Expert consulted: With their brilliant blue plumage, bluebirds are a welcome sight in our gardens any time of year. Folklore says you’ll have good luck and happiness if you see a bluebird, and it’s always a treat to have one nest in your backyard. But you must provide everything they need in order to attract them in the first place.
Three different species of bluebirds are native in the United States: Eastern Bluebirds, which live in the eastern half of the country to the Great Plains states and western Texas; Mountain Bluebirds, which are found in high-elevation areas of the Rockies and westward; and Western Bluebirds, which dwell in the western parts of the country.
Depending on where you live, you may see one (or more) species throughout the year. “They are medium-distance migrants in the northern parts of their ranges, and residents in the southern parts of their ranges,” says Holly Grant, project assistant for NestWatch at Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “Some northern birds may migrate to the more southern parts of their overall range for the winter, while some populations of Mountain and Western Bluebirds may simply migrate to lower elevations for the winter.”
If you’d like to see more of these lovely birds, it’s worth creating a backyard habitat that supports them. “Having bluebirds around your yard, neighborhood, or farm is very rewarding,” says David Wiedenfeld, senior conservation scientist at American Bird Conservancy. “The three species of bluebirds are not only beautiful, they also are relatively friendly and not too skittish around people, so you can get a good look at them.”
Like all birds, bluebirds face many risks in our neighborhoods—especially fatal window collisions. Because birds can’t see glass, be sure to take steps to protect birds from flying into your windows. You can make simple changes, such as using insect screens or adding patterns with tempera paint or stickers to break up reflections on your windows. Domestic cats also are an issue for all birds, so keep your pet cat indoors, says Wiedenfeld.
Ahead, here’s how to nurture a backyard environment that supports and attracts bluebirds (and other species, too!):
Provide the Right Mix of Trees and Open Areas for Bluebirds
Like all species, bluebirds have definite preferences about the types of habitat they prefer. Bluebirds like wide open meadows and fields, as well as open woodlands. They also like dead trees for natural nest cavities, though you should clear any risky trees out of your yard for safety reasons. However, some homeowners find that taking down a tree but leaving a large stump (10 to 12 feet tall) may offer a good compromise of safety for you but a potential nesting site for bluebirds, says Grant.
Grassy areas also are important for bluebirds. “They often hunt insects by perching in the lower branch of a tree and flying down to catch insects in the grass. Therefore, they must have trees where they can perch,” says Wiedenfeld. “But they like edges where open areas and some trees come together. Suburban areas with trees and lawns can be good bluebird habitat, but you have to have both trees and open areas. Too many trees and you won’t have bluebirds.”
Welcome Bugs in Your Yard—and Plant Native Berry-Producing Plants
Of course, bluebirds also have a preference for what’s on the menu. Bluebirds eat mostly insects, especially during the warmer times of year. “They tend to focus on ground-dwelling invertebrates but will catch things not on the ground,” says Wiedenfeld. “They eat a lot of beetles, grasshoppers, and crickets they spot in amongst the grass and herbs in a lawn or garden. They also eat a lot of moths and small butterflies, caterpillars, spiders—any kind of insects, really. They feed only insects to their young.”
For these reasons, it’s essential you minimize the use of pesticides in your garden, or preferably, don’t use them at all. “Because bluebirds rely on insects and other invertebrates for food, having an organic yard or at least minimizing pesticide use is important for the birds,” says Wiedenfeld. “Some pesticides, such as neonicotinoid pesticides like imidacloprid, are not only toxic to invertebrates and therefore reduce the bluebirds’ food supply, but they are toxic directly to the birds as well.”
In fall and winter, bluebirds eat large amounts of fruit—even if it’s frozen or dried—including mistletoe, sumac, blueberries, black cherry, tupelo, currants, wild holly, dogwood berries, hackberries, honeysuckle, bay, pokeweed, and juniper berries. They’ll also eat grapes, elderberries, cedar berries, raspberries, blackberries, serviceberry, and chokecherries. That’s why it’s important to grow plants that are native to your region so you can support bluebirds and other native wildlife year-round, says Grant.
