Starlings and English Sparrows are introduced in North America act as fierce predators and competitors of native nest-cavity bird species like Mountain Bluebirds.

The decline of prairie grasslands and increasing habitat loss due to disturbance from agriculture compounded pressures on native bird species.

The bluebird trail program dates back to 1959 in Brandon, Manitoba. It worked its way through Saskatchewan, Edmonton and Calgary before establishing in Southern Alberta.

Cam Finley of Edmonton founded the Alberta Trail. No records were kept of the nest boxes and soon only 1/3 of the 150 boxes could be accounted for.

In Fall 1973 a student from Manitoba attending the Lethbridge College brought a bluebird nestbox and presented on the impacts of habitat loss to the Lethbridge Naturalists’ Society.

"I belonged to the Lethbridge Naturalists’ Society in 1973 when I first was told about the nest boxes for bluebirds, a species that was fast becoming extinct." - Duncan Mackintosh

The Lethbridge Naturalists Society gave Duncan Mackintosh $14.35 to construct 40 nestboxes based on the Manitoba design which was showcased at the meeting in Fall 1973. The first year the boxes were monitored by members under the name of the Lethbridge Naturalist Society Bluebird Project for which Mackintosh was the coordinator.

Initial results were poor with only two boxes occupied in 1974.

Mackintosh placed 43 nest boxes in the Lethbridge vicinity.

"There were very few cavities for them to nest in and they couldn't reproduce properly," says Mackintosh. "I became fascinated with their plight and the building of nest boxes."

North American Bluebird Society (NABS) forms, headquartered in Silver Springs, Maryland, USA - Duncan Mackintosh is designated as a Trail Operator Manager. NABS provides support to the patchwork of Bluebird trails support organizations across North America.

This year Mackintosh observes five nesting pairs of Mountain Bluebirds and 17 nestlings fledge. He also obtains a Masters Permit from the Federal Government and begins banding bluebirds.

During the 1979 nesting season Duncan Mackintosh closely monitored four boxes. Three of the boxes fledged 17 Mountain Bluebirds and the fourth produced a family of Tree Swallows.

That same year he formed "Mountain Bluebird Trail" (MBT) with four keenly interested individuals. Out of their own pockets they bought material to construct 385 nesting boxes permanently placing each one on the trail.

Macintosh observed the proximity to trees is important in placing Bluebird nest boxes. They should be no farther than a mile from the trees in the river valley. Openings are pointed away from prevailing winds, with the shortest route to the nearest trees, so the young bluebirds head in the proper direction on maiden flights.

In 1980 a major expansion of the MBT was undertaken. As our nestbox trail expanded throughout southern Alberta, it was noticed by the Fish and Wildlife Division, Alberta Energy and Natural Resources , and we were promptly commended for our initiative and dedication to this worthwhile conservation program by Duane S. Radford , Regional Director, Southern Region.

Mr. Radford took immediate steps to have our trail partly financed with a grant from the "Bucks for Wildlife" fund which is administered by the Fish and Wildlife Division.

We are also indebted to Lorne Fitch, Regional Habitat Biologist of Fish and Wildlife Division for our trail-marked maps.

There were 560 nesting boxes available with in a 60 mile radius of Lethbridge. Results were encouraging: 247 Mountain Bluebirds fledged from 50 boxes.

This was also the first year banding nestlings: 171 were banded plus one After Hatching Year (AHY) female.

Mackintosh’s initial nestbox designs were based on designs primarily focused on the Eastern Bluebird.

After careful observation, Mackintosh recognized that the nestboxes were not ideal for the Mountain Bluebird and set about to redesign them for our region. The new design had a larger hole size, larger floor space, and thicker plywood walls.

The original design set holes of 1 and 1/2 inches but the bluebirds, in squeezing in, were losing their front feathers.

Harold Hughes of Coaldale was considered Master Builder for Mountain Bluebird Trails group - he helped to build and then retrofit with the new design parameters.

Nest boxes also changed when the original 4” x 4” floor was increased to 5.5” x 5.5”.

"That meant broods of eight instead of four with the increase in space," says MacKintosh.

Also, original boxes were 3/8” thick. The change to 3/4” plywood saw the occurrence of sterile eggs drop dramatically. The thicker wood meant more insulation from summer heat and early spring cold weather

(Lethbridge Herald, May 3, 1992, p.28)

Through membership in NABS, Mackintosh connected with Art Aylesworth in July 1980, in Ronan, Montana.

Art had had 10 years experience with bluebird conservation; his main interest was also the Mountain Bluebird.

On 11 September 1980, Mackintosh was invited to Great Falls (MT) to help interested bluebirders organize their bluebird trail.

Mackintosh was asked if Montana could use the name "Mountain Bluebird Trail” to which he agreed since the state was within the breeding and migration range of the Mountain Bluebird.

He provided a copy of his slide presentation for Montana sending one copy to Ronan and the other to Great Falls. These programs have been used extensively by interested organizations in promoting bluebird conservation.

Duncan Mackintosh’s efforts were recognized by the Alberta Fish & Wildlife with an $800 grant contribution towards the Mountain Bluebird nest boxes.

Fish & Wildlife recognized the efforts of the Mountain Bluebird Trails conservation group with a $1,500 grant.

Mackintosh reports having driven 128,000 miles in support of Mountain Bluebird nestboxes! There are 840 nestboxes deployed across Southern Alberta supported by a team of 20 volunteers.

387 Mountain Bluebirds fledged of which 307 were banded plus 26 adult females and 1 male. That year it was reported that volunteers traveled 3,000 miles covering the 500 mile trail.

