Attracting bluebirds to your yard is much easier than you would think. Bluebirds can be found throughout most of the country and are easy to attract with the right nest box placed in the right habitat. A few minor additions to your home can make all the difference.
Choose a bluebird house or nest box that is made of wood (not pressure treated), has no perch, and has a 1-/2″ diameter hole for Eastern and Western bluebirds. The box should have drainage holes in the bottom and ventilation holes at the top of the sides. The diameter of the floor should be about 4″ x 4″.
Make sure the box can be readily opened from the front, side, or top, so you can clean it out and monitor the nesting progress.
Place the box in an open, mowed habitat at least 100′ from brushy, wooded areas. Good areas are large lawns, open fields, farmland, pastureland, and parks. However, don’t place the nest box in areas where pesticides are used, as bluebirds eat insects during nesting and hunt by swooping down to the ground.
Mount the nest box about 5′ high on a metal pole, facing any direction with a baffle on the pole to keep predators from climbing the pole and reaching the bluebirds. Try to put boxes up by early March before nesting starts.
Bluebirds eat mostly insects, which is why they are a favorite among gardeners. For even more success keep a clean bird bath filled with fresh water for drinking and bathing. Bluebirds are very attracted to mealworms and may feed them to their young. Offer mealworms in a dish or feeder with straight sides that prevent the mealworms from climbing out. Bluebirds may sometimes eat suet mixes formulated for bluebirds, too.
Blain’s Farm & Fleet has everything you need to turn your backyard into a birdie paradise. For more tips on tending to your birds, check out our Wild Bird Care blog.
