Once a common sight in the Pennsylvania countryside, the bluebird has dwindled in the past half-century. Among the many reasons for its decline are loss of tree-cavity nesting spots, and competition for the few sites from house sparrows and starlings. Many outdoorsmen erect suitable bluebird nest boxes in an effort to bring back this lovely little bird with the voracious appetite for insects. Boxes must be the exact size to let bluebirds in and keep competitors out. Both sexes are blue with reddish throat and breast, but the male is much brighter.
Favorite habitat is open farmland and roadsides.
Call, a soft warble. The most common hawk, a year-round resident of our state, is the redtail. As you might guess from its name, its most striking characteristic is a rusty-red tail. The back and upper wings are brown, the underparts more or less speckled but with a distinct band of darker speckles across the belly. Often seen perched in a tree near open country, or soaring above searching with sharp eyes for small rodents.