MBS Store

Below are items currently being sold by the Michigan Bluebird Society. All proceeds (after our product costs) go to help education efforts by the MBS as well as bluebird conservation in the state of Michigan.

**NOTE** Our shipping prices are for MICHIGAN, INDIANA, AND OHIO shipping destinations only. Please contact us at for shipping costs before ordering, if the order is shipping to any other state.

You will note there are two prices - Member and Non-Member. One of the benefits of being a member of MBS is savings on useful bluebird-related products. If you're not a member but would like to get the Member's Price on an item, just send (along with your order) a new membership form and extra $ amount for a 1 year, 3 year, or lifetime membership. OR, you can sign up on our Join MBS page before placing your order. (We will verify membership status for all orders placed under member pricing before processing) MBS Memberships are also a great gift!

Items in our store have been divided into the following categories. Click on a category below to go directly to the category with items you are looking for, or just browse. We are sure to have something that you need!

NESTING BOXES

SPARROW TRAPS/DEVICES

BLUEBIRD FEEDERS

BOOKS

CLOTHING

GIFTS & GARDEN

Nesting Boxes

Cedar Bluebird Nesting Box Kit

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This well-designed and built kit comes from MBS lifetime member Gene Wasserman and his company WoodCraft Kits. Each house kit comes completely cut, sanded, drilled, and ready to assemble with nothing but a hammer or power screw driver. All the hardware and detailed instructions for assembly are included. It is made from Cedar, which is the best exterior wood to use in birdhouse construction due to its high resistance to rot and insects. This kit is a great project for both adults and kids (supervised of course). The photos above show the assembled nesting box. Comes complete with mounting bracket & hardware for 1/2" diameter electrical conduit poles.

Other Features

• The oval-shaped 1 1/2" x 1 3/4" entry hole allows Bluebirds and Tree Swallows to enter. Also comes with an optional block which can be used to change the entry hole size to 1 1/2" diameter.

• Rough cedar exterior and entry grooves make perching and entry easier for the birds

• Interior grooves on the house front to help nestlings leave the box

• Generous roof overhang to help keep the rain out

• Grooves under the roof and recessed floor reduce water seeping into box

• Bluebird and monitoring information included, as well as a card for recording nesting data

Non-Member's Price: $30.00

Member's Price: $27.50

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Gilwood Bluebird Nesting Box - Cedar

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This is Steve Gilbertson's other highly successful Bluebird house design. The larger, more open top, U-shaped entrance hole has been shown to be very highly attractive to Bluebirds compared to the conventional round hole. The 5 1/4" depth from the bottom of the entrance to the floor provides plenty of room for a Bluebird nest and may be less attractive to sparrows which prefer larger cavities when given a choice (the metal nail is placed across the top of the entrance to exclude starlings). The box has gotten excellent field results across many habitats and states. This box is made in a very high quality manner by MBS board member John Harville. It is made of western red cedar - a very insect and rot resistant wood. It is assembled with stainless steel screws to prevent rusting and discoloration of the wood. The box front easily opens and pivots down for monitoring and cleaning. It is weather tight to prevent water and cold air incursions in the Spring. The box comes with EMT conduit straps attached on the back for use with the Gilbertson pole mounting system. (Note: The pole is not included, but complete instructions on what to buy and how to mount it come with the box).

Non-Member's Price: $29.00

Member's Price: $26.00

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Gilbertson PVC Bluebird Box - Deluxe

NewGilbertson1 Widely considered to be the most sparrow-resistant Bluebird nesting box on the market, the Gilbertson boxes are made in Indiana for MBS by Amish craftsmen. The Gilbertson PVC box is also one of the most field-tested and proven Bluebird houses available. The house's shallow depth and PVC body seem to be less attractive to sparrows, while making it light and easy to mount on almost any type of pole. This Deluxe version has a Polywood (R) composite material roof that is impervious to weather, sun, warping, and decay. This will enable the house to last many more years, since the wood roof is usually the component that will wear out first on a nesting box. The dark brown color will help keep the box warmer in early spring weather and looks great with the white/brown body. Just like the cedar roof version, the house body detaches easily from the Polywood (R) roof for checking on nest checks or cleaning out. Also, the roof is pre-drilled to receive a 1/2" conduit mounting pole (not included). Comes complete with instructions on how to mount the box with 1/2" conduit and rebar.

