About
Dedicated to preserving
Oregon’s Western Bluebird
The Prescott Bluebird Recovery Project is a 501(c)3 nonprofit volunteer organization dedicated to preserving the Western Bluebird. Listed as a “sensitive species” by Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, bluebirds had nearly disappeared from the northern Willamette Valley. Since the early 1970s volunteers have been working on recovery and preservation of our native bluebirds.
We are making a difference. Since reaching an all-time low in the early 1970’s, the Western Bluebird population in the northern Willamette Valley has increased due in large part to the dedication of our volunteers. In 1965 it took Hubert Prescott 6 years to find a bluebird; today bluebirds can be seen nesting along our rural roadways, in cemeteries and golf courses, and in vineyards and orchards.
How PBRP Volunteers Help
The Prescott Bluebird Recovery Project (PBRP)
Volunteers place, monitor, and maintain nest boxes constructed to PBRP’s specifications. Boxes are in appropriate habitat that meets the needs of the bluebirds and where pesticides are not generally used. Monitors help guard against the non-native European House Sparrows and Starlings; these aggressive birds compete for nest sites and often kill native Western Bluebirds.
Data Collection
During the nesting season, volunteers gather valuable nesting information which is entered into the PBRP database. Data collected includes the number of nesting attempts, eggs, hatchlings, and fledglings. The PBRP database contains over 25 years of Western Bluebird nesting data. In 2025, 68 volunteers monitored over 700 nest boxes that successfully fledged over 1700 bluebirds.
Data Sharing
PBRP shares its data with researchers engaged in important bird population research. Why is this important? A study led by Cornell Labs in 2019 reported a staggering loss of 2.9 billion breeding pairs of adult birds in the U.S. and Canada. In 2022 the American Bird Conservancy released its State of the Birds Report, noting half of the U.S. bird populations are declining. Here locally in Oregon, PBRP data is being used by OSU Professor Suzanne Austin. For more about her research, read an overview in our Fall 2023 newsletter or visit her website.
Education
Volunteers help educate landowners and the public by sharing information through articles and presentations. Their efforts raise awareness about bluebird conservation and how people can support habitat protection and nest box monitoring.
Read more about the new bluebird educational sign at Luscher Farms in our Fall 2025 Newsletter.
Areas We Monitor
Affiliate member of NABS
As an affiliate member of the North American Bluebird Society (NABS), we are proud to join a network of organizations dedicated to the conservation of bluebirds and other native cavity-nesting species. Together, we share resources, research, and best practices to protect these cherished songbirds and the habitats they depend on.