Question re: bluebirds, nesting boxes, & other bird neighbor

Last year, we had bluebirds come and nest in a box we had built for them. They raised 5 babies and then went on their way. This spring, I've seen a pair of bluebirds twice at the nesting box. They seemed quite comfortable with it and went inside etc. Haven't seen them since March 25. Now a pair of black capped chickadees are actively building a nest in the box. I don't want to evict them and will not do that. I thought since last years BB's didn't build their nest until the end of May, maybe there's still hope that they'll come back. I would like make another nesting box for bluebirds and see if they will nest in it. How far from the chickadees would they need it to be? I know they don't want to be close to other BB's, but what about other kinds of birds?

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks,

Jen

I think I remember Dave saying 500 ft. apart.

With different species, the boxes can be much closer together, as they will not be in competition with each other. I'd think 5-10m apart would be plenty of separation.

Resin

Sorry I meant to say for Bluebirds. :-)

Thanks Resin! That's exactly what I thought and wanted confirmation on. I'll be building a nesting box this weekend!

Jen

Actually, Pelle, The general rule is 300 feet for bluebirds. Anything closer and the males will usually fight. But you could probably position them a little closer if one is not visable from the other.

Blues tend to get along OK with the chickadees but if they do build in a bluebird house, I would consider attaching a temporary hole reducer. Bluebird nestboxes have a inch and a half diameter hole; whereas chickadees can use an inch and a quarter hole. The reducer should be available at your local Wild Bird Center and would keep house sparrows and many other potiental troublemakers (including bluebirds) out of the box while the chickadees are residents.

Dave, Can you put the hole reducer on right away when you put it up or do you have to wait till the Chickadees chose the box?

Pelle

Sure, you can put on the hole reducer at any time. It shouldn't deter them. In effect you are converting a BB box to a chickadee box. So it would be just as sensible to buy or build a chickadee box to begin with. In my limited experience with chickadees, they seem to prefer a chickadee box over one with a larger opening, if both are available. Of course, I'm sitting here with an empty chickadee box while I have a pair nesting somewhere in the woods behind the house. In my case I did put the box up late and I did see the chickadees checking it out. I suspect they had already settled in the other location, but who knows for sure? They may move there later. I surely hope so.

I'm assuming that the holes on Chickdee houses would be large enough for housewrens too?? Would they pierce the eggs?

I have two wren houses up for a few years and no takers. Not chickadee or wren!

Yes, house wrens can use chickadee houses (although the reverse is not true, as wren holes are smaller than chickadees can fit through), and Yes, wrens will pierce chickadee eggs (and the eggs of any other bird box residents in the area). Sad but true. I no longer put up boxes specific to wrens for this reason, although the wrens just use any box.......

My chickadees seem to prefer the boxes with the larger holes - at least twice now, they've begun nesting in the bluebird box and have been evicted by the bluebirds when the bluebirds returned from doing whatever it is that they do once they've claimed a box (i.e., leaving the area for a week or two). The chickadees then build in a different box (I've got quite a few....).

There is a box style w/ an overhang that house wrens are not supposed to like.

Sorry I don't have time to look it up right now.