Introduction
Bluebird population has been decreasing in the recent past thanks to the loss of habitat some of the areas where the bird has been found to be native ( Burtka & Grindstaff, 2015) . However, many gains have been realized towards increasing the population of bluebirds in the country by nesting houses where the birds can lay eggs and reproduce without having any effects from the immediate environment ( Gowaty & Plissner, 2015) . The birds usually eat insects during summer but depend on wild berries during winter. The decrease of the wild berries in the recent past due to the increasing populations of starlings has led to a decrease in the bluebird population ( Burtka & Grindstaff, 2015) . Although the population of these birds has been decreasing, there are still some promising results with the use of nesting houses where the birds can use to reproduce and stay away from any dangers that have traditionally chased the bluebirds away or killed them in their nesting places ( Gowaty & Plissner, 2015) ( Gowaty & Plissner, 2015) .
It is important to look at the data related to the use of the artificial nesting boxes in the attempt to increase the population of the bluebirds and the Brown-headed nuthatch. The artificial nesting boxes are essential in that they provide protection to the bluebirds by making sure they are safe. The bluebird does much of its foraging by perching low to collect food. Its diet is made up of insects and berries. The insects include crickets, grasshoppers, as well as beetles ( Gowaty & Plissner, 2015) . The bird also lay about 4-5 eggs with incubation by the female for about 13-16 days. Feeding of the young is a collective job done by both parents. The female in specific locations does the work of making the nest.
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Body
Objective
The purpose of the experiment is to ensure there is an understanding of the reproductive success of birds from the use of artificial nesting boxes. The research was done over a period of six years in order to make sure that the information attained is credible and accurate to some extent. A period of six years provides the researchers with an understanding of the trends in the population of these birds.
Hypothesis
We can use NestWatch data to determine hatch rate, fledge rate, and overall reproductive success of nuthatches and bluebirds using artificial nesting sites (bird boxes).
Protocol
The NestWatch individual participants interested in assisting birds and increasing their population in America collect data. The participants of the NestWatch buy nesting boxes and install them. They then proceed to register their boxes with the organization. The participants then observe and record the activity of the birds the whole year ( Albers, Jones, & Siefferman, 2017) . The reason for the use of six years is to make sure that we understand the total number of attempts made by the birds to nest and reproduce using the sites set out by the participants. It is important to note that the participants are required to send photos of their boxes to be guided on whether they have installed the boxes well. The six years allows the experiment to have more data and a representative of the situation on the ground when it comes to the issue of bluebirds.
Results
The Central region recorded 499 nests and a nesting success of 78% in 2015. The number of nests reported in 2016 was 451 in the central region and a nesting success of 81.7%. Most of the regions recorded an increase in the nesting success rates, which shows that even though the population of the birds has been decreasing, there is hope that with artificial nesting, there can be changes in the overall trend ( Lamb, 2016) . However, the number of nests reported in each region vary, which affects the ability to make essential conclusions ( Gowaty & Plissner, 2015) . Whereas some states and regions recorded increased nesting success rates, others recorded a decline. Stats such as Texas, Mississippi, and South Carolina recorded high fledge rates with Georgia recording the lowest. Georgia has the lowest nesting success rate with Mississippi and South Carolina having the highest. In some states and regions, the hypothesis was not supported as the sample size was lower than 50.
2016 data (https://nestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/NestWatchDigest2017.pdf)
2015 data (https://nestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/NestWatchDigest_2016.pdf)
The Brown-Headed Nuthatch had similar results with that of the Bluebird species. The nesting success rate varied with it increasing in some years while decreasing in others. The same case applies to the hatch rate. However, the result obtained in some years makes it hard to come up with a conclusion on the trend as the sample size is below 50. North Carolina seems to have the highest number of nests compared to all the other places. However, the nesting success rate of the Brown-headed nuthatch keeps on fluctuating and is among the lowest in the stats that were addressed. The hatch rate is also among the lost in the area because of the high number of boxes in the area. The only viable results that can be used are in 2014, 2015, and 2016 where the sample size was above 50.
