How to Attract Bluebirds to Your Garden
Bluebirds are beautiful songbirds that are a joy to have in any garden. They are also beneficial birds, as they eat insects that can damage plants. If you want to attract bluebirds to your garden, there are a few things you can do.
What Bluebirds Need
Bluebirds need three things to survive: food, water, and shelter.
- Food: Bluebirds eat insects, such as caterpillars, beetles, grasshoppers, and crickets. They also eat fruits and berries.
- Water: Bluebirds need access to fresh water for drinking and bathing.
- Shelter: Bluebirds nest in cavities in trees. They will also use artificial nesting boxes.
How to Attract Bluebirds
There are a few things you can do to attract bluebirds to your garden:
- Provide nesting boxes: Bluebirds need a place to nest, so providing them with nesting boxes is a great way to attract them to your garden. Nesting boxes should be placed in open areas, at least 5 feet off the ground.
- Plant native plants: Bluebirds are attracted to native plants, such as sunflowers, coneflowers, and black-eyed Susans. These plants provide food and shelter for bluebirds.
- Create a water source: Bluebirds need access to fresh water, so providing them with a bird bath or pond is a great way to attract them to your garden.
- Avoid using pesticides: Pesticides can kill the insects that bluebirds eat, so it is important to avoid using them in your garden.
How to Get Rid of House Sparrows
House sparrows are invasive, non-native birds that can compete with bluebirds for food and nesting sites. If you want to attract bluebirds to your garden, it is important to get rid of house sparrows.
There are a few things you can do to get rid of house sparrows:
- Avoid feeding them: House sparrows are attracted to bird feeders, so avoid putting out bird feeders in your garden.
- Remove ground-feeding spots: House sparrows like to feed on the ground, so remove any areas in your garden where they can feed.
- Don’t put up nest boxes until later in spring: House sparrows begin looking for nesting sites earlier in the year than bluebirds, so don’t put up nest boxes until later in spring.
- Keep garage and building doors shut: House sparrows like to nest in garages and other buildings, so keep these areas closed off.
Additional Tips for Attracting Bluebirds
- Grow snags: Snags are dead or dying trees that remain in the landscape. Bluebirds and other native birds love to use snags for nesting and perching.
- Provide perches: Bluebirds like to perch on branches and wires, so provide them with plenty of places to perch in your garden.
- Be patient: It may take some time to attract bluebirds to your garden, but if you are patient and provide them with the things they need, they will eventually come.
Conclusion
Attracting bluebirds to your garden is a great way to enjoy these beautiful birds and help them to thrive. By providing them with food, water, shelter, and a safe place to nest, you can create a haven for bluebirds in your own backyard.