Customer Reviews

The Bluebird Monitor's Guide to Bluebirds and Other Small Cavity Nesters

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The Bluebird Monitor's Guide to Bluebirds and Other Small Cavity-Nesters by Cynthia Berger, Keith Kridler and Jack Griggs. Notice who sponsored this book, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and The North American Bluebird Society, and was printed in 2001. The Bluebird Monitor's Guide is the most detailed and complete, up to date Bluebird information I found for sale today on Bluebirds.

I have to say that I was about as a Novice as it gets in knowing about Bluebirds, but am quickly becoming an expert to be. I live in South Florida, and never had seen a Bluebird until May of 2002. I decided my area needed more of this beautiful bird, and my search for information on Bluebirds, and Bluebird boxes, and Bluebird Trails lead right to The Bluebird Monitor's Guide.

If you are searching for Bluebird information, you will find that there are very few books written about Bluebirds. After ordering and receiving the Bluebird Monitor's Guide, I found I was reading articles which are short, informative, fun, and on everything I could think of pertaining to Bluebirds and their habitat, housing, and food, and the people who care about them.

The book is approximately 8" x 10" of high gloss paper, 128 pages, and filled with beautiful photos. The guide is broken down into five sections which tell you about Bluebirds, and how to attract them; how to monitor Bluebirds; Bluebird Trails, and the equipment used with Bluebirds. The Bluebird Monitor's Guide information all comes by ordinary people, like you and me, whom have been working with Bluebirds for years. And The Monitor,s Guide is written to be understood by young and old, and novice or expert.

The Bluebird Monitor's Guide is written for the person who has only one box or a Bluebird Trail of hundreds of boxes. Since May of 2002 I now actually have twenty Bluebird Trails of 122 houses, with plans of many more for South Florida. I am the overall Trail Monitor of Twenty Monitors. I am helping dozens of people to learn about the Bluebird, from the wealth of information found in The Bluebird Monitor's Guide.

Whether you can only purchase one Bluebird book, or all the Bluebird books which have ever been written, The Bluebird Monitor's Guide to Bluebirds and Other Small Cavity-Nesters should be the #1 Bluebird book in your library.

The Bluebirding world has waited a long time for this book. If you just have one Bluebird nest box in the yard, or hundreds covering miles of territory, this book is a must have. Profusely illustrated with color photos.

The authors of this book did not create a "coffee table" book; they created a work that will guide you through your day to day problems with predators, such as snakes, raccoons, house sparrows, and starlings.

I am a Bluebirder with years of experience, and I learned a lot and keep learning from the book!

I'm completely new to bluebirding, but got hooked when I saw 3 bluebirds at my heated birdbath. I started researching on-line, but there was too much information--I couldn't keep track of nestbox requirements versus great suet recipes. I had so many bookmarks, and read so much information, that I didn't quite know where to start! I ordered this book last week and have read it cover to cover already, taken notes, purchased 2 NABS (North American Bluebird Society) approved bluebird houses, and feel confident--after having read this book--that the bluebirds and I will have a good start.

The book covers the whole process of nestbox placement, maintenance, responsibilities of setting up one or more nestboxes, bluebird behavior, other birds' behavior (who might use your boxes), predator issues and control, feeding and diet, mealworms, nestbox styles, and the whole lifecycle process from birds selecting a box to babies flying into the big new world.

I especially like the format of this book. Instead of being textbook style (there are enough excellent reference sections), it features short biographies of many folks all around the U.S. who got into bluebirding for one reason or another, admit to mistakes they made (so we don't make them too), offer their tips and tricks (which can be regional or personal or just plain handy), and each bring different perspectives. I really took a lot away from this book, just from reading everyone's personal experiences, learned by their example of how they do what they do, and was completely touched by their dedication to helping bluebirds continue to survive.

If you have ever considered putting up a bluebird nestbox and are not sure where to start, try starting with this book. The Bluebird Monitor's Guide has plenty of reference information and solid personal experience to guide you--without being overwhelming. Putting up a bluebird nestbox is a commitment I feel much more comfortable making now after having read this book, and hopefully you will too!

THIS BOOK IS A MUST FOR ANYONE WHO HAS A BLUEBIRD TRAIL OR IS CONSIDERING STARTING ONE IT HAS PARTICAL INFORMATION FROM THOSE WHO HAVE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE RUNNING A BLUEBIRD TRAIL ALL PHOTOS ARE IN COLOR AND THE BOOK COVERS ALL SUBJECTS CONCERNING BLUEBIRDS THE BEST BOOK ON BLUEBIRD TRAILS

This book is filled with all the answers anyone could possably ask about enticing bluebirds to a backyard.Facts are written clearly and interestingly.It's an excellent resource for all Birders.
Makes me impatient for better weather to begin getting started. Beautiful pictures make the book a page turner.

We have so many bird books my wife routinely says "don't get me another bird book," but this one made the grade. It is absolutely riveting and held me spell-bound in the bookstore.

We were devastated when a late frost wiped out the bluebird population for miles around. It took three years for them to recover.

For all of our experience with blue birds, our favorite, this book is world-class in three ways:

1) The photographs cover the hard to see inside the next information in a brilliant manner. This is one of the finest collection of photographs in support of text I have ever seen.

2) The monitoring aspect was new to us, and very interesting to understand.

3) The hardware section is really well put together and illustrated, and taught me that there are humane ways to deal with sparrows and others. Our solution works as well: we provide five boxes around the property, and this seems to have worked well in ensuring that our bluebirds get first choice and then everyone else has options.

Good index. I have been through the book several times now, and each time I find something new.

This is a definite bible on bluebird nestbox monitoring - all sorts of really great and detailed info on bluebirds, problem solving tips for dealing with predators, great pictures. I recommend this one to everyone I know who's interested in bluebirds and monitoring nest boxes.

Bought this for my husband who is a bluebird fan. He loves the book. It has great information and the pictures are beautiful. We bought the book used and it was in great condition.

I bought this book 7 years ago, as soon as I discovered bluebirds visiting my yard. We've had 3-4 nests fledge every year since then and have had year round bluebirds. Information includes nest comparisons with other cavity nesters, nest box competition, protection against predators and various infestations, food requirements, behavior, and typical schedules for nest building through fledging. There are also comparisons regarding types of nest boxes and specifications, photos and drawings for a variety of items related to and including the next box, and appropriate box sites. Many beautiful color photos are included, and there are helpful resources at the back of the book. Whether you will be a single yard monitor or wish to start a bluebird trail, this is an indispensable book.

My husband purchased this book a couple of years ago, and we both immediately became intrigued with building and setting up bluebird nestboxes. We started with a single box in our backyard, and now have a small trail of 13 boxes on some rural property. Our trail was immediately successful, and the information in this book was the key to our success. Every pertinent subject is covered, from attracting bluebirds, to thwarting nest raiders by the use of predator baffles. The text is well written and entertaining. I would highly recommend this book for anyone with an interest in bluebirds, or birds in general.