Research Project
“Should I stay or should I go? How migratory strategies and natal dispersal decisions structure Eastern Bluebird populations in a developed landscape,” is the research project that Dr. Jennifer Mortensen and Butch Tetzlaff are embarking on using the BVBBS nest boxes.
Jennifer Mortensen, PhD, is a teaching assistant professor at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, and Butch Tetzlaff is the owner of The Bluebird Shed in Bella Vista. Both have done extensive field work with nesting birds and both are licensed bird banders. For questions, contact Butch Tetzlaff.
After getting approval from property owners, the project began in fall 2019, and will continue for three or more years. The study will focus on about 100 nest boxes around Bella Vista.
In January 2020 the North American Bluebird Society awarded Dr. Mortensen $1,500 grant toward the project.
The project's objective are:
- Assess migratory strategy
- Study winter roosting behavior
- Evaluate the fitness consequences of migratory & roosting strategies
- Determine what factors influence box occupancy and productivity
The initial phases include pilot studies to establish field techniques of bird capture, data collection methods, measurement repeatability, ease of accessibility, and ensure adequate safety for people and the birds.
Once chicks started to hatch in spring 2020, the researches recruited some Bella Vista homeowners, who have bluebird nest boxes in their yards, to help spot chicks that the researchers had banded and to report sightings.
The following attributes will be collected in 2020 on the 100 study boxes:
Paired box (y/n)
Weathering code
Attachment method
Baffle type
Baffle height
Cage predator guard (y/n)
Predator guard length
Box locking mechanism
Entrance type
Slot width
Slot height
Hole diameter
Entrance orientation (0-360 degrees)
Entrance height
Entrance to floor dimension
Cavity depth
Cavity width
Cavity length
Thickness of material
Overhang length
Number of saplings
Number of trees
Number of shrubs
Nearest tree species
Distance to closest tree
Closest structure type
Distance to nearest structure
Closest road
Distance to forested edge
Distance to bird feeders
Distance to power lines
Height of canopy in 8 directions in 1 meter increments to 5 meters away from box
Height of surrounding trees in cardinal directions
Type of ground cover
Average decibel level at box
Openness of surrounding area
