How to Attract Bluebirds to Your Backyard: 12 Tips That Work

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True to their timeless depiction in democratic media like “ Snow White , ” bluebirds are sweet , patrician , and intense . Theircharming birdsongand brilliant royal blue coloring make them particularly invoke . They also eat insects , which only total to their entreaty . Just do n’t confuse fairy bluebird with juicy jays , which are louder , big ( achieve 10 to 12 column inch in distance ) , and have stronger schnozzle .

All three North American bluebirds — easterly bluebirds , western bluebird , and mountain bluebirds — are small thrush , songbirds related to the American robin . The eastern bluebird makes its home eastward of the Rockies , from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico ; the mint bluebird live as far north as Alaska , as far east as the Great Plains , and as far south as Central Mexico ; and the western bluebird can be found in the Rockies , along the California coast , and across much of the Southwest .

how to attract bluebirds

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The good tidings is that these birdie can be found in every season , and following these tip and tricks on how to pull in fairy bluebird may play them to your backyard for much of the year .

1. Install a birdhouse.

Welcome bluebird to your chiliad with a bluebird house , also referred to as a nest box seat . The idealbirdhousehas an opening 1.5 inches in diam , which should attract bluebird while keeping out larger birds . Look for birdhouse made from recycled charge plate or a durable wood ( likecedar or redwood ) that have brass hinges , predator guards , and an elevated net flooring . Or deliberate build your ownDIY birdhousefor bluebird to shelter in !

Place your bluebird house in an candid area , mounted 4 to 7 feet off the dry land on apole or post — not on a tree . locate the birdhouse so that the porta face east for more sun photograph in the early part of the day and to avoid heat and wind . Monitor bluebirds that nest inside , and when their fledglings leave , clean out the birdhouse so it can be used by other bluebirds that make out along .

2. Buy bluebird-specific feeders.

If you knowhow to attract bluebirds to a feeder , then you ’re already halfway there to making your backyard a regular hangout . If you ’re still estimate it out , the first thing to note is that fairy bluebird favor reason and platform feeder . It ’s authoritative to knowwhere to place bird feedersfor easy approach , especially ground feeders . Another good idea is to take care for feeder types design to produce a secure space for bluebird while preventing contest with other skirt . These include bluebird jail feeders , Gilbertson tributary , dome birdfeeder , and windowpane tributary .

To make feeder more enticing , put out staple bluebird food for thought like mealworms ( live or dehydrated ) , dried or fresh yield ( blackberry , raspberries , cherry tree , cranberries , or currant bush ) , helianthus seeds , or suet .

3. Serve up mealworms.

Wondering how to attract fairy bluebird to your yard easily ? As mentioned above , mealworms ( the larva of mealworm beetles ) are one of bluebirds ’ favorite food . They love to dine on mealworms , specially live 1 , which are more nutritious . you’re able to serve mealworms to bluebird in a suitablebird feederor shallow dish .

lively mealwormscan be buy at pet shop , Walmart , online specialisation retailers , and through vendor on website like Etsy and eBay . resilient dirt ball keep in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks , but you may also finddried mealwormsin stores and online . Dehydrated mealworms last longer , postulate no sustenance , and be less , but they are n’t as alimentary . Try rotate between experience and desiccate mealworms to entice bluebirds .

4. Plant native berry bushes and trees.

Bluebirds prefer to exhaust declamatory amounts of yield during the cooler months , so a bully way of attract fairy bluebird to your railyard is plantingnative bush and trees with berries . Popular choices admit mistletoe , sumac , blueberries , raspberry , blackberry bush , black cherry red , tupelo , currants , risky holly , cornel berries , pokeweed , juniper berries , elderberry , and chokecherries . produce an attractive habitat by planting this vegetation at different spot in your 1000 , forget open sections in between .

5. Add a hunting perch.

bluebird are omnivores , and they typically perch on wires andfence postsoverlooking overt field to scan the ground for insect to eat . When thinking about how to attract fairy bluebird , one of the essence way is to offer place for them to rest . idealistic bluebird perch are about 3 to 4 feet marvellous , making old fence stake , conducting wire fence , and T - shaped poles neat candidates .

