Arlington Bluebirds is a volunteer-run initiative to provide essential habitat to Eastern Bluebirds and other native cavity-nesting birds in and around Arlington, Virginia. We build and monitor nest box trails and teach people how to support native birds. We serve as: STEWARDS – We install nest boxes and monitor them weekly to ensure that native…

Volunteers monitor the nest boxes in a trail (a series of nest boxes) to detect problems early to provide a greater chance of survival.  Nest box monitors work in teams to ensure that the nest boxes are monitored weekly during the nesting season of March through September. Our goal is to make more room for…

Across North America, our adult breeding bird population has declined by 29% since 1970. That is more than 1 in 4 birds—nearly 3 billion birds—gone in less than a single lifetime. Bird populations are declining not just in rare or endangered species but even among common backyard birds. Threats include urban sprawl, climate change, pesticides, a…

Monitor a Trail Get started by watching the training video on resources for nest box monitors then contact us to get assigned to a trail. Build Boxes and Guards Download designs for VBS-approved nest boxes, predator guards, and sparrow spookers. Start a Trail We can help scope out suitable locations, provide training, and apply for a…

Here are 25 reasons to become a nest box monitor. Got another reason why you monitor? Let us know! Text and chickadee nestling photo © Alison Davis-Holland, ARMN Class of 2008.