Seeds – some seeds can be provided supplementally but should always be shelled and chopped.

examples include blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, cherries, cranberries, rehydrated raisins, and currants

Fruit – dried or fresh, any soft and malleable fruit item can be enjoyed by bluebirds.

if you scramble eggs for your bluebirds, don’t throw out the shells, crush them and add a small pile to your feeder on the side!

Eggshells – not actually a food item, crushed eggshells are a supplement that provides calcium to all birds and helps them to lay eggs in the breeding season.

Scrambled eggs – perhaps the simplest food to provide, scrambled eggs are a great source of nutrients and protein! these should be replaced daily at the feeder.

Mealworms – easily purchased alive or freeze-dried, mealworms are a bluebird delight and the main attraction to most bluebird feeders.

Related: 11 Simple Tips to Attract Bluebirds to Your Backyard (2020)īluebirds are in the thrush family and are not a typical “feeder bird” – they don’t eat seeds like cardinals and finches! Bluebirds lack a strong beak to husk seeds but sometimes will consume sunflower hearts if offered. A bed and breakfast is an ideal place to lay eggs!Īs with all birds, this species has a specific diet and should be provided the best selection of food items to both attract and maintain healthy local birds over time. The best time to provide food to bluebirds is in winter and early spring, when cool temperatures and wet weather make thermoregulation and feeding chicks especially challenging.īluebird houses are an added bonus to establishing reliable pairs on your property. Some feeders offer specific protection for bluebirds, which is why you should consider a specialty bird feeder if you want the most bluebirds on the block.

Even large thrush species like the American Robin can be too intimidating to an Eastern Bluebird.

Species such as jays, woodpeckers, cardinals, and finches can be too aggressive toward bluebirds and limit their ability to eat from communal feeders.

Bluebirds are low on the pecking order compared to many other wild birds.

It’s important to consider a bluebird’s diet and behavior to make the best choice for your location. here are the plans below to build your own.Bluebirds will readily visit feeders if conditions are right. Slightly modified for current construction, the original design was indeed Steve's process. The plans below were drawn by Fred Stille, Sr. Same goes for post-mounting although the 4x4 flange is different. The feeder may also be pole mounted using a simple flange that attaches to bottom and then to pole. Live worms are expensive and you're just trying to feed your blues! Blocking access causes these birds to give up after a while.

They're also known to pester and chase bluebirds away from feeders. Starlings, mockingbirds, robins and grackles can be painful around meal worms because huge beaks scoop up worms in seconds flat. Larger bully birds are unable to enter this hanging bluebird feeder. Sans the usual cage style which some birds are reluctant to use, it's the 4-sided open design that's most appealing to bluebirds. Recently manufactured and updated, it's constructed of poly-lumber (or recycled plastic) to last a lifetime. You may know the name for his famous nest boxes, but The Gilbertson bluebird feeder has actually been around for years.

Build your own bluebird feeder