Non-Member's Price: $33.00

Member's Price: $29.00

Sparrow Traps/Devices

Universal Sparrow Trap

boxtrapset boxtrapsprung This easy-to-use and highly effective in-house sparrow trap is made by co-founding MBS member Don Smith. This trap will fit most bluebird nesting box designs - as long as the inside surface of the house front is flat and at least 3" in width. (For Gilbertson PVC houses, see below) It is easy to install and remove from the nest box once the two provided wood screws are installed on the inside of the front of the box. The trap is set by holding down the spring-loaded door until it catches on the holding spur. (See left picture) Once a sparrow alights on the perch platform, the door springs up to block the way out of the box (right picture). The bright orange dot is visible from a distance, telling you that a bird is in the trap. Then, the sparrow can be removed by placing a garbage bag over the entire house, bounding it tightly around the pole, and opening the box slowly. Made of steel with rust-resistant paint and includes instructions, hardware.

**IMPORTANT** - NEVER leave this trap unattended for long periods of time as it may also trap native, cavity nesting birds like Bluebirds, Tree Swallows, or Chickadees. Birds can get stressed and dehydrated quickly inside a box they can't escape from.

Non-Member's Price: $13.50

Member's Price: $12.50

In-Box Trap for Gilbertson Box

GilbertsonTrapNew If you have a Gilbertson PVC nest box and need to trap house sparrows, this is the trap for you. It works basically the same as our Universal Sparrow Trap, but is narrower to fit the curved surface of the box. No screws are needed for installation. It just rests on the lower rim of the entrance hole, so the only thing which shows is a small black metal overhang. (See photo) When the sparrow enters and lands on the trip perch, the rectangular metal door flips up and blocks the way out. A red dote will alert you that a bird has been trapped inside. (See photo) When the sparrow is trapped in the box, remove it by placing a transparent garbage bag over the entire nesting box cinched on the pole below the box. Carefully remove the Gilbertson lower portion of the box so the sparrow exits into the bag.

Non-Member's Price: $13.00

Member's Price: $12.00

SparrowShield The Sparrow Shield is designed to be a passive deterrent to keep house sparrows from claiming a nest box. The metal ring has 4 lines which hang down around and in front of the entrance hole. The weights are 1/2 ounce ultra steel on the heavy duty twisted lines to help keep them untangled and help prevent birds from getting tangled in them. Bluebirds and Tree Swallows don't mind flying between the lines, but sparrows dislike it. To be effective, the Shield MUST be installed on the nest box BEFORE sparrows claim the box. This device has proven to be effective most of the time, but occasionally very persistent sparrows will thwart it. The Sparrow Shield comes with a cedar mounting bracket and 2 screws that will fit on almost all Bluebird house designs. It also comes with instructions. (Nest box not included)

Note: The Sparrow Shield is designed and built by MBS member Gene Wasserman and his company Woodcraft Kits.

Non-Member's Price: $ 22.00

Member's Price: $ 20.00

SparrowChaser

The Sparrow Chaser is an easier-to-mount, pre-made version of the well-known Sparrow Spooker. The Chaser is designed to discourage house sparrows from entering a box in which the Bluebirds or tree swallows already have a nest with either eggs or young. If you mount it before then, it may scare away the bluebirds. The Chaser has an easy to mount cedar bracket, which attaches easily to almost any bluebird box (screws included). It also comes with complete instructions, an extra set of streamers and a clip. NOTE: The Chaser works most of the time, but sometimes persistent house sparrows will still enter the box. In this case, more aggressive actions may be needed to deter them such as trapping or removing the nest box from the habitat. The Sparrow Chaser is designed and made by MBS member Gene Wassernan and his company Woodcraft Kits.

Non-Member Price: $17.00
Member Price: $15.00

Choose one:

Bluebird Feeders

Cedar Bluebird Feeder

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NEW HINGED TOP DESIGN. This high quality cedar feeder is designed to feed meal worms, but can be used to feed other suet/meal mixtures as well. The entrance holes on the end and vertical "bars" help exclude larger birds like starlings, blue jays, and robins. Initially the Bluebirds may need the sides open, until they feel comfortable entering the feeder. The dowels and the clear acrylic windows can be temporairly removed to encourge the birds to enter. Once the Bluebirds are using the feeder, the dowels can be replaced creating 1 1/2 inch spaces and deter the unwanted, larger birds.. The clear acrylic windows can be installed for additional protection when the Bluebirds begin entering the 1 1/2 inch entry holes on each end. Installing the clear acrylic windows will also provide additional protection from wind, rain and snow. This feeder is made by MBS lifetime member Gene Wasserman through his WoodCraft Kits company. The feeder roof opens on both sides to remove/replace the dowels The clear acrylic windows can be removed by slightly bending them out. It can be hung on a shepherd style hook, mounted with the screws on a deck rail or on a 1/2" conduit pole by adding the included pole mount to the bottom.. The feeder comes with both the hanging cord and the pole adapter kit which allows for mounting it to an electrical conduit pole. Instructions for making the conduit pole are included. There are also pre-drilled holes in the bottom of the feeder, so you can mount it directly to a deck rail or existing pole flange with the two included wood screws Overall Dimensions: 12" L x 12" W x 9" H

