Quote:
Originally Posted by eagleflyfisher
I put a dozen bird boxes up early last spring in hopes of getting our mountain bluebirds back.
I researched hole size and style of box etc..
No bluebirds & 1 pair of swallows in 1 or 2 boxes as far as I could tell.
This season maybe 4 or 5 pairs of swallows.
I kinda like them, I like how they fly even though they dive bomb me when I go in garden.
Are they good insect eaters ?
They have white breasts.
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Where are you located?
You, most likely, have Tree Swallows. To my knowledge, aside from the large Purple Martins, only Tree Swallows and Violet Greens will use nest boxes. Tree Swallows are by far the most common in nest boxes.
If you want Mountain Bluebirds, you need to hang your boxes in pairs. Tree Swallows are more aggressive than Bluebirds and will occupy one, but will not tolerate another pair of Swallows nesting close. They will tolerate Bluebirds, so you end up with one box with Bluebirds and another with Tree Swallows. Hang them within 10-20 feet of each other. If you hang boxes singly, and scatter them around, you will likely not have Bluebirds as the Tree Swallows will occupy all.
Swallows are insect eaters.