Eastern Bluebird
(Sialia sialis)
Management Prescriptions
Management treatments should address the habitat components that are determined to be limiting eastern bluebird habitat potential. For planning purposes, select among the possible action items listed below to raise the quality or availability of each habitat component determined to be limiting. A list of programs that may provide financial or technical assistance to carry out specific management practices is provided.
| Habitat Component | Management options for increasing habitat quality or availability | Assistance Programs |
| Food | Plant, preserve, and encourage berry-producing trees, shrubs, and vines (see plant species list insert). | WHIP, EQIP, PFW, CRP |
| Maintain grassy and open field areas by conducting rotational mowing and managed grazing where appropriate. | WHIP, EQIP, PFW, CRP | |
| Nesting and brood-rearing cover | Install artificial nesting boxes in open field areas. | WHIP, PFW |
| Preserve large live and dead-standing hardwood trees conducive to natural cavities in and adjacent to open field areas. | N/A | |
| Preserve snags, wooden fence posts, and rotten tree stumps conducive to natural cavities. Girdle nonmast-producing hardwoods to create snags. | N/A | |
| Winter cover | Plant, preserve, and encourage berry-producing trees, shrubs, and vines (see plant species list insert). | WHIP, EQIP, PFW, CRP |
| Preserve old growth timber, including both large, live and dead standing hardwood trees, conducive to natural cavities in and adjacent to open field areas. | WHIP, PFW | |
| Preserve snags, wooden fence posts, and rotten tree stumps conducive to natural cavities. | N/A | |
| Interspersion and minimum habitat size | Combine above prescriptions to increase interspersion of habitat components or size of habitat blocks available. | WHIP, CRP, PFW, EQIP |