Non-Member's Price: $52.00
Member's Price: $48.00

Gilbertson Bluebird Feeder

This simple but very effective mealworm bluebird feeder was designed by MBS member Steve Gilbertson of Minnesota. The horizontal bars are spaced 1 1/4" from the roof and floor to exclude larger birds like Robins and Starlings. Bluebirds and smaller birds can pass through this opening to reach the aluminum can food holder in the center. The food holder can be refilled by removing one of the horizontal bars that slides out, which allows the holder to be removed and filled. The feeder is made in Michigan by MBS member Don Smith. It is of high quality western red cedar construction with wood screws and galvanized, weather resistant hardware. It comes ready to mount to the Gilbertson pole mounting system which consists of a five foot long, 1/2" diameter electrical conduit and 48" long 1/2" rebar (pole and rebar are NOT included, but fittings and adapters are included). The feeder comes with complete instructions and a diagram explaining the pole mounting system. The feeder can also be installed on a deck rail by removing the mounting block on the bottom of the feeder. Approximate dimensions: 9 1/4" x 9 1/4" x4 1/2" high (not including the height of the mounting block).

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Non-Member's Price: $32.00
Member's Price: $29.50

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Clothing

MBS Denim Shirt

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The first item MBS ever sold and still very popular. This attractive medium blue shirt features an embroidered MBS logo above the pocket, button down collars, and durable denim material. It comes in either short sleeve or long sleeve, but both are the same price. The sizes we normally stock are M, L, XL. However, if you would like a small or say, 2X, send us an email and we can try to get it for you.

NOTE: Specific sizes are sometimes out of stock. We will notify you if this is the case and the expected time to get back in.

Long Sleeve Non-Member's Price: $34.00

Long Sleeve Member's Price: $31.00

Short Sleeve Non-Member's Price: $32.00

Short Sleeve Member's Price: $29.00

HOW TO PLACE YOUR ORDER: 1. Select the item(s) you want to buy by clicking on the "Add to Cart" button. Make sure to first select whether you are an MBS member or not using the drop down menu. You will be taken to the secure Paypal checkout page.2. If you want more than one item, change the quantity field to the correct number. 3. Enter your zip code in the box that says "Estimate shipping and Tax" and click on "Calculate". (Note: you will need to do this again if you go back and add more items to your cart). Also, there is no sales tax on this purchase.4. Press "continue shopping" if you want to purchase other items. Otherwise, select how you want to pay. If you have a Paypal account and want to pay via Paypal, select that option. But, if you want to use your own credit card, click on the "check out" button. 5. Fill out all your information including the address you want the order shipped to. Click on Continue to complete your order. 6. You will be sent a confirmation email which will include any information about your order and an estimated ship date. If you have any questions regarding our products or an order you have placed, please contact us at PLEASE NOTE: The above prices are subject to change at any time. Also, to get Member Prices, we will verify membership prior to shipping. We will hold any orders with insufficient funds sent due to non-membership or to states other than MI, OH, and IN. In this case, you may elect to either have us refund your payment, OR send out your order when membership dues are received, OR send us additional funds to cover the difference in prices or for shipping. Further, MBS reserves the right to cancel and refund in full any order for any reason including, but not limited to the above reasons, or if the order is believed to be fraudulently placed, or if an order is of unusual size, or if item(s) are not in stock. In the case of an order being cancelled/refunded, the customer will be notified via email. RETURN POLICY: MBS stands behind all products we ship to you. All reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that items are in perfect, new condition when shipped. However, if an item arrives damaged or is defective in some way, MBS will replace it at our cost or send parts to make the product whole again, at the customer's preference. Please note that wooden products like nesting boxes as a rule all have minor variations (color, knots, tiny cracks, etc.) that don't affect the function of the house and are beyond the control of MBS. Any other returns can be accepted and refunded if the item(s) are shipped back to MBS at the customer's expense. Thank you for your support of the Michigan Bluebird Society! mbs_logo_color 2