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A western
bluebird sighted at SLAC.
(Photo
by Diana Rogers) |
Breeding Bluebirds
By Monica Bobra
Since May 2004, miniature wooden houses
have hung from various trees around the SLAC campus (see
http://www2.slac.stanford.edu/tip/2004/may07/nest.htm). Constructed to
accommodate a dwindling species called the Western Bluebird, the six
homes were simply an initial trial “just to get an idea of bluebird
activity,” said Kirk Stoddard (EPR). Now SLAC plays an active role in
Western Bluebird preservation.
Currently, there are six hundred Western Bluebird homes in San Mateo
County, eleven of which hang on SLAC trees. Of these, five contain
bluebird nests, while three lodge nests of other birds: the Bewick’s
Wren, Chestnut-Backed Chickadee and Plain Titmouse. Both Stoddard and
Juana Rudati (SSRL) monitor the homes weekly during the nesting season,
which runs from February to July.
The 25-square-inch homes were
supplied by Howard Rathlesberger of the California Bluebird Recovery
Project, which is part of a nationwide effort to bring the bluebirds
back to their natural habitat. The five-inch-tall birds build their
nests in the cavities of rotting trees called snags. However, most
construction workers uproot snags, unaware that they are an incredible
resource—a whole ecosystem in itself, according to Stoddard. SLAC
doesn’t uproot such trees, he reported, unless they present a safety
hazard.The birds easily slip through the 1.5-inch diameter hole on the
front panel of their home, specifically constructed to let in only the
Western Bluebird. However,
more aggressive birds like the woodpecker have enlarged the holes and
stolen the bluebirds’ homes. As a result, Stoddard replaced the
woodpecker-damaged wooden boards with a metal plate pierced with a
1.5-inch diameter hole. Now the woodpeckers stay away.
A month ago, a member of the San Francisco Golden Gate
Chapter of the North American Bluebird Society spotted a Western
Bluebird in the former Presidio in the first recorded sighting of a San
Francisco-residing bird since 1936, according to Rathlesberger. “The
western bluebird kind of left the cities and now we’re getting them to
come back,” he said, calling it a tremendous achievement.
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One of
the reinforced birdhouses is suspended from an oak tree behind
Bldg. 280C.
(Photo
by Monica Bobra & Topher White) |
Hundreds of county-wide bluebird organizations report to
the North American Bluebird Society, pioneered by Lawrence Zeleny in
March, 1978. Birdwatchers identify the Western Bluebird by its reddish
breast, white belly, and bright blue wings and throat.The Western Bluebird, however, is
not on the endangered species list. Why, then, are so many people
devoted to preserving this small, friendly animal? “My guess would be
the role that the bluebird plays in popular culture, which is an old,
well established one,” said Mitch Snow, a spokesperson for the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service. Rathlesberger has a different opinion: “Well,
because the bluebird is really attractive,” he said. “You just fall in
love with it.” |
