Bluebirds are everywhere in California’s capital- thanks to the ‘bluebird lady’

In this grim season of infection and lockdown, the resurgence of the western bluebird in Sacramento recently popped up as a bright thread on the social media site NextDoor, where the chatter usually features more downbeat concerns like porch theft or the growing number of people living on sidewalks and in parks.

It’s hard not to notice the bluebird, which suddenly seems everywhere in this capital city. The males are vivid flashes of blue and rusty orange as they swoop and dart, chasing insects along golf fairways and expanses of grass. Bluebirds perch on street signs, venture up on porches and hop along on the ground.

Like many native bird species, bluebirds fell into serious decline in the 1950s and 60s due to the pesticide DDT, loss of nesting habitat and competition from non-native species. Until recently they were seldom seen in the core Sacramento neighborhoods, whose stately trees and ample parks would seem to provide ideal habitat.

Now they are ubiquitous. What makes their comeback in Sacramento all the more remarkable is that it was engineered by a single bird enthusiast. Vicki Butler is a retired water treatment plant manager who lives in the city’s South Land Park Neighborhood. She is one of hundreds of volunteers around the country who have devoted…