Bluebird Houses Selection GuideProviding a home for your local bluebirds is an easy, fun experience
that can be enjoyed by anyone and not just the avid hobbyist.
The
bluebird is, as the name implies, a beautiful blue bird that inhabits
nearly the entirety of North America. It is both a darling bird with a
beautiful song, and a longtime symbol of optimism and happiness. They
tend towards open grassland with a handful of trees, and build their
nests in the cavities of rotten trees, abandoned woodpecker holes, or
man made cavity nests. They like
suburban and rural areas with sparse vegetation so they can more easily
find insects to eat.
Picking the right bluebird house is a
relatively easy task. You can choose a build-it-yourself model that's
an easy, fun family activity, a budget-conscious cavity bird house, or
gorgeous hand-crafted bluebird houses that are designed specifically
for bluebirds. The house should be about a foot
tall, and have a base of around 6"x6" or less, with a 1.5" diameter
entrance hole. They should have some kind of access panel so you can
clean out the inside of the house or check on the progress of the nest.
Okay,
now that we know what kind of house to buy, where do we put it? Proper
placement of your bluebird house is essential to successfully
attracting nesting bluebirds. You'll want to mount it on a fencepost
or other upright structure, at least 3 feet off the ground, and never,
ever on trees where the house can be attacked by climbing predators.
Here are some additional pointers:
- Don't put more than one
bluebird house within 2-3 acres of another. Bluebirds are highly
territorial. If sparrows live nearby, put two near each other so the
sparrows will take occupancy in the second house instead of attempting
to drive out the bluebirds.
- Try to put the house in close proximity to a manicured yard or garden.
- Use a mounting pole, or mount the bluebird house to a tall fence post.
- Make sure the bluebird house faces away from prevailing winds.
- Try to face the bluebird house towards the north or east to avoid direct exposure to the mid-day sun.
- Put out some easily accessible nesting items, such as pine needles, twigs, and grasses.
- Clean your bluebird house thoroughly after the brood has left the
nest. Specifically designed birdhouse cleaners work best at
removing parasites.
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