Sorry about your loss. English(house)sparrows are not protected by law as they were an import & caused havoc with native nesting birds. Go online & buy a VanErt sparrow trap. It fits inside the box w/2 screws. When the sparrow trips the trigger the entrance hole is blocked. Pull large clear plastic bag over the entire box & secure the bottom opening, making the bag a prison. Carefully open the box & when the little bugger flies into the bag grab him tightly(make sure it's a sparrow) & carefully lift the bag off the box. Wrap the bag tighly into a ball or place a heavy weight on it. After 60 seconds, remove the VanErt until you need to use it again. And you didn't even need to touch the sparrow.

The HOSP (House Sparrow) just need to give one good peck on another birds head to kill it. If you have HOSP around, that is most likely what killed your male Bluebird. In order to have a successful nesting you really need to rid your yard of these birds...the only way to do this is to kill them. Sparrow spookers do work but you can only put them up after the BLuebird lays the first egg so they will be commited to the nest, otherwise they could abandon the nest if put up earlier. So the whole while they are choosing boxes and nestbuiling they are vulnerable to the HOSP.

Here is a photo of a TRES nestling which has its head pecked by a HOSP. It was miracously still alive, two of its nest mates weren't that lucky though....

HOPS are a non native invasive spieces that threaten our native cavity nesting birds and they need to be controlled. You can shoot them, trap them with a vanert and dispose of them or get a DRST (deluxe repeating sparrow trap)just make sure you can positively id the sparrow first though. Good luck!

Donna

I have not much to add, but Donna and all are right! Find out which HOSP was responsible if you see him and please, we ask that you trap and find a way to euthanize it. This can be hard, especially the first time. But go to Sialis.org if you really want to see what these invasive pests are truly capable of!

~Tim~

Here is a link that might be useful: Universal Sparrow Trap (Van Ert)

If I put the Van Ert in the box isn't that going to trap another Bluebird? I've still got other Bluebirds going in and out of that box and seen a nice male all over it yesterday so it's not inactive by any means.

Yes, You could trap the wrong bird however trapping it doesn't kill it, it just doesn't let it out of the box. If you trap a bird other than a HOSP, you simply let it go after you have id'd it in the clear bag. However you wouldn't normally put a vanert in a box that the Blues are nestbuilding in, you would only put it in if you see HOSP activity in the box and you only put a trap in a box when you can watch it, never leave an unattended trap set in a box. If you had a HOSP kill one blue in your box, chances are it will be back and kill these new blue you have around. Do you have a bb gun at all? You really need to get rid of the HOSP if you want to have a successful bluebird nesting. Good luck!

Donna

.......Perhaps if you could put up a 2nd box just for the sparrow?

I took out a hosp in my bluebird house about a month ago. Tree swallows had nested and were just completing the nest when a hosp was sticking his head out the box, chirping that gawd awful sounding chirp. Like he was excited he took over their nest. One pellet from 10 yards away, went into the box to collect my bounty. I've done the passive route, doesn't work. They kill anything and everything. So, I remove them. What I have learned is, trapping them with a repeating trap only brings them in to another food source. If you aren't killing them, you are encouraging them. I've noticed that once you start shooting them, they will get the hint. They are still prevalent in my neighborhod, but clearly avoid my yard, houses and feeders.
A small pump pistol pellet gun with scope was under $75 bucks and for me it works great. Its small enough for me to target hosp, without my neighbors knowing what I'm doing. Its quiet enough for them to not hear a shot ring out and lethal at 10 yards from my shooting rest that I can make a quick kill. And, on weekends or winter, its safe and quiet to shoot indoors in my basement at 10 yards into a pellet trap.. perfect to keep me accurate. Its not for everyone, but these are an invasive species... no different than the round gobie that has taken over the Great Lakes. DEC says its illegal to release you must kill them. I see hosp as no different. Good luck to all of you in your BB and TRES nest sites this season.

Sadly an additional box will not work. House sparrows do not destroy/kill because they want the nestbox. They do it out of aggression. I would look into sparrow spookers and the Van Ert traps.

Donna is right. Most traps do not kill the bird upon immediate trapping. This would be EXTREMELY risky and not efficiently deal with the problem.

You should always have some type of bag (mesh laundry, clear plastic) covering the entire box, while opening the door to identify the bird. I've had both sparrows and bluebirds fly into the bag, despite the latter on sialis. Once you know it's a House Sparrow, then you take action towards it. Always important!

LadyJemima is also right. I have found that Van Ert and Sparrow Spookers are a great combination. All my boxes are compatible with these devices. Once the bluebirds lay their 1st egg, get the spooker up ASAP!

Wishing you better luck!

~Tim~