Blue Birds
There are about 50 bird species in Canada that nest in cavities, including House Wrens, chickadees, several species of woodpeckers and waterfowl, and many more. Some cavity-nesters (e.g., chickadees and woodpeckers) excavate their own nest sites, but most use naturally occurring cavities or those excavated by other species. Many populations of cavity-nesting birds have declined due to shortages of natural nesting sites. Nest boxes provide cavity- nesters with an alternative to natural sites.
When we first erected our blue bird houses on our property in Brant County, they were inhabited by swallows for the first year. This year when we cleaned out the houses for this year’s nesting, we found a flying squirrel and sure enough, we now have blue birds.
More information about the Eastern Bluebird at Bird Studies Canada