Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) are well known in the United States for their brilliant plumage, sweet song, and use of nestboxes. It is hard to imagine that this species nearly went extinct in the early 1900s because of a deadly combination of management practices that removed the dead tree snags that bluebirds depend upon for nesting, the introduction of exotic species that competed for nesting cavities, and the detrimental effects of pesticides. The recovery of populations across the eastern United States is an example of how everyday citizens can play a role in conservation. The major factor in the bluebird’s recovery was the establishment of nestboxes by private landowners across their range.  

Eastern Bluebirds, along with several other cavity-nesting birds, were extirpated from southeastern Florida in the mid-1900s because of habitat loss that resulted from logging and fire suppression. The species was reintroduced into the rare pine rockland ecosystem of Long Pine Key in Everglades National Park during 1997–2001 as part of a large-scale restoration program. A total of 47 Eastern Bluebirds were translocated to the park from nearby Big Cypress National Preserve. In most cases, bluebirds were only moved if both the male and female of a breeding pair were captured. All of the bluebirds were healthy and in good condition when they were released.

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