How Do I Attract Bluebirds?
Over the past few years, we have been getting reports that more people are seeing Bluebirds in their backyards than ever before! Bluebirds prefer an open habitat such as meadows, fields and even golf courses. The tall grasses of fields and meadows are a haven for insects, their preferred food. Often, Bluebirds can be seen perched on fences or telephone wires where they scan their habitat for prey. And the good news is, their populations are growing! They have been reported visiting yards that don’t necessarily fit into this specific habitat mold more often. If you are interested in attracting Bluebirds, here are some things that can be done to entice these birds to your yard.
First, try offering food! Live and freeze-dried mealworms can be provided in a dish or Bluebird feeder. Because insects are such a huge part of the Bluebird diet, make sure to avoid pesticides while maintaining your yard. Some Bluebirds are migratory, and others are resident birds that stay all year long, even in the winter. In the fall and winter, when insects are scarce, Bluebirds will eat fruit and berries, if made available. They are also common visitors to heated birdbaths. Bluebirds will also eat Bluebird nuggets, which are small round balls of suet, sunflower hearts, and sometimes suet with berries or insects in it.
Bluebirds are cavity nesters who nest in small tree cavities, woodpecker holes, and nest boxes. They are one of the earliest nesting songbirds we have in the area, with some beginning nesting activity as early as March! First, the male Bluebird finds the nest cavity and fills it with some nesting material. Then he flutters his wings to attract a female to the nesting site. If the site is attractive to the female, she builds the nest making it mostly out of tall grasses. Usually, each brood consists of 4-5 eggs, which the female incubates. Bluebirds can have 2 or 3 broods each year and both parents feed the nestlings once they have hatched. Sometimes, the young from the earlier broods in the season stay to help the parents feed nestlings.
Nest site competition with Sparrows and Starlings can often be an issue. To keep Starlings out of a Bluebird box, make sure the entrance hole is no larger than 1.5”. This size is large enough for a Bluebird but too small for a starling to fit inside. To keep Sparrows out of Bluebird houses, invest in a Sparrow-resistant house. These houses have a long rectangular opening instead of the classic circular entrance hole. They also have a shallow nesting cavity. Bluebirds do not mind these changes, but Sparrows prefer a nesting site with a circular opening and a deep nesting cavity. A Sparrow scarer can also be added to the top of a Bluebird house once the Bluebirds are established in it and have an egg laid. The shiny, reflective tape from the Sparrow scarer will scare away other birds, but the Bluebird will not abandon its egg and will complete the nesting process.
Most birds, including Bluebirds, prefer a Bluebird house that is mounted on a pole and does not hang. Depending on the house, we have different options for mounting it. Because predators can be an issue, we recommend mounting a house no less than 5 feet off the ground. There is no limit to how high it can be mounted, as Bluebirds have been known to nest up to 50 feet high! Bluebirds seem to prefer a house that faces East. Their preference (in order) seems to be East, then North, South and West. If you are pairing Bluebird houses together to relieve competition from other cavity nesters (Tree Swallows House Sparrows, and Wrens mainly) they can be placed 5-15 feet apart.
And don’t forget water! All birds need water and birdbaths are another great way to bring Bluebirds to your yard. If the water feature has a fountain or is moving, that’s even better! A solar fountain insert can be added to any birdbath to turn it into a moving water feature.
If you are interested in getting Bluebirds to come to your yard, now is the time to prepare. They are already actively searching out nesting sites and sources for food. There is nothing quite like catching a glimpse of this beautiful bird! Shop online or in-store to get prepared.
