All about backyard birds

What Do Bluebirds Eat - How To Attract Bluebirds & Food

The famous Bluebirds are one of the most popular backyard birds. There are three bluebird types, eastern, western and mountain bluebird. This birds is a colorful addition to any backyard scenario and becoming more and more popular in the birding world.   

Bluebirds are part of the small trush family and all three – eastern, western and mountain bluebirds are similar in their needs and preferences. While all three tend to migrate and cannot be seen all year-round in their range,  in some places you can see them in all seasons. Since bluebirds are in decline, partly because competing with sparrows ans starling to nesting places, backyard birders often provide nesting boxes designed for them. 


What Do bBuebirds Eat & Their Food?

If you want to attract them to your yard there are a few options: bluebirds food is manly insects and worms, fruit and sunflower bits are also accepted by them. If you provide a mealworms tray feeder these birds will readily visit to have a snack. Fruit platform feeder is also a great way to invite all three species.  

How To Attract Bluebirds?

Mealworm Feeders

Bluebirds love Live Mealworms, specially when in nesting season. These are not real worms but a small larvae of specific black beetle. If you offer mealworms in Bluebird Feeder you will attract bluebird but also other insect eating species like chickadees, wrens, and robins. Even in winter mealworms will be a snack that most birds cannot miss. Bluebirds in particular love them and you can be sure if you offer some today, bluebird will be one of the first bird to the feast.


Mealworms are easily found in pet stores, but most of the birders order in bulk from specialised mealworms farms. Mealworms are not demanding, and you can store them in a normal plastic container. Just slice them a few fruit, lettuce or other vegetable slices to have some nourishment and you will be able to store them for weeks.

Ceramic cup can do just fine as a improvised feeder,  make sure the worms cannot climb out and escape. If you can afford a mealworms feeder you can install it in your backyard and several bird will be able to snack at the same time. I recommend that you offer seed in a separate bird feeder to satisfy seed eating birds. 

Suet For Birds

Suet is one more great option for a backyard birder. Suet Nuts & Berry Blend contains high energy and fat that is beneficial to birds year-round. Autumn and winter birds will love suet, it provides them with extra nutritional boost in the cold weather. Its is easy to get cheap suet balls and hang them where ever birds will find them. Bluebirds, chickadees, wrens, nuthatches, starlings and other birds love suet, and your yard or balcony will be filled with these colorful birds if suet is around.

Water: All birds need access to fresh and clean water. Bluebirds are not exceptions and if you have a bird bath or a simple water container bluebirds will love you for it. Bluebirds are attracted to sound of moving water, and a fountain will get their attention more quickly. When cold winter moths arrive heated bird bath is a great option to prevent the water from freezing.  

Nesting Boxes: Bluebirds are cavity nesters and compete with sparrows and other birds for nesting spots. Wooden Bluebird House will attract bluebirds if properly designed, and setup in the right place. You can find bird house specially build for bluebirds to deter other cavity birds. 


Place the bird house around 4-7 feet above the ground with entrance facing away from direct sunlight and strong wind. Birds dont tolerate swaying houses so make sure it is anchored. Find an open area to place the  nesting box, this will deter other bird species from occupying the box. To prevent snakes entering the bird house install a snake baffle at the bottom if you decide to mount the bird house on the pole.

Since bluebirds nesting boxes become popular and bird enthusiasts started to place them across the country they made a huge difference. In recent years, bluebird numbers have either stabilized or improved across the continent. Experts conclude that increased availability of human made nesting habitat is one of the reason.

Read more:

What do cardinals eat

What do finches eat

What do sparrows eat

What do checkadees eat

What do orioles eat

what do woodpeckers eat

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