Bluebird Nest Box Monitoring

Lake County Audubon Society and the Lake County Forest Preserve District work together on this citizen scientist project to protect and increase the Eastern Bluebird population and their habitat in Lake County.  Volunteers have been monitoring Bluebird trails in Lake County for close to 30 years.  The data collected from monitoring gives partners a better idea of how many Bluebirds are returning to Lake County each year. 

In 2020 volunteers reported over 700 Bluebirds fledged from 641 boxes in Lake County. Fewer Bluebirds fledged in 2021. There were 781 boxes monitored on 50 trails with 581 Bluebirds that fledged. Not as many Bluebirds returned from migration to the nesting grounds and the dry spring and lack of insects resulted in late nesting in 2021. Other birds that fledged from the nesting boxes were Tree Swallows, Black-capped Chickadees, and House Wrens. Lake County Forest Preserve District is the data hub for the history of the Bluebirds and other cavity nesters in Lake County.

Bluebird monitoring is an excellent opportunity to get out and enjoy nature while helping to restore the Bluebird population. Because of the loss of habitat and competition with other cavity nesters, including non-native House Sparrows, Eastern Bluebirds have been struggling in Lake County. Since Bluebirds are cavity nesters, the most important thing we can do to increase their population is to provide and monitor nesting sites and nesting boxes.  Bluebirds prefer to nest in open areas with scattered trees and low ground cover.

There are many Bluebird trails throughout Lake County in forest preserves, open lands, golf courses, and cemeteries, and while there are many advocate groups in Lake County that help with monitoring Bluebird trails, volunteers are always needed.  It’s a great environmental citizen-science program. 

Interested in Bluebird Monitoring?

Contact Jack Nowak, volunteer administrator, who oversees the Lake County Bluebird trails.
Email him at: jackn17285@gmail.com.

Read an article about the Bluebird Monitoring program here.