Eastern Bluebird (Heath1, KY)
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Species: Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) Location: Paducah, KY Status: Three nestlings fledged on April 23 and 24! View comments View donor list |
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Daily Highlights
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Apr. 24 - All of the nestlings have fledged! It is so fun to see the life cycle of these enchanting birds! |
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Apr. 24 - The female stops in just before the last bird leaves. |
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Apr. 24 - The last nestling will be leaving soon! |
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Apr. 24 - Our first image of the day and one nestling has already fledged! |
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Apr. 22 - Just a few more days to go! |
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Apr. 20 - The young will fledge from the nest in about one week! |
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Apr. 19 - The vivid blue hue of the adult Eastern Bluebird is easily seen in this unique image. |
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Apr. 18 - A great shot showing the shape of the female's wing as well as the arrangement of the wing feathers. |
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Apr. 17 - A cute image of the female as she broods the young. |
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Apr. 16 - After having technical
challenges with the nest cam over the weekend, we received this image
of the growing nestlings. Although the energy requirements of the
nestlings increases as they grow, the frequency of feedings decreases
over time. |
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Apr. 12 - The female watches over the brood as a nestling eagerly awaits a mid-afternoon snack. |
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Apr. 11 - The male Eastern
Bluebird is a very striking bird with his brilliant blue head and back,
gray chest, and reddish-orange throat patch. These attractive
features make this species a favorite among bird enthusiasts. |
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Apr. 9 - Food items brought to the nestlings include various species of insects as well as fruits from trees and shrubs. |
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Apr. 8 - Nestlings are usually
fed by both the male and female, but in northern climates, the male is
more likely to take a larger role in feeding the young. |
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Apr. 7 - Since it has been three
days since the first pip, hatching should be complete at this
stage. It appears as though four of the five eggs hatched,
although it can be difficult to see until the nestlings grow larger. |
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Apr. 4 - The male pays a visit
to the female as incubation continues. Females will brood their
young from the onset of hatching until the nestlings are five to seven
days old. |
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Apr. 4 - Here we see the female
removing the broken eggshell from the nest after hatching.
Occasionally, she may eat the shell, as it is a good source of calcium
in her diet. |
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Apr. 4 - An image of the pip
(breaking) of the first egg at 7:00 this morning! It takes one to
six hours from initiation of the pip until the nestling has fully
emerged from the shell. |
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Apr. 2 - Bluebird eggs are
almost always pale blue although occasionally they are white.
Interestingly, the eggs are all blue or all white with no variation within the clutch. |
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Mar. 29 - The incubation period
of the Eastern Bluebird can last from 11 to 19 days, although the
typical length is 14 days. The female begins to incubate after
the ultimate (last) or penultimate (second to last) egg is
laid. |
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Mar. 26 - Occasionally we get a glimpse of the male in the box while the female is off foraging for food. |
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Mar. 22 - Later than the previous days, the female laid the fifth egg at about 10:20. This is probably the full clutch. |
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Mar. 21 - Similar to yesterday,
the female sat in the nest uninterrupted for another 24 minutes before
laying the fourth egg. |
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Mar. 20 - Sitting in the nest uninterrupted for just 24 minutes, the female laid the third egg this morning. |
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Mar. 19 - Beneath the female are two eggs, the first of which was laid yesterday, March 18. |