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T.E.A.M.S Challenges » Save the Blue Birds

Save the Blue Birds

blue birds

Where have all the Bluebirds gone? In many areas the number of bluebirds has dropped alarmingly.  Two main causes have brought about the decline in population.  The first is the loss of their habitat.  The second is increased competition in nesting sites.  These beautiful birds need your help for their population to recover.  We challenge you to help these beautiful songbirds by using carpentry tools to build nest boxes for them.  When you join this team, you’ll find out if the Eastern bluebird, also called the bluebird of happiness, will inhabit the nest box you made.  You’ll feel so good about providing the baby bluebirds a place to live and survive.  Join the Bluebirders to help save a song bird.

This group learned about the Eastern Bluebird to include their habitat, conducted research, built and mounted nest boxes, drew pictures of bluebirds, and created a presentation using technology for the Learning Fair.  Our main objective was to build nest boxes to help protect our feathered friends and help the Eastern Bluebird population survive and grow.    


  • Team Building: Identify the need to help protect the Eastern Bluebird. Once abundant in Kansas, the number of these cavity nesting birds has declined dramatically since the middle part of the century. This decline has resulted from a loss of natural nesting holes, increased pesticide use, and competition with the introduced house sparrow and European starling. But thanks to citizens and organizations who place nest boxes, the Eastern Bluebird is beginning to thrive once more.
  • Initial Meeting: Students researched and built Bluebird nesting boxes. Students identified location to place boxes.
  • Weekly Meeting: Students collected weekly data as they visited the nesting boxes. Students researched information about Bluebird habitat, food, and life cycle. Students learned to recognize the Bluebird song/call.  Students created a digital presentation to support what they learned.

Note: The challenge ended before the Bluebirds hatched. Students continued to observe and report on the Bluebirds. There were 4 Bluebird fledglings at Patton Jr. High this spring.