How To Attract
Bluebirds
To Your Backyard
The ideal birdhouse has an opening 1.5 inches in diameter, which should attract bluebirds while keeping out larger birds.
2. Buy bluebird-specific bird feeders.
Bluebirds prefer ground and platform feeders.
3. Serve up mealworms.
They love to dine on mealworms, especially live ones, which are more nutritious. You can serve mealworms to bluebirds in a suitable bird feeder or shallow dish.
Popular choices include mistletoe, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, wild holly, dogwood berries, juniper berries, and chokecherries.
5. Add a hunting perch.
Ideal bluebird perches are about 3 to 4 feet tall, making old fence posts, wire fences, and T-shaped poles great candidates.
They find the sound of moving and splashing water appealing, so a bird bath with a fountain or bubbler is even better.
7. Protect them from cats.
One way to deter cats is by placing fresh orange or lemon peels around your yard, by bird feeders, and near nest boxes.
8. Keep dead trees and branches.
These birds prefer to live around mature trees with cavities for nesting and roosting sites, and dead trees can still provide this kind of natural shelter.
Introducing some nesting materials in your yard—such as pine needles and cotton scraps—can encourage bluebirds to visit in the springtime.
10. Leave some open space.
Bluebirds prefer open areas like fields, prairies, meadows, and golf courses.
11. Avoid pesticides at all costs.
Bluebirds eat insects on the ground, so it is important to not treat lawns with harmful chemicals.
But avoid playing the birdsong too often, however, especially during nesting season.
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