BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 13, 2024
As trees begin to bear fruit throughout the summer, growers start thinking about how to protect their crops from critters, pests and birds. But there is one species those with apple trees welcome: the Eastern bluebird. For decades, bluebirds in particular were a rare sight here, but populations are on the rebound. Once “so common in dooryards that it served as the New England symbol of spring — the common bird of late March and April that everyone knew.” As more aggressive house sparrows and Eurasian starlings were introduced in Maine, they crowded out bluebird populations. Habitat loss and other factors also contributed. The Audubon Society recommends placing bluebird boxes in open areas separate from other birdhouses and near a supply of insects for them to eat — like near fruit trees.