Western Bluebird - Photo: Cindy Fullwiler
August 2025
by Matt McCoy
Al Larson was three when his parents moved to Idaho in the 1920s. Although his youth was spent in the sprawling communities of Cascade and Boise, he found himself working on ranches near Jordan Valley by his mid-teens. There he developed an appreciation for nature and spotted his first Mountain Bluebird. Although he went on to serve in the Marines, raise a family, and work in the lumber industry, the sight of that electric-blue bird made a lasting impression.
Birding and sharing his love of nature were Al’s greatest passions. Al and two wildlife biologists with similar mindsets established the Golden Eagle Audubon Society (GEAS) in 1972. Their hard work and devotion helped the fledgling group flourish. If there was a job to do for the chapter, Al did it. Although he met his second wife Hilda on a gem club field trip, it was their shared love of birds that guided them for the rest of their lives. Together they formed GEAS’s backbone for almost 50 years.
While walking in the woods near Hilda’s ranch north of Boise, Al noticed a Western Bluebird flying into a nest cavity. Aware of general bluebird population declines, he believed he could help Idaho’s bluebirds flourish using artificial nest boxes—as others had done in the East. Thus, a retirement career was born in 1978. Through the next four-plus decades, Al built, maintained, and monitored over 350 nest boxes covering five trails in six counties across southwest Idaho. It was a labor of love. His monitoring trips started in early spring (regardless of field conditions) as adults were bringing in nest materials, continued at ten-day intervals during egg-laying through fledging, and culminated with a fall cleanup visit. He banded over 31,000 birds and was always willing to share the experience. When asked on one field trip why he was cutting the feet off baby birds, he took the opportunity to further explain the banding process and assure the questioner the nestlings were not being harmed.
I met Al when he was ten years into his bluebird conservation journey. As a wet-behind-the-ears wildlife biologist, Al helped me realize how little I really knew about the natural world. Fortunately, I wasn’t shy about demonstrating my ignorance around Al. When I asked what that unusual birdsong I heard was, Al replied, “Well, that’s a Brown-headed Cowbird, Matt,” kindly not adding, “like anyone who fancies himself a wildlife biologist should know.” On one of my first field trips, I excitedly pointed out a Burrowing Owl perching on a fencepost. Al came over and quietly noted that it might just be a Mourning Dove I was seeing. No matter the situation, Al was always gracious and humble. I learned so much more from him than just bird identification.
Al Larson was appropriately called the Bluebird Man, a moniker he tirelessly lived up to. You can learn more about Al and bluebird conservation in this 2018 Audubon Magazine article. He recently passed away at 103 years old. Al is a legend, but his story is not unique. Every Audubon chapter has benefitted from similar individuals. It is an honor to follow in their footsteps and carry on their work.