Perch Supply
Nest box specification

Eastern Bluebird house dimensions

The Eastern Bluebird nests in secondary cavity nester — old woodpecker holes and nest boxes in open habitat A box built to its measurements — and no bigger — is what makes it choose yours.

Male Eastern Bluebird perched, showing deep blue back and rust-orange breast
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The specifications

Entrance hole
1 1/2 in round (1 9/16 in for Mountain/Western overlap)
Floor (inside)
5 × 5 in
Mounting height
4–6 ft on a baffled pole
Bird size
6.3–8.3 in, 0.9–1.1 oz
Clutch
2–7 eggs
Incubation
11–19 days
Time in nest
15–20 days
Broods
1–3 per season

Build and mounting checklist

  • Drill the entrance to exactly 1 1/2 in round (1 9/16 in for Mountain/Western overlap) — oversized holes let in European Starlings and larger predators.
  • No outside perch: cavity nesters don't need one, and it helps House Sparrows and predators.
  • Unpainted interior, 3/4-inch untreated wood (cedar or pine) or poly-lumber for insulation.
  • Drainage holes in the floor corners and ventilation gaps under the roof.
  • A side or front panel that opens so you can monitor and clean the box.
  • Rough or grooved inner front wall so nestlings can climb out.
  • Pole mount with a stovepipe or cone baffle to stop snakes, raccoons and cats.

When to put up a Eastern Bluebird box, by state

Boxes should be up and clean a month before local nesting starts. Dates shift with latitude:

PlaceUp byNestingClean out
AlabamaFebruaryMarch–AugustSeptember
ArizonaFebruaryMarch–AugustSeptember
FloridaFebruaryMarch–JulyAugust
GeorgiaFebruaryMarch–AugustSeptember
LouisianaFebruaryMarch–AugustSeptember
MississippiFebruaryMarch–AugustSeptember
North CarolinaFebruaryMarch–AugustSeptember
South CarolinaFebruaryMarch–AugustSeptember
TexasFebruaryMarch–JulyAugust
VirginiaFebruaryMarch–AugustSeptember
ArkansasMarchApril–AugustSeptember
ConnecticutMarchApril–AugustSeptember
DelawareMarchApril–AugustSeptember
IllinoisMarchApril–AugustSeptember
IndianaMarchApril–AugustSeptember
IowaMarchApril–AugustSeptember
KansasMarchApril–AugustSeptember
KentuckyMarchApril–AugustSeptember
MarylandMarchApril–AugustSeptember
MassachusettsMarchApril–AugustSeptember
MichiganMarchApril–AugustSeptember
MissouriMarchApril–AugustSeptember
NebraskaMarchApril–AugustSeptember
New JerseyMarchApril–AugustSeptember
New YorkMarchApril–AugustSeptember
OhioMarchApril–AugustSeptember
OklahomaMarchApril–AugustSeptember
PennsylvaniaMarchApril–AugustSeptember
Rhode IslandMarchApril–AugustSeptember
South DakotaMarchApril–AugustSeptember
TennesseeMarchApril–AugustSeptember
West VirginiaMarchApril–AugustSeptember
MaineAprilMay–AugustSeptember
ManitobaAprilMay–AugustSeptember
MinnesotaAprilMay–AugustSeptember
New BrunswickAprilMay–AugustSeptember
New HampshireAprilMay–AugustSeptember
North DakotaAprilMay–AugustSeptember
Nova ScotiaAprilMay–JulyAugust
OntarioAprilMay–AugustSeptember
QuebecAprilMay–AugustSeptember
SaskatchewanAprilMay–AugustSeptember
VermontAprilMay–AugustSeptember
WisconsinAprilMay–AugustSeptember

Full Eastern Bluebird species guide →

Frequently asked

What size hole does a Eastern Bluebird need?

1 1/2 in round (1 9/16 in for Mountain/Western overlap). A hole cut to this size admits the Eastern Bluebird (6.3–8.3 in) while keeping out larger competitors.

How big should a Eastern Bluebird house be inside?

A floor of 5 × 5 in. The Eastern Bluebird lays 2–7 eggs, so the floor has to hold the full clutch plus growing nestlings.

How high should I mount a Eastern Bluebird box?

4–6 ft on a baffled pole. Mount on a pole with a predator baffle where possible rather than a tree or fence.

How long does a Eastern Bluebird use the box?

Incubation takes 11–19 days and the young stay in the nest 15–20 days. Broods per year: 1–3 per season.

Sources

  1. Eastern Bluebird — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  2. Eastern Bluebird life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  3. Eastern Bluebird — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
  4. NestWatch nest box plans and species requirements — Cornell Lab

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.