How to attract Brewer's blackbirds to your yard
Brewer's Blackbirds 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 40 states and provinces.
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 Brewer's Blackbird is a year-round resident in 12 states and provinces, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada and 6 more — there, a yard can host it in every season. It arrives only to breed in 18, such as Alberta, British Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas and 12 more, so set up before spring arrival. It is a winter visitor in 10, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana and 4 more, where feeders and winter fruit matter most.
Plant what Brewer's blackbirds use
These native plants are tied to the Brewer's Blackbird 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa | Perennial | 29 | Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches. |
| American elderberry Sambucus canadensis | Shrub | 27 | Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species. |
| Black cherry Prunus serotina | Tree | 27 | Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees. |
| Bur oak Quercus macrocarpa | Tree | 23 | Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load. |
| Serviceberry Amelanchier arborea | Tree | 23 | Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed. |
| White oak Quercus alba | Tree | 23 | Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food. |
| Flowering dogwood Cornus florida | Tree | 20 | Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers. |
| Spicebush Lindera benzoin | Shrub | 19 | Lipid-rich red fruit fuels fall migrants. |
| Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta | Perennial | 18 | Prolific seed heads for finches and sparrows. |
| Common sunflower Helianthus annuus | Perennial | 17 | Annual native sunflower — the original feeder seed. |
Your list covers 3 plant layers (perennial, shrub, tree). Layering matters: mixing perennial, shrub, tree gives Brewer's blackbirds food, perches and cover at different heights. Leave seed heads and fruit standing into winter instead of cutting back in fall.
Offer the food it actually eats
Insects, seeds and grain taken while walking.
- Warm months
- Grasshoppers, beetles, caterpillars and spiders
- Cold months
- Grain, weed seeds and scraps
- At feeders
- Cracked corn, Millet, Mixed seed
Feeder style matters as much as food: low ground tray under cover is the first choice for this bird. The confident black bird of western parking lots and picnic areas; walks rather than hops. Feeder guide →
Give it a place to nest
Natural site: Bulky cup in a shrub, tree or on the ground, often in loose colonies.
It does not use nest boxes, so the way to host a nest is cover: keep dense native shrubs, vines or trees of the kind listed above, and avoid pruning them during the nesting season.
- Clutch
- 3–7 eggs
- Incubation
- 11–17 days
- Nestling period
- 12–16 days
- Broods per year
- 1–2 per season
Timing shifts with latitude: nesting begins around March in Arizona but not until May in Wyoming. 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 Brewer's blackbirds to a yard?
Food they actually eat (cracked corn, millet, mixed seed), native plants such as Wild bergamot, American elderberry, Black cherry, clean water and suitable nesting cover: bulky cup in a shrub, tree or on the ground, often in loose colonies.
What plants attract Brewer's blackbirds?
Across the Brewer's Blackbird's range, the native plants most often tied to it are Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), Black cherry (Prunus serotina), Bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa), Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea). Choose the ones native to your state.
When should I set up my yard for nesting Brewer's blackbirds?
Nesting starts around March in Arizona and as late as May in Wyoming. Have cover, water ready a month before.
Sources
- Brewer's Blackbird — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Brewer's Blackbird life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Brewer's Blackbird — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- Audubon Native Plants Database
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.