This portrait of an eastern bluebird was painted by the author.
Bluebirds are gorgeous and can only be found on this continent. North America boasts three distinct species: eastern bluebirds in the east and both western and mountain bluebirds in the west.
Wondering how to attract bluebirds to your backyard? Here are some tips from the experts at “Birds & Blooms.”
Food Of Choice
If you want to feed them in your own backyard, provide mealworms. Live worms are always best, but you can try dried mealworms as well. If you’re feeling ambitious, raise your own mealworms for an unending supply. It may not be pretty but, nothing ventured – nothing gained.
Backyard Favorites
If you’ve had trouble knowing how to attract bluebirds in the past, follow these four steps. First, get a nest box especially designed for them. Then, hang it so it faces an open area or field. Next, offer those mealworms. Finally, don’t forget the birdbath which is a big hit with bluebirds. And here’s one more bonus—plant native trees and shrubs with berries. Bluebirds will stick around all year and they need something to eat in fall and winter!
Nesting Habits
Many will use a cavity or nest box, raising one to three broods per season. Females lay two to seven pale blue (occasionally white) eggs, and once the young hatch, they fledge about three weeks later.
Family Matters
Bluebirds can form close-knit families. The young from the first brood of chicks will often help out with subsequent broods by gathering food for the new offspring.