Tips to Attracting Bluebirds to Your Backyard      

In the US there are three different types of Bluebirds.  The Eastern Bluebird that occurs East of the Rockies is by far the most numerous.  Across the Western one-third of the USA, you will also find Mountain Bluebirds and Western Bluebirds. One important thing to remember when providing housing for Bluebirds- you need to provide larger floor space and entrance holes in diameter for Western and Mountain Bluebirds. A 4" x 4" floor is adequate for Eastern Bluebirds, but a 5" x 5" floor is recommended for Mountain and Western Bluebirds.  The entrance hole should be       1 1/2" in diameter for Eastern Bluebirds, and 1 9/16" for Mountain and Western Bluebirds.

A Bluebird's primary diet is insects and fruit.  Planting native plants like American Bittersweet is a great way to attract and help Bluebirds. Another super way to attract and help Bluebirds is by feeding mealworms.  At 50.4% protein, they are an excellent nutrition source. You can start feeding mealworms in a cup or pan, but because many birds like them and will eat you out of house and home, most people graduate to a Bluebird Feeder.  In a Bluebird Feeder, the bird has to go through an entrance hole to find the worms and few birds besides the Bluebird will do so. Bluebirds have also been trained to eat sunflower kernels.

The female Bluebird will lay four to five light blue eggs that will take thirteen to fifteen days to hatch. The male brings food to his mate and the young during the critical first few days of feeding. They act like tinny hawks, in their slumped hunting position, waiting patiently for an insect or beetle to show itself. The Bluebird then pounces on it and brings the food back to the nest. Providing a T-shaped perching cross ten to twenty yards in front of the nest box can sometimes help attract Bluebirds.