Bluebird Houses
Bluebirds are one of the all time
favorites to attract to your back yard. These birds are a joy
to have, as they are a medium size, and are a member of the
thrush family. They are either omnivorous or they often will
consume insects.
Bluebirds are territorial, and they naturally live in open
grassland areas where there are a few scattered trees. Like
many woodpeckers they are cavity nesters.
Bluebirds will often produce two to four broods in the early
part of the the spring and summer months of March through
August. The male will find a nesting site and then work to
attract a potential mate to that site with mating behaviors
(flapping wings and singing). He follows this with placing
some material in the nesting site ( a box or a tree cavity).
Once the female accepts the site, she alone builds a nest and
will stay and incubate the eggs.
Bluebirds are attracted to platform bird feeders, and one of
their favorite foods is grubs of the darkling beetle,
commonly known as mealworms. Bluebirds will also eat raisins
soaked in water.
To attract bluebirds in the winter, keep your birdbath
available with a
bird bath heater.
Predators for Bluebirds: Cats and raccoons
are two of the more common enemies of bluebird, so you want
to be sure to mount your bluebird house in a location that
these critters can't get to it. A pole or someplace like the
side of a building can work well. In addition, other birds
that compete with bluebirds include the common starling and
house sparrow. Either of these will kill adult bluebirds in
their nests along to claim a nesting site.