Bluebird Trail

Saving the Eastern Bluebird

As the Research Triangle Park and surrounding areas develop, changes in land cover affect native songbirds like the Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis).  A cavity-nesting species, bluebirds use snags (dead trees) for nesting and shelter. These were removed first when land was cleared for farming, and again with the Triangle’s economic boom as the forests which have grown back are fragmented by roads and development. Bluebird populations went into steep decline in the 1900s, but are rising again thanks to the collective efforts of birding enthusiasts. The construction of backyard bluebird houses and bluebird trails with regular monitoring to fend off house sparrows and other pests made all the difference in preserving this charismatic North Carolina Species.

RTP Bluebird Trail

The Research Triangle Foundation built a bluebird trail with 40 actively-monitored boxes along our pedestrian trails, and we encourage Park companies to add features to help bluebirds and other wildlife on their campuses. In addition to bluebirds, our boxes shelter nests of other native species like Carolina Chickadees, House Wrens, and even Flying Squirrels. Volunteers enjoy watching baby bluebirds hatch and grow as they monitor boxes, and some have added their observations to the NestWatch citizen science project by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. In the past, we have had instruction and discussions over lunch with representatives of the North Carolina Bluebird Society. If you are interested in adopting a box on the RTP Bluebird Trail or on the campus of IBM, GlaxoSmithKline, RTI, Cisco, EPA or NIEHS, please contact the Research Triangle Foundation.