| Eastern bluebird © Dave Menke |
Mary Miller's mission: to make her mission unnecessary.
By Paul Catala:
Three years ago, 74 survived long enough, grew and flew from their nests. The following year, 72 made the same trek from egg to air. Last year, the number of bluebird fledglings that left their box nests jumped, with 83 taking flight. That's encouraging for Mary Miller, who has made it her mission to help the Eastern bluebird rebound from a serious population decline. For the past four years, once a week, she has headed into Flatwoods Park to check on the once-endangered thrush.
The bluebird - Eastern, Western and mountain - is found throughout North America. The Eastern bluebird makes its home primarily in Texas and throughout the Southeast. The population of the Eastern bluebird, which lives in Florida year-round, had declined so drastically that by the mid-20th century it was threatened with extinction in the wild, according to the Audubon Society. The Tampa Audubon Society estimates there are between 85 and 100 bluebirds currently in Flatwoods Park. The main threats have been habitat destruction; pesticide use; and nest predation by other birds, such as the English house sparrow and European starling.
