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There are 3 species of bluebirds in the US, Western, Eastern and Mountain bluebirds. Mountain bluebirds are found at higher elevations in the West, Western Bluebirds are found west of the Great Plains and Eastern Bluebirds on the Great Plains. Bluebirds have vivid colours and a cheerful song and are great favorites with birders. Populations of bluebirds decreased throughout the last one hundred years, being ousted from their nests by predatory birds.

Helping the Bluebirds

Various groups of birders have instituted an assortment of means to encourage the nesting and reproduction of bluebirds. In Missouri in the 1950’s the people made a National Bluebird Trail with in excess of 6000 bluebird houses. Created in 1978 The North American Bluebird Society furthers the revival of bluebirds. To help bluebirds you can establish up a Bluebird Trail by making a succession of bluebird nesting boxes The perfect bluebird house has been suggested by the Bluebird Society and you could build your own or obtain a commercially made bluebird house.

How to Set Up a Bluebird Trail

The best location for a Bluebird Trail is a rural area with sparse ground cover and dotted bushes or trees. There should be roost sites such as fences, wires and trees to permit the bluebirds to land on while hunting for food. Sightings of bluebirds in the south have shown that they have returned to this area. This has shown that bluebirds have benefited from the formation of Bluebird Trails. Places suitable for a Bluebird Trail are isolated locations of cemeteries, golf courses or parks where pesticides haven’t been applied. You should avoid thickly forested areas with plenty of undergrowth. Bluebird houses should be placed 150 yards apart and be between four and six feet above ground.

Attracting Bluebirds to Your Garden

You can draw bluebirds to your garden by placing darkling beetle grubs (available to buy online) or raisins soaked in water on platform garden bird feeders.  Heated birdbaths will also attract them in the winter.

While bluebirds will sometimes nest in a birdhouse that is not designed specifically for their species, they are more likely to nest in a bluebird house, meaning one that is designed specifically for them.On how to build a bluebird house there are different plans are available for free.  These plans usually also give instructions on the placement and care of the bird house so that there is the best chance possible for the birds to nest there.  If the person's house is not in a wooded area or at least one that has a lot of trees and bushes available for the bluebirds to eat from, then the bluebird house is unlikely to attract them to the area.

Habitat For Bluebird House

Bluebird houses should usually be placed in an area where there is low vegetation and some bushes in which there live insects for the bluebirds to eat.  Bluebirds will usually perch on branches of the trees to spot insects that are dwelling in these areas before flying down to capture them.  Meadows and fields are great places to put a bluebird house since it allows the birds to clearly see the insects that they eat and swoop down to eat them.

When placing the bluebird houses in the yard, they should not be placed closer than one hundred yards apart since the birds are very territorial creatures.  They do not like to be too close to each other when nesting.Keeping bluebird's house at least hon hundred feet from any brushy area or area with dense trees where wrens will nest prevents the bird house to be taken over by them, if it is too close.  It should also be placed at least a quarter mile from a farmyard or barn where sparrows tend to live so that they will not be as likely to take over the bluebird house.

In addition to the feeding availability and the spacing of the bluebird houses, there is also the issue of the birds being able to easily find nesting material.  These birds usually like to use grasses and pine needles as nesting material.  The bluebird house should be placed in an area where these materials are easily available so that the birds do not have to travel as far to obtain them and carry them back to the house.  In addition, there should not be any pesticides used so that the birds are not inadvertently poisoned by these insecticides.