Mackintosh’s Annual Report indicates 185 nestboxes occupied by Mountain Bliuebirds producing 1,030 Bluebird eggs.

During 1981-82 Duncan delivered 10 presentations in southern Alberta to 455 people. During the winter of 1982-83 he was invited to speak on 15 occasions to a total of 560 people about the MBT.

At the Western Regional Meeting of the North American Bluebird Society on 18 June 1983, Duncan Mackintosh was given a John and Norah Lane Award while Mountain Bluebird Trail received the Lawrence Zeleny Award which is given to a group which has mad e significant contribution to bluebird conservation.

(Sialia, The Quarterly Journal of The North American Bluebird Society, Volume 6, Number 1, Winter 1984)

Mackintosh’s Annual Report indicates 1,390 nestboxes were placed; 304 occupied by Mountain Bliuebirds producing 1,931 Bluebird eggs of which 1,797 successfully fledged.

Mackintosh and 33 volunteers banded 1,293 Mountain Bluebird fledglings and 58 adults bluebirds.

Volunteers in Southern Alberta include: Sheila Petherbridge and Joyce Ives; Randy Lee, Leonard Isaacson; Harvey Johnstone; Barbara Kingscote; Hazel Hudson and Grace Norgard; Bill Skelton; Don Kirk; Harry Gresel; Hank Coulter; Allan McCaskill and Bob Hamilton; Catharine Russell; Bill McKay; Garry Walch; Ernie Friesen; Bill Stanton; Clayton Truman; L. and B. Sommerfeldt; Willie Wiebe; Dave Gensorek; Ralph Erdman and Doug Wyatt; Frank and Dorothy Deane; Armin Dyck; John Macleod and George Harris; Pat Watson; John Green; Gord on and Hazel Ross ; Gordon Chalmers. Three key people in our organization are our secretaries: Hazel Ross, Gladys Galli, and Carol Haycock.

The Mountain Bluebird Trail held its second annual conference and banquet at the El Rancho Motor Hotel in Lethbridge, Alberta on Saturday February 11, 1984.

There are over 200 people subscribed to the MBT mailing list

Mountain Bluebirds return March 11

1,607 nestboxes were available, 424 were occupied by Mountain Bluebirds resulting in 2,194 bluebird eggs and 1,958 fledglings.

1,074 fledgling bluebirds banded in addition to 70 adult bluebirds.

This marked the first year where bluebirds abandoned their nestboxes and suffered death in nestlings. There were 231 sterile bluebird eggs, including 73 dead nestlings. Second broods were scarce.

A total of 39 people are involved with the Mountain Bluebird Trails in Southern Alberta.

The Victoria Times Colonist reported that MBTCS had more than 2,000 nest boxes available, of which 722 were used by Mountain Bluebirds - supporting more than 5,000 bluebird fledglings!

The Edmonton Journal reported that 17 sub-permits were banding under Duncan Mackintosh who helped to band 2,238 bluebirds.

Almost one thousand nesting pairs of Mountain Bluebirds observed and almost 5,000 nestlings fledge.

Fifth annual Mountain Bluebird Trails conference was held in Pincher Creek on June 11 &12. Twelve speakers delivered presentations on bluebird conservation, including Miles Scott Brown from the Canadian World Wildlife Fund.

125 delegates attend the annual Mountain Bluebird Trails Conference in Lethbridge, People came from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Montana, Idaho, and Nevada to learn about conservation techniques for Mountain Bluebirds.

At the request of the Federal Government, Mackintosh and Ray Harris attend Canada Day Celebrations on Parliament Hill with a display representing Alberta showcasing the work of the Mountain Bluebird Trails Conservation group to over 100,000 people.

Mackintosh, then a director of the North American Bluebirds Society (NABS), was awarded the John and Nora Lane (NABS) Award.

In 1991 6,289 mountain bluebirds were fledged through the Mountain Bluebird Trails program.

Duncan MacKintosh, overseer of more than 3,000 special nesting boxes along nearly 600 miles of trails in southern Alberta, says there were 2,400 more fledglings than in 1990.

(Lethbridge Herald, June 17, 1992 p.18)

Mountain Bluebirds arrive February 16.

Mountain Bluebird Trails Conservation group’s 598 mile trail system covers 12,000 square miles spanning Southern Alberta with 3,100 nestboxes.

Mackintosh transfers his Masters Permit for banding to the Mountain Bluebird Trails Conservation Society. At this time there were 30 sub-permit banders and 60 non-bander Trail Monitors.

Mountain Bluebird Trails Conservation Society is officially registered as an Alberta Society and is a Canadian Registered Charity! There approximately 60 volunteers involved. Directors include: Duncan Mackintosh, Bob Harrison, Ralph Erdman, Harold Janecke, Sheila Perry and Ray Harris.

The Lethbridge Herald reports that in the past 15 years more than 47,000 Mountain Bluebirds have been fledged. In the same time period another 33,000 have been banded. (July 23, 1995, p.31)

MBTCS recognized with an Alberta Emerald Award in the Community Group category for “Encouraging the Repopulation of Mountain Bluebirds“

By this time, Mackintosh, 68, had received 11 awards from various organizations for his dedicated efforts to bird conservation, including Lethbridge Fish and Game and the Alberta Naturalists to the John and Norah Lane Award for Outstanding Contribution to Bluebird Conservation by an individual from the North American Bluebird Society in Portland, Oregon.

Lots of great things happened over the next 30 years! Stay tuned as we update this section.

Did we miss something? We are not surprised! Send us photos, stories, or details that we should include!!