Entice Bluebirds to Feeders with Live Mealworms
Sometimes! “Bluebirds will come to feeders, but it can be hard to make them understand that there is bluebird food there,” says Wiedenfeld. “The best item for them at feeders is live mealworms, especially when getting them started at a feeder. Live mealworms will move, letting the bluebirds know that it can be a food item. They also like waxworms.”
These insects can be purchased in some pet shops and fishing bait stores. “They will also eat dried mealworms once they have gotten used to coming to a feeder and eating mealworms,” says Wiedenfeld. “Some people will provide fresh berries, like blueberries or blackberries, but that could get expensive!”
Set Your Nesting Box Up Right—and at the Right Time of Year
Depending on where you live, bluebirds may nest from early spring to summer. They will start a little earlier further south, and a little later further north. They also may have a second brood, if the first one failed due to predation or weather, says Wiedenfeld.
While bluebirds obviously can find their own natural nesting places, you may be able to entice them to raise a family in your garden with a nesting box (more details on that, below). As long as your backyard provides the ideal habitat that includes features such as open spaces, grassy areas, and plenty of food, bluebirds may set up housekeeping in a nesting box.
How to Install a Bluebird Nesting Box
While there’s no “one best” nest box plan for any bird species, there are some general recommendations about what bluebirds like, says Grant. You can purchase a bluebird nesting box or build one yourself with instructions found here for Eastern, Mountain, and Western bluebirds. These three species will use the same nest box with slight modifications.
In order to attract bluebirds to your nesting box, you also should keep these tips in mind:
- Make sure the entrance hole is the right size. Bluebirds seem to like boxes with an entrance hole that’s 1½ inches in diameter. “If it’s too small, of course, the bluebirds can’t get in. But if it’s too large, other undesirables can get in, too,” says Wiedenfeld.
- Make sure the nest box has ventilation and drainage holes.
- Protect your nest box from predators. Ways to discourage predators include not adding a perch and placing the box on a free-standing pole, which allows you to add a predator guard to keep out animals that prey on the eggs and young, such as snakes and raccoons, says Grant.
- Use untreated, unpainted wood. And don’t use boards thinner than 3/4 inch in order to regulate the interior temperature of the box, says Grant.
- Install your box in fall or late winter/very early spring. In some areas, bluebirds start prospecting for homes in mid-winter, says Wiedenfeld. While they aren’t building nests then, they like to check things out so they can find the perfect home-sweet-home when the time is right!
- Place it at the correct height. The box should be 5 to 10 feet above the ground at the edge between a wooded area and an open area, facing the open area. “Bluebirds like to have the trees as perches, but they need the open area for foraging,” says Wiedenfeld. “A box placed in the woods under the trees won’t get a bluebird. Boxes placed far out in an open field away from any trees also won’t get the birds. They like to be near edges, or park-like areas with a mixture of trees and grass.”
- Give it some shade. In warmer regions, place the box where it receives afternoon shade so it doesn’t heat up too much, says Wiedenfeld.
David Wiedenfeld is a senior conservation scientist at American Bird Conservancy. He received his PhD from Florida State University. His work has focused on bird population ecology and conservation biology. He served for five years as Director of Research at the Sutton Avian Research Center, working primarily on prairie-chickens. He was also Head of the Department of Vertebrate Ecology at the Charles Darwin Research Station in the Galapagos Islands. His work was primarily with bird populations, but also included projects on invasive species, including predators, diseases, and parasites.
Holly Grant is a Project Assistant at the Cornell Bird Lab on the NestWatch project, and has expertise in nesting birds, feeder birds, and bird feeding strategies among other things. She holds a B.S. in Conservation Biology. You can find out more about Holly on her staff bio page.
