SPRING MOUNT PA – The official start of spring, March 20, is just three weeks away. For diligent housekeepers, that means rituals of spring cleaning may soon get under way. So, too, the Lower Frederick Township Environmental Advisory Council suggests, should the cleaning of bluebird nesting boxes.
No matter what the weather’s like, “our feathered friends are noticing the earlier rising and later setting of the sun,” the council reports in its Wednesday (Feb. 26, 2025) e-mail. They realize “spring is just around the corner,” so bluebirds “are beginning to scope out nesting sites,” it adds.
Those sites can be as simple as a “nesting cavity,” or the sturdier boxes, according to online information to which the council has linked. Bluebirds are looking for “breeding real estate” that offers a water source, large grassy areas that are likely sources of insects and berries as food, and suitable perches and shelter, it explains.
Their search continues through mid-March. By then, the information reports, male bluebirds have chosen what they think are the best locations. Each will actively work to attract a female, set up house if the pair agrees, and enjoy a honeymoon. They even practice the art of parenting, before baby bluebirds arrive.
A Crowded, Disheveled Household
Between mid-April and mid-August, the couple may give birth to, feed, and raise as many as three broods of family members. All of them, eventually, get kicked out to find their own territories. Then, as autumn days grow shorter and temperatures cool, the bluebirds may join other fliers to spend the winter within a 50-mile radius of their breeding grounds.
Like any crowded household, the council acknowledges, nesting boxes can become unkempt or disheveled over the months. That makes cleaning – and if necessary repairing – the boxes an imperative for the future success of other bluebird families in the same spot.
The council’s interest in bluebird welfare stems from Lower Frederick’s designation in 2023 as a member of the Bird Town PA program. The township says it is committed “to promote community-based conservation actions” which create healthier, more sustainable environments for birds, wildlife, and people.
Some township residents also participated in the annual global backyard bird count held this year from Feb. 14-17. The count is intended to help scientists better understand and protect birds around the world. Next year’s count is scheduled for Feb. 13-16 (2026).
Don’t have a bluebird box, but want one? The Pennsylvania Game Commission in 2021 created a video on building one from readily available kits. See it below.
Top photo by Travels With The Post
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