If you do the math on the ability of this species to reproduce (2-3 nestings with 4-7 chicks per nesting) and the average life span (roughly 12 years), you realize how eliminating one breeding pair has the potential to have a tremendous benefit on species diversity, even within a small area. Kate: Sounds like you have had a lot of success. The Huber trap is a great idea. There are also others that are nice. Here is the web site for one: http://www.vanerttraps.com/universal.htm You may be aware of this, but I just think this caution bears saying for those who are reading: The one problem with putting in-box traps in a bank of martin houses is that you are likely to trap native birds as well. You have to monitor these kinds of traps hourly (which might be hard given the height of them) to make sure that the trapped bird is the intended target species. If it is not, you actually risk the life of the native bird(s), which, of course, is illegal as well as inhumane. So monitoring is absolutely essential. I would agree with everything else that you have mentioned. Certainly the males are the ones that control the area and have the most potential to harm native birds through passive and active competition. Most people who do this would agree that one of the best ways to catch them is with in-box traps during the heat of the nesting season. They are very saavy about ground traps. You can sometimes bait the ground traps with nesting materials that are glued to a heavy piece of wood (ripped plastic tarp material, trash, tissues, yarn, etc.). The best season to catch the adult males (and females) is the early spring. During the summer, it is best to use a ground trap baited with white bread. You can catch young birds and females by the dozen this way. I have included a link for a very good repeating ground trap. Good luck to you Rose. I think that everything here is really true and if more people would consider doing a small piece of this big problem species diversity could be noticably improved. Of course, this is all contingent on the laws in Canada. Here is a link that might be useful: Repeating Ground Trap

Update: they finally stopping fighting on the 8th day, May 6. I heard Tres making noise in the morning of May 6 and looked outside, saw male bb and TRES as expected. But, TRES didn't dive bomb bb as before, they just stared at each other, sometimes just 8 ft apart. No fighting the whole day, bb hang around for a lot longer period of time that day. May 7th, bb rarely showed up. TRES carried a few straw to build nest, then stopped. Today, rain. No activity The way they are going about building nest, I don't think they will ever finish:-(

Vozz, do you know how old it was when it left the nestbox? I just had baby TRES fledge Tues/Wed (which was day 21/22)and one of them wasn't the best flier either however it could get off the ground just fine but after a short flight it landed on our picnic table for awhile then flew back and landed on the nestbox for quite awhile. The next morning it was sitting back on the nestbox. I had noticed that the parents fed it alot though and when its nestmates left the nest on Wed it took off with them. I think it maybe left a day too early or something. I wonder if yours did fall out or something that it can't fly. Normally TRES take off out of the nestbox flying like pros. I am not sure what to tell you to do but it sounds like it should be back in the nestbox as it should be able to take off on its own. Hope someone else chimes in here for you. Donna

Hi Sue, There is a "Tree Swallow Protocol" which describes how to set two or three bluebird boxes in such a way (distance and angles) so that a pair of each, BBs and TSs, will nest near one another, and protect one another from intruders of their same species. It's also used to get Tree Swallows, Blue Birdss, and Purple Martins to nest peacefully near (25-35 ft.) one another. You may have to muddle through the site, but it's worth the effort. I'm including a link. It really does work. In my case, I don't allow the TSs to nest in the PM rack. I will close off the gourd they want and move it about 30 feet away. If there are TSs nesting within 25-35 feet of the Purple Martin rack, they will not bother the martins, but they also won't allow any other TSs to come close. TSs win; PMs win; Carol's happy. Here is a link that might be useful: Tree Swallow Protocol for nesting birds