Discussion
Looking at many years together allows the researcher to better describe the trends in the overall success of the project. This explains why the study focused on six years. The size of the sample was also big, which allowed the researcher to conclude, as the information was credible. This means that the NestWatch data can be used in determining the different concepts such as hatch rate, fledge rate, as well as, the overall reproductive success of the different species. The implication is that the nest sites report affected the comparison of data from year to year. Whereas the states are not equally represented, researchers always attempt to make sure that results are attained in the right manner. One of the limitations in the study is the disparity between years from state to state with the number of boxes and the nesting attempts made by the birds ( Albers, Jones, & Siefferman, 2017) . The accuracy of the data is affected by the difference in sample size from state to state. Those with a larger sample size are bound to have accurate conclusions whereas those in states with a lower sample size having less accurate conclusions. However, the reports with smaller sample sizes are also important as the species of the birds studied are some of the less common ones in the country and their population has been dwindling in the recent past. It is difficult to use data from NestWatch in making any meaningful conclusion about the population of birds in the country. The only way to make sure of this is by conducting a headcount of the birds.
The data reveals that the number of eastern bluebird increased from 2015 to 2016. The nesting success rate increased from 73.4 that were recorded in 2015 to 79.8 in 2016. This was after 2751 nests reported. The same case applied for the brown-headed nuthatch whose nesting success rate increased to 291.4%. The varying sources of data and the lack of scientific background of the participants makes it hard for scientists to rely on the data provided by the NestWatch organization. The sample sizes in each state or region is another concept that makes it hard for the researchers to make meaningful conclusions from the information that come from the participants ( Burtka & Grindstaff, 2015) . Having a state with less than 50 nesting attempts makes it hard to make any conclusion on the trends that the birds are making in the country and whether their population is increasing or not. It is hard to tell the impact of the reduction in nesting sites on the number of birds in the area as the data does not provide an analysis of the number of birds. This is a limitation on how the data collected from the NestWatch participants can be used and analyzed.
The results for the Brown-headed nuthatch keep on varying from state to state. However, the number is extraordinarily high in North Carolina with most of the attempts found there. However, the findings do not outline any reason as to why the numbers are higher in the state than in others. There is also lack information on the number of nests that were placed in each of the states. This means that it is hard or the scientists to determine if the population is high in the state or if the birds are moving from other regions.
Real world importance
The work done by NestWatch is ideal in the conservation of birds in the country and in the region. It shows the commitment that different people have towards making sure that some of the endangered species of birds are protected from extinction due to the damaging of the environment in the country ( Gowaty & Plissner, 2015) . Scientists can be able to use information from different sources and regions to make predictions on the trends of the birds based on the impact the environment has on them. The population of birds is affected by the changes in climate, urbanization, and land use. The only way to understand the effects of these man activities is by making use of such nesting platforms. For example, a reduction in the nesting attempts would indicate that there is a change in the overall population of the birds or they have migrated to other regions ( Burtka & Grindstaff, 2015) .
Deforestation in the country has been one of the major factors that affect the number of birds. The other effect has been the introduction of the non-native species in the country, which to some effect affect the normal lives of the native species. For example, the bluebirds depend on wild berries during winter but the population of these berries has reduced as the bluebirds compete with other birds for food ( Burtka & Grindstaff, 2015) . Understanding the effect of land use on birds requires having a national survey on how birds reproduce and nest across the regions. The data that come from the surveys conducted by NestWatch can be helpful to scholars and scientists who aim at understanding different concepts of bird life and especially the native ones in the country. Having a large number of participants working in the projects is far much better as compared to only having a few individuals conducting studies. The data collected from the organization can help in understanding different concepts related to policy issues especially in land use. Biologists can understand the relationship between changes in ecology and the population of different species.
References
Albers, A. N., Jones, J. A., & Siefferman, L. (2017). Behavioral Differences among Eastern Bluebird Populations Could Be a Consequence of Tree Swallow Presence: A Pilot Study. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution , 5 , 116.
Burtka, J. L., & Grindstaff, J. L. (2015). Similar nest defense strategies within pairs increase reproductive success in the eastern bluebird, Sialia sialis. Animal behavior , 100 , 174-182.
Gowaty, P. A., & Plissner, J. H. (2015). Eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis), the birds of North America. Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology .
Lamb, A. (2016). Citizen Science Part 1: Place-Based STEM Projects for School Libraries. Teacher Librarian , 43 (4), 64.
