On The Bird Banter Podcast #101 I talk with Kathleen Foley, the Conservation Project Manager for the San Juan Preservation Trust, and the leader of the San Juan Western Bluebird Reintroduction Project. This is a pioneering project, possibly the first attempt to reintroduce a migratory songbird to its previous range in North America. It is really cool, exciting and I learned a lot about the difficulties and strategies of this type of endeavor.
I bird at JBLM often, and Western Bluebirds are one of the specialty birds for Pierce County, WA we find better there than in any other location. The biologists at JBLM have done extensive work on the Oak Prairie habitat on the base, and you can read about it in this article. Western Bluebirds, and North American bluebirds in general, the others being Eastern Bluebird and Mountain Bluebird, are super cool birds, and have been the subjects of extensive work to support their populations with artificial nest box trails. Check out this video made by previous guest Neil Paprocki on TBBP Episode #97, about Al Larson, a.k.a. The Bluebird Man.

Here is a link to the National Audubon Society page on how to build a Bluebird Box with all the info you’ll need to build and properly place and maintain a bluebird box.

Again, thanks for listening. Good birding. Good Day!