The following chart depicts a typical Eastern Bluebird nesting cycle that produced four new bluebirds. The bluebirds nested in a modified Gilbertson nest box in our back yard. The entire nesting cycle required 42 days to complete. The parents will teach the four juvenile bluebirds how to fend for themselves over the next two weeks.
Last nestling peering out at the world just before fledging
It is a good idea to use a nesting cycle log for each occupied nest box you monitor.
2007 Eastern Bluebird Nesting Cycle |
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Day # | Date | Phase | Phase Days | Comments |
1 | 25-May | Nest Selection | 1 | |
2 | 26-May | Nest Building | 1 | |
3 | 27-May | Nest Building | 2 | |
4 | 28-May | Nest Building | 3 | |
5 | 29-May | Pre-egg | 1 | |
6 | 30-May | Pre-egg | 2 | |
7 | 1-Jun | Pre-egg | 3 | |
8 | 2-Jun | Egg 1 | 1 | |
9 | 3-Jun | Egg 2 | 2 | |
10 | 4-Jun | Egg 3 | 3 | |
11 | 5-Jun | Egg 4 | 4 | |
12 | 6-Jun | Incubation | 1 | |
13 | 7-Jun | Incubation | 2 | |
14 | 8-Jun | Incubation | 3 | |
15 | 9-Jun | Incubation | 4 | |
16 | 10-Jun | Incubation | 5 | |
17 | 11-Jun | Incubation | 6 | |
18 | 12-Jun | Incubation | 7 | |
19 | 13-Jun | Incubation | 8 | |
20 | 14-Jun | Incubation | 9 | |
21 | 15-Jun | Incubation | 10 | |
22 | 16-Jun | Incubation | 11 | |
23 | 17-Jun | Incubation | 12 | |
24 | 18-Jun | Hatching | 1 | 3 eggs |
25 | 19-Jun | Hatching | 2 | 1 egg |
26 | 20-Jun | Nestling | 1 | |
27 | 21-Jun | Nestling | 2 | |
28 | 22-Jun | Nestling | 3 | |
29 | 23-Jun | Nestling | 4 | |
30 | 24-Jun | Nestling | 5 | |
31 | 25-Jun | Nestling | 6 | |
32 | 26-Jun | Nestling | 7 | |
33 | 27-Jun | Nestling | 8 | |
34 | 28-Jun | Nestling | 9 | |
35 | 29-Jun | Nestling | 10 | |
36 | 30-Jun | Nestling | 11 | |
37 | 1-Jul | Nestling | 12 | |
38 | 2-Jul | Nestling | 13 | |
39 | 3-Jul | Nestling | 14 | |
40 | 4-Jul | Nestling | 15 | |
41 | 5-Jul | Fledging | 16 | 3 fledged |
42 | 6-Jul | Fledging | 17 | 1 fledged |
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