Attract this bird

How to attract bluebirds to your yard

Eastern Bluebirds respond to four things: the right food, the right plants, water and safe nesting cover. Here is what each means for this particular bird, drawn from its range across 44 states and provinces.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

First: is it in your area, and when?

You can only attract a bird that passes through or lives near you, so start with timing. The Eastern Bluebird is a year-round resident in 22 states and provinces, including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia and 16 more — there, a yard can host it in every season. It arrives only to breed in 22, such as Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Manitoba and 16 more, so set up before spring arrival.

See the Eastern Bluebird in your state →

Plant what bluebirds use

These native plants are tied to the Eastern Bluebird in our regional plant lists (Audubon Native Plants and state sources). The count shows how many states or provinces list the plant for this bird — higher means it works across more of the range. Pick the ones native where you live.

Plant	Type	States	Why it helps
Eastern red cedar Juniperus virginiana	Tree	39	Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.
Serviceberry Amelanchier arborea	Tree	38	Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Smooth sumac Rhus glabra	Shrub	35	Red fruit heads hang on through winter.
Winterberry Ilex verticillata	Shrub	34	Deciduous holly holding red fruit into mid-winter.
Flowering dogwood Cornus florida	Tree	30	Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.
White oak Quercus alba	Tree	29	Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food.
Staghorn sumac Rhus typhina	Shrub	27	Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food.
Black cherry Prunus serotina	Tree	26	Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.
Bur oak Quercus macrocarpa	Tree	21	Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.
American elderberry Sambucus canadensis	Shrub	12	Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.

Your list covers 2 plant layers (tree, shrub). Layering matters: add structure around these — a shrub layer under the trees gives bluebirds a safe approach. Leave seed heads and fruit standing into winter instead of cutting back in fall.

Offer the food it actually eats

Insects caught on the ground in warm months; fruit in fall and winter.

Warm months: Grasshoppers, crickets and beetles; Caterpillars and spiders
Cold months: Dogwood, sumac, holly, juniper and hackberry fruit; Mealworms offered at feeders
At feeders: Live or dried mealworms, Suet nuggets / insect-suet dough, Chopped native fruit

Feeder style matters as much as food: mealworm dish or tray feeder is the first choice for this bird. Bluebirds hunt from perches over short grass. Put mealworm feeders in the open, near a low perch, and offer small amounts at the same time each day. Feeder guide →

Avoid:

Loose seed mixes — bluebirds rarely eat seed

Full seasonal diet →

Give it a place to nest

Natural site: Secondary cavity nester — old woodpecker holes and nest boxes in open habitat.

The Eastern Bluebird uses nest boxes with a 1 1/2 in round (1 9/16 in for Mountain/Western overlap) entrance, mounted 4–6 ft on a baffled pole. Exact box dimensions →

Clutch: 2–7 eggs
Incubation: 11–19 days
Nestling period: 15–20 days
Broods per year: 1–3 per season

Timing shifts with latitude: nesting begins around March in Alabama but not until May in Wisconsin. Don't trim shrubs or clean boxes during those months.

Water, safety and patience

A shallow bath (1–2 in deep) with a rough bottom, refreshed every 2–3 days; a dripper or heater makes it far more attractive in summer heat and winter freeze.
Place feeders within 3 ft of windows or more than 30 ft away to cut window strikes, and keep cats indoors.
Skip pesticides — most backyard birds feed insects to their nestlings, even seed-eaters.
Give it time. New feeders and plantings can take days to weeks to be found; residents usually find a stocked yard first.

Frequently asked

What attracts bluebirds to a yard?

Food they actually eat (live or dried mealworms, suet nuggets / insect-suet dough, chopped native fruit), native plants such as Eastern red cedar, Serviceberry, Smooth sumac, clean water and suitable nesting cover: secondary cavity nester — old woodpecker holes and nest boxes in open habitat.

What plants attract bluebirds?

Across the Eastern Bluebird's range, the native plants most often tied to it are Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana), Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea), Smooth sumac (Rhus glabra), Winterberry (Ilex verticillata), Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida). Choose the ones native to your state.

When should I set up my yard for nesting bluebirds?

Nesting starts around March in Alabama and as late as May in Wisconsin. Have cover, water and nest boxes ready a month before.

What should I not feed bluebirds?

Loose seed mixes — bluebirds rarely eat seed.

Sources

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.