Attracting bluebirds involves more than just setting out a bluebird house. Yes, a great house is important, but there are many other ways to entice bluebirds to visit. Here are just a few tips to bring those bluebirds to your back yard .
Water is the key . Make water available 24/7 because, like most thrushes, bluebirds bathe with great exuberance and are readily attracted to water. Most of the time a simple birdbath will do the job. A key is to place the bath close to a perching site, so the birds are able to preen after their dip. Offer them a bite to eat, as well . What are their favorite foods? You got it – insects! So begin by offering mealworms on a platform or in a bluebird feeder. Suprisingly, Mealworms are a 50% protein bird food and a great source of nutrition.
You can provide meal worms in almost any container, but be advised – the many types of bird who love them will eat you out of house and home. The best solution for both bluebirds AND budgets is a good bluebird feeder . Birds have to enter through an entrance hole to find the mealworms, and there are not too many birds who will do this other than bluebirds.
You may have to play with different methods of presenting the mealworms before your birds learn to visit on a steady basis. The results are worth any wait because bluebirds in residence can be trained to respond to a call or whistle that signals a recently filled birdfeeder.
One more thing — bluebirds love perches within sight of their house so they have a clear view when they scan the ground for insects. Smaller trees pruned for an clear line of sight will do the trick . Even tomato stakes with horizontal top pieces also do the trick as well .
