As trees begin to bear fruit throughout the summer, growers start thinking about how to protect their crops from critters, pests and birds. But there is one species those with apple trees welcome: the Eastern bluebird.
The songbirds eat insects that would otherwise plague apple trees, and they have a long history in Maine’s orchards. Some growers provide nesting habitat as part of their pest management strategies. For decades, bluebirds in particular were a rare sight here, but populations are on the rebound, according to Maine Audubon.
The birds nest in cavities in open areas, like those found in the trunks and branches of the old, gnarled apple trees common on Maine farmland. Old wooden fence posts surrounding farms and fields provided homes too.
In 1969, a Bangor Daily News article noted the bird was once “so common in dooryards that it served as the New England symbol of spring — the common bird of late March and April that everyone knew.”
As more aggressive house sparrows and Eurasian starlings were introduced in Maine, they crowded out bluebird populations. Habitat loss and other factors also contributed.
Some writers lamented over the years that modern, clean orchards of commercial apple varieties didn’t provide those habitats.
People have been building wooden boxes fixed to posts or trees as alternative homes for the birds. That practice is part of the reason for their comeback, experts say. Populations have been increasing since the 1990s.
Placing the boxes in the right spot matters to attract the bird you want. The Audubon Society recommends placing bluebird boxes in open areas separate from other birdhouses and near a supply of insects for them to eat — like near fruit trees. The boxes can be purchased premade, or make them yourself with a small quantity of wood.
Adding other plants that produce berries, or locating a box near them, provides more food for the bluebirds.
