Tips to Attracting Bluebirds to Your Backyard Today

"Somewhere over the rainbow, bluebirds fly." Thatto go through an entrance hole to fine the worms
famous lyric from the "Wizard of Oz" helpedand few birds besides the bluebird will do so. You
immortalize the beautiful bluebird. Since earlymight spend weeks trying different presentations
colonial times, people have loved bluebirds becauseof worms before bluebirds learn to dine regularly,
of their beauty, their feeding in open areas aroundbut the results are worth it, as bluebirds are
houses and farms, and their endearing habit ofdelightfully trainable - even to the point of
readily nesting in man-made boxes.responding to whistles and other calls when your
In the U.S. there are three different types ofbird feeder is refilled. You may want to consider
bluebirds. The eastern bluebird that can be foundkeeping the mealworms alive and wiggling with a
east of the Rockies is by far the most numerous.mealworm warmer. It is like a crock pot for
Across the Western one-third of the Unitedmealworms! Bluebirds have also been trained to
States you will find mountain bluebirds andeat sunflower kernels from BirdQuest Spiral
western bluebirds (go figure). One important thingFeeders found at many different online retail
to remember when providing housing for bluebirdsoperations.
- you need to provide larger floor space andWater:
entrance holes in diameter for western andOf course, to attract any type of bird, including
mountain bluebirds. A 4" by 4" floor is adequatethe beloved bluebird you will need to have a fresh
for eastern bluebirds, but a 5" by 5" floor issource of water. It is a known fact that moving
recommended for mountain and westernwater attracts more birds, including bluebirds to
bluebirds. The entrance hole should be 1 ½"one's backyard. You should consider inserting a
in diameter for eastern bluebirds, and 1 9/16" forWater Wiggler into your bird baths.
mountain and western bluebirds.Houses:
Attracting Bluebirds:A bluebird's favorite nesting box is the Songbird
All bluebirds are cavity nesters. Once common inCedar Ultimate Nest Box. This box has:
rural and suburban areas, bluebird populations- Brass hinged doors on both sides with Plexiglas
declined by as much as 90% from 1920 - 1970.on one side to monitor the nest without the
The decline was due to two things, 1) the loss ofdanger of chicks falling out.
nesting habitats, such as tree holes, rotted out- Predator protector of solid copper to eliminate
fence posts and old orchards; and 2) thesquirrels and woodpeckers from enlarging the
introduction of the starling and house sparrow inentrance hole.
the last half of the 1800's. These two species,- Elevated mesh floor to help protect the young
introduced from Europe, competed heavily withchicks from Blowflies.
the bluebird for existing nesting cavities. Some- Zinc Chromate plated screws that provide a
utilize a sparrow trap which is thought to bemore sturdy, longer lasting house than one
critical to bluebird breeding success.assembled with nails. The screws will not "bleed"
Now you too can make a contribution toleaving unattractive stains below.
conserving this beautiful bird by putting up bluebird- It is made of long lasting cedar.
houses in appropriate habitats. The key to- Other bluebird houses we recommend can be
attracting bluebirds to nest in your yard is to havefound at YourBirdOasis.
plenty of potential nesting locations, food andWhen shopping for a bluebird house you may
water. Bluebirds do prefer more "open area" so ifwant to consider a metal bluebird portal protector
your yard is heavily wooded you'll enjoy manywhich is a circular piece of metal that is screwed
other nesting birds, but probably not bluebirds.over the entrance hole of the bluebird house. This
The female will lay four to five light blue eggs thatboth repairs squirrel and woodpecker damage as
will take thirteen to fifteen days to hatch. Thewell protects it from future damage.
male brings food to his mate and the youngBluebirds are "Family role Models:"
during the critical first few days of feeding. TheyBluebird young will fledge in fifteen to twenty
act link tiny hawks, waiting patiently for an insectdays. Even though the parents will keep feeding
or beetle to show itself. It then pounces on it andthem, the fledglings can find their own food in
brings the food back to the nest. Providing aabout two weeks.
T-shaped perching cross ten to twenty yards inSome of the newly independent youngsters from
front of the nest box can sometimes help attractthe first brood are often seen bringing food to
bluebirds.their new siblings. They teach us much about the
Food:"bond of love of family." This often continues into
A bluebird's primary diet is insects and fruit.the fall and at times they stay together until the
Planting native plants like American bittersweet isfollowing spring. This is a great example to we
a great way to attract and help bluebirds is byhumans of how we should support family
feeding mealworms. At 50.4% protein, they aremembers.
an excellent nutrition source. You can startSo what are you waiting for!? Get your bluebird
feeding mealworms in a cup or pan, but becausehouses up, mealworms and water out, and sit
many birds like them and will eat you out ofback and watch for "brilliant blue to appear." Good
house and home, most people graduate to aluck!
bluebird feeder. In a bluebird feeder, the bird has