Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!udel!haven!adm!lhc!nih-csl!helix.nih.gov!foley From: foley@helix.nih.gov (Charles K. Foley) Newsgroups: rec.birds Subject: Re: Bluebirds in N.E. Keywords: bluebirds, nesting boxes, feeders, migration Message-ID: <1137@nih-csl.nih.gov> Date: 29 Mar 91 14:37:43 GMT References: Sender: news@nih-csl.nih.gov Organization: National Institutes of Health, Bethesda Lines: 47 In article Michael.Soper@office.wang.com writes: Stuff about Bluebirds deleted... Michael - Thanks for the information about the bluebirds! Unfortunately, it appears that the pair that was building the nest in our house has moved on. :-( From your information I guess I will clean out their partial nest and hope that they might come back later in the season. By the way, can anyone give me the optimum dimensions for a bluebird house? The one I built may be a little small: 5 1/2" x 4 1/2" floor, Box height is 9" at back, sloping to ~7.5" in front. The center of the 1.25" diameter hole is 5.5" from the floor. (Above are all inside dimensions) This is sort of a natural size house if you build it out of nominal 1x6 lumber. I could make the base approximately 5.5" square by using some 1x8 boards (cut down) for the front and back of the box. Also, I have heard people talk about the optimum placement of bluebird houses but I haven't seen any real data. Rumors are: Box should face South Box should be approx 6 feet off the ground It should be located at or near the transition from woods to open land Is there any hard evidence for the best placement of houses out there? By the way - Can Michael Soper or anyone else give me more information about the book on bluebirds Michael mentioned? Thanks, -- Charles Foley (foley@iris03.niehs.nih.gov) National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences National Institutes of Health Research Triangle Park, NC 27705