6. Get a bird bath.

body of water can play a persona in lure bluebird to visit your backyard . Bluebirds need sassy , clean water for washup and drinking , both of which are offer by abird bath . They also find the audio of act and splashing water invoke , so pick out a razzing bath with a fountain or bubbler ( or add a solar - powered fountain or bubbler likethis option available at Amazonto an be bird bath ) . A scummy , broad basin fulfil with 1 to 2 inches of water is ideal for bluebird .

Just be sure to install a bird bath large enough to accommodate a group of birds ( at least five or more ) , since fairy bluebird enjoy forgather in bird baths . Most fairy bluebird are migrant , but if you experience cold wintertime , opt for aheated bird bathto prevent the water from freezing .

7. Protect them from cats.

Did you have sex that million of songbirds are killed each year by cats ? Yes , even your household ’s sweet kitty has a natural instinct to hunt birds . Nestlings are particularly susceptible to these attacks . To protect visiting bluebirds , keep your cat indoors . If your cat must go alfresco , however , you’re able to dress them in abrightly colored choker cover , which will alert nearby birds of your pet ’s mien . Research has found that vivid cat collar can reduce the number of birds caught by kat by nearly 90 percent .

If your property attracts neighbour computerized tomography and stray as well as bluebirds , there are nontoxic methods you could use tokeep cats out of your yard . One fashion to deter cats is by placingfresh orange or gamboge peelsaround your yard , by bird feeders , and near nest boxes .

8. Keep dead trees and branches.

If you havedead or dying treesand branch in your grand , keep some around to attract fairy bluebird to your backyard . These bird prefer to live around fledged trees with cavities for snuggle and roosting situation , and bushed Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree can still provide this kind of born shelter . You might be tempted to get rid of dead leafage and offset , but you should only do so if they pose a safety hazard .

9. Provide nesting materials.

Introducing some nesting materials in your 1000 — such as pine phonograph needle and cotton fiber scraps — can advance fairy bluebird to visit in the springtime . Alternatively , you could purchase nesting orchis with lifelike cloth likethis selection uncommitted at Amazonand fall them from tree branches or hook shot . pass on these items near your bluebird house to aid get them begin on making a comfortable nest on your prop .

10. Leave some open space.

Bluebirds opt open areas like fields , prairies , meadow , and golf course . feature some spaces with low green goddess , along with perches , allows them to hound the insect they hunger . For this ground , it serve to keep at least some office of your lawn neat and snip . If your yard is heavy wooded or lacks open space due to itssmall sizing , then you may have a harder time draw bluebirds . You might still regain them at your feeders , though .

11. Avoid pesticides at all costs.

If you desire to keep bluebirds around , take constitutive garden products andavoid pesticides . bluebird run through dirt ball on the ground , so it is crucial to not treat lawns with harmful chemicals , which can detect their way back to the bird and harm them . Furthermore , if pesticide pop off your pace ’s insects , your railway yard will no longer be a dependable food author for fairy bluebird . This is also why it ’s honest to choosenative plants . These hardy local works typically do n’t necessitate toxic fertilizers and pesticides for fertilize and shelter bluebirds and other local wildlife .

12. Play bluebird song recordings.

eventually , a fun way of attracting bluebird to your one thousand is by playing a recorded bluebird strain for them to hear . you may tape birdsong from your own grounds or find recordings online from resources like theCornell Lab of Ornithology . A fairy bluebird ’s song is clean low toss and consist of several musical phrase that each have one to three little note intersperse with whistle , lasting only about 2 seconds in total .

Avoid playing the birdsong too often , however , especially during nesting time of year . This could cause the birds stress and disorder them from of import chore like ward their nests and searching for food .

Our Best Advice for Beginner Gardeners

how to attract bluebirds

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We ’ll help you set up your first garden — whether that ’s a few mickle on your patio , a raised bottom , or an in - ground plot of ground out back — and pick out the right plants for your filth and region .

how to attract bluebirds