Efforts to foster the recovery of Bluebirds across the nation have been tremendously successful, and that is especially true for the Eastern Bluebird in New Jersey! Bluebirds, however, are constantly at risk due to habitat loss, nest destruction, and predation by other bird species (e.g. European starling and house sparrow) as well as natural terrestrial predators such as snakes, raccoons, and feral cats.
The Rancocas Conservancy recently has teamed with the New Jersey Bluebird Society to install nest boxes on a few of our preserves in the Rancocas watershed. Nest boxes, once established and occupied, require consistent monitoring to inspect eggs and chicks as well as a thorough cleaning after the chicks have fledged. It is CRITICAL but not HARD work.
We are seeking a few volunteers to assist with the monitoring of nest boxes recently installed on and around some of our preserves in the Medford/Marlton area. If you are interested in helping us with this important endeavor, please reach out to the Conservancy’s president, Steve Doughty, at sdoughty27@live.com. For more information on all things “Bluebird”, go to njbluebirdsociety.org or nabluebirdsociety.org.
