue to feed the chicks, which should be leaving the nest anytime now. He’ll be extra busy without the female to help him out in the next few weeks as the chicks learn to fly and find food on their own.
Update: By 4 pm CT all three baby Eastern Bluebirds had left the nest box! Baby pictures to come soon.
I’m happy that I took so many photos of the female Eastern Bluebird. I chose these images to share today.
The female Eastern Bluebird leaves behind at least three chicks, maybe more.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Eastern Bluebird photos plus facts and information about this species.
I have a new Mama brooding on 4 eggs. Haven’t seen the male in 2 days. I know the hawk has been taking out birds in the neighborhood. I put out a small mealworm feeder near the nest box and hope she finds it. Hopefully she will be okay. There is another male around. Maybe he’ll decide to pair with her and help when the babies hatch. It’s been since the 21st when she laid the 4th egg.
I have a bluebird box in my yard also. I have had up to 12 bluebirds at one time. I feed them dried mealworms .The only problem I got are them house sparrows. They are such a beautiful bird and to watch them in action feeding their young is amazing..I have been doing this for 4 years.
Probably nothing new to most here, but decline in the bluebird population was directly related to the unintended release of the invasive starlings. Being cavity nester, a 1 &1/2 inch hole allows bluebirds but not starlings. Those that are having successful nesting, may consider putting more boxes with at 100 yards distance, more will nest. If you put up 2 about 10 feet apart, the more aggressive tree swallow will take one and leave one for bluebirds. After the young fledged, clean out the box, I’ve had many with a second brood. Just checked our 9 boxes in kentucky- 4 have bluebird nesting activity.
Where I live the decrease is because everyone cuts down and prunes their trees.
We have a set of Bluebirds they have been here in southern Ohio for 9yrs. They have two to three broodsevery spring+summer. Our cats doesn’t bother them. They hide when hawks come. I pray he finds new mate. Ours have left +then came back the next year. Their babies come back too. Protect them when you can,hawks also go after mice +small mammals.
We have lots of them down here in Northern Mississippi and the little blue buntings too. So beautiful to watch every morning. Thank goodness our kites and the stray cats leave them alone.
How can I control the sparrows. I have lots.
Diane,
This link is from a bluebird site, hopefully one of the solutions will work for you:
https://www.sialis.org/hosp/#monofilament
I hope you can feed them to help dad and the babies. He has a hard job without mom.
That’s sad, made me a bit emotional. I live in upstate NY. Weeks ago I went to see the total eclipse. It was an all day affair. When I got home I found a female Eastern Bluebird stuck in my unused wood stove. She must have got into the flue and beat herself up all day trying to get out. It was late, I was able to grab her gently with a thick glove. I let fly out of my hand outside, but she landed awkwardly on the ground 50 feet away. She was really tired. I placed on a smaller spruce tree bough, I didn’t want to beat herself up even more in a box or something like that overnight. I hoped for the best, but the next day I found her laying on the ground near the spruce tree. I tried, but it’s still sad…
I have a backyard box that currently has nestlings. Parents are very busy feeding. I have seen them cleaning up and flying away with fecal sacs several times. I suspect they hatched about a week ago, so probably about a week to go. I have a bed of blooming hydrangeas under the box and having to constantly herd my two golden retrievers away from that area! (Always afraid one will fall out)
Loved your post as I am trying to encourage bluebirds to my yard near Dallas, Tx. Have seen them here in the past two years. …so sorry you lost the mama bluebird.
Don’t you just love being a Nature Detective? I’m glad you figured this out.
Enjoyed this article and the great photography. I imagine bluebirds need all the help they can get, still. My mother shared a National Geographic article with me in 1977, I believe titled “Song of Hope for the Bluebird.” It led to my Eagle Scout project to put a bluebird trail in part of Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. Long since my own family has had at least one house for Eastern bluebirds everywhere we’ve lived. Most have been successful. The circle can be painful, but I have to agree with those who find a little less pain from a hawk. As much as I love bluebirds I’d be hard pressed to restrain myself from a cat.
the baby bluebirds are supposed to be able to fly before they leave the nest and normally they do how they do it I don’t know but they do and then on the second round the babies will help feed them but I don’t guess they’ll be a second Brew since the mama has went to another world they normally have two brews a year thank you for your story
Let the coopers hawk eat the cowbirds.
A feral cat ate a Yellow Throated Warbler before my very eyes. I was so heartbroken. I still mourn that loss. Then the mate was coming regularly and now it has disappeared. I hope it migrated. So now we have a Bluebird box full of hatched babies. So far all is well. That same feral cat was eyeing the box one day. I am not home and I regularly check via our security camera. I saw both bluebirds fly to and from the box today. I look forward to seeing them fledge when we get back home. Thanks for your article. It is sad but like you said the circle of life.
I to have bluebird boxes at my house in Texas. I hate English sparrows because they will get in the boxes and kill any birds that are in there to lay their eggs. I put fishing line in front of the boxes no more problems with the sparrows. I love the bluebirds but I hate the noisy bluebird killers. Enjoyed your article.😁👍
Poor mama. At least she was able to have this last clutch. Hoping the hawks can find a different area in which to hunt for a while — just to give the fledglings a chance. Good on daddy bluebird for being so dutiful.
Worst enemy of the blue bird is the house sparrow!
Yep absolutely correct, 💯 hate those nasty heartless birds, they will take over a bluebird house if the parents are getting old or young and inexperienced, they enter the box destroy the eggs kill newly hatched babies, and sometimes pick the eyes out of defending parents, so those of you who think house sparrows are cute and think they should be protected, guess again , unless you control house sparrows, and keep their nests out of bluebird houses, you will never have the joy of watching bluebirds because they go elsewhere if there’s a lot of sparrows around
We have two houses where we live, and several on our property in the Northern Neck Va. Every year around March, April they return. Most have two broods. Getting ready to fledge at the house. I use 6 inch duct from lowes to construct snake prevention works well .
I’m glad it wasn’t a cat which have no business being outside! Beautiful pictures. Yay to the male for keeping up!
Mia, thank you for documenting the Mama Bluebird’s life, as well as death, so beautifully in photos and words.
And so the cycle and order of things continues.
Cats are not part of the circle of life. They do not belong outside.
Sad, but a part of life. I am so pleased that the babies were so close to fledging and hope that they don’t feed the hawk. Which is irrational because it also has to eat.