All About Bluebirds

• Facts
• Range & Habitat
• Songs & Calls
• Bluebird Nests & Houses
• Eggs, Chicks & Juveniles
• Bluebird Trivia

Feeding Bluebirds

• Live & Dried Mealworms
• Fresh & Dried Fruits
• Seeds & Legumes
• Other Foods
• Storing Mealworms
• Feeding Q&A

Bluebird Feeders

• Feeder Types
• Placing Feeders

Maintaining Feeders & Good Practices

• Cleaning Your Feeders
• Protecting Bluebirds

About the Author

Feeder Types

Mealworm Feeder: Usually plastic with tall sides. Material needs to be slippery so live mealworms can’t crawl out. Many kinds of dishes and trays exist to feed bluebirds this treat. You can also recycle a plastic food container and fashion your own design.

Covered Mealworm Feeder: This feeder has a roof that provides protection from the weather and sun. It has small entrance holes, which restrict which bird species can access the mealworms.

Platform, Tray or Ground Feeder: Also known as a fly-through feeder. Usually has a flat, open surface for seeds. Hangs from a series of wires or chains, rests on a central post or pole, or sits on the ground with the bottom of the tray about 12 inches off the ground. Made of wood or metal and often has a series of holes or slots for water drainage. Some have a protective roof.

Window Feeder: Made of lightweight plastic or wood. Suction cups adhere these feeders to window surfaces, allowing for close viewing. Many types of foods, such as mealworms, fruit and seeds, can be used in window feeders.

Suet Feeder: A treated metal cage that holds a preformed cake of suet. Bluebirds feed easily from styles with a stand at the bottom for perching. Some have a roof, which sheds rainwater and accumulations of snow and protects the food from bird droppings. Suet feeders hang from a chain or pole, or attach to a post.

Placing Feeders

Feeding bluebirds is fun and easy, so put feeders where you can easily enjoy them from within your home. They should be in areas near your home where you spend a lot of time, and close enough to a window where you can see outside clearly and comfortably.

Most feeding stations are approximately 20–40 feet away from the home. Placing feeders closer draws bluebirds to where you can watch them more easily. The closer the feeders, however, the more likely you will have window strikes.

Feeders close to shrubs or other cover give bluebirds a place to stage and look for predators before flying in to feed. Plant cover also gives them a quick place to hide in case a hawk swoops in. Feeders in the middle of large open spaces work well for bluebirds.

When placing feeders, be sure to install a squirrel or raccoon baffle on each one. Baffles are metal tubes that prevent these animals from climbing shepherd’s hooks or poles and accessing the feeders.

Place bird feeders where squirrels can’t jump onto or over the baffle. The basic placement rule is 5 feet and 8 feet—meaning feeders should be at least 5 feet off the ground and at least 8 feet from any other surface from which a squirrel can jump. This includes trees, houses, sheds, outdoor grills, birdbaths, patio furniture and anything else a squirrel can climb to get to the feeders.

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