How To Get Bluebirds To Stay In Your Yard – The Secrets To Attracting Bluebirds!: People all over the United States know bluebirds as one of the most common birds that live in backyards. These cute songbirds are friendly and gentle, and their bright blue feathers are a nice surprise in any yard. They are not only beautiful to look at, but they also eat bugs and other plant pests.
How To Get Bluebirds To Stay In Your Yard – The Secrets To Attracting Bluebirds!
If you want more bluebirds to come to your yard, you can make it more appealing to them by following some tips. Find out from the expert what you can do to bring these beautiful animals into your space this season. She has a B.S. in biology with a focus on birds from Georgia College and State University, Mary Farr.
1. Providing the Right Food for Bluebirds
If you want bluebirds to hang around your garden, these are some of their favorite foods they can’t resist A pair of bluebirds feeding on a backyard suet holder.
2. Mealworms
If you want to attract bluebirds to your garden feeder, skip the seeds and opt for mealworms instead. Mealworms are the larvae of darkling beetles and are relished by bluebirds all year. They are available to purchase live or freeze-dried from your local bird or garden supply store. It is recommended to purchase mealworms from a North American supplier to ensure proper quality and compatibility with your garden.
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3. Suet
For a high-calorie, high-protein treat that bluebirds love, try putting out a suet cake in your garden. Suet is defined as rendered beef fat, and suet cakes are a mixture of suet, seeds, fruit, and other bird-friendly mix-in. “Especially during the cooler months, suet cakes are great for keeping bluebirds healthy and fed,” says Farr.
Bluebirds gravitate toward suet cakes, and there are even some with mealworms mixed in. Purchasing a suet feeder is a great option to keep the suet cake contained.
4. Native Berries
Eastern Bluebirds love berries and even rely on them in the colder months, so having native berries available is sure to attract them. The berries in their diet include wild grapes, dogwood berries, blackberries, honeysuckle berries, and raspberries. “If you have leftover berries in your fridge, leave them out for the bluebirds to enjoy,” says Farr.
Providing a Proper Habitat for Bluebirds
Make your garden an enticing place for bluebirds to stay with these tips to create a desirable habitat.
5. Plant Native Species
Planting native species provides bluebirds with ideal food and shelter options that will attract them to your garden. As ground feeders, Eastern Bluebirds stay low and like shrubs, bushes, and grass to find insects and materials for nesting. “Not only does planting native species provide the right food and shelter for bluebirds, but it also keeps your water bill down and your carbon footprint low,” says Farr.
While maintaining native grass helps bluebirds look for insects easily, some plants that Eastern Bluebirds like include…
- Raspberry bushes
- Blueberry bushes
- Blackberry bushes
- Pine trees
- Trumpet honeysuckle bushes
- Cherry blossoms
- Purple coneflower
- Boxwood trees
- Apple trees
6. Build a Birdhouse
Not all birdhouses are made in the same way; different birdhouses attract different birds. When attracting Eastern Bluebirds, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources suggests using a Gilwood box, which is a wedge-shaped box with a 2¼-inch, U-shaped hole directly beneath the flat roof. If you’re building your own birdhouse, go above and beyond and use native wood species to entice them even more.
7. Keep Feeders Close to the Ground
Eastern Bluebirds are ground feeders, meaning they get their food sources from the ground. From eating insects in the grass to finding nesting materials from shrubs and bushes, Eastern Bluebirds are often seen closer to the ground versus high up in the trees. “To attract them to your garden, keep any feeders close to the ground,” says Farr.
8. Add a Birdbath
All birds need water to survive, so having a bird bath in your garden is a simple, low-cost way to welcome them to your space. “Make sure to keep the clean and replace it often so no diseases are spread among birds,” says Farr.
9. Keep Some Dead Branches Visible
Eastern Bluebirds are cavity nesters, meaning they seek out natural or artificial cavities for nesting. Typically cavities are found in mature trees, so having a dead tree or small pile of dead branches will actually increase your chances of Eastern Bluebirds visiting your garden.
10. Avoid Pesticides
Because much of bluebirds’ diet is insects, avoiding pesticides is necessary to keep them healthy. Pesticides not only kill off their greatest food source, but they can also make the bluebirds sick and either kill them or drive them away. Let birds kill the insects in your garden, or only use organic pesticides that won’t harm any birds.
