How to Attract Eastern Bluebirds to Your Backyard (Beginner's Guide)
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If you've ever spotted an eastern bluebird in your yard and thought — how do I get more of those? — you're in the right place. We've been watching bluebirds nest in our backyard since 2018 and honestly, we learned most of what we know by trial and error. There were some heartbreaking moments early on that we could have avoided with the right setup from the start. Consider this everything we wish we'd known before we got started.
Our bluebird story started back in 2018 when we moved into our new home. The backyard layout was high on my mom's priority list and today, we thank her for that. I didn’t understand at the time why she was being so picky about her backyard when we were looking for our new house. She always loved flowers, gardening and her bird feeders. Little did we know the adventure it would take us on.
My older sister Anna, the inspiration for “Anna” in Anna Marie, gifted my dad a birdhouse. This was a simple wooden box birdhouse that would be mounted on a tree. This was the igniter of our eastern bluebird adventures.
Nesting Box
Our first eastern bluebird nesting box was simple. It had a hole for bluebirds that served as their front door and the front side of the house could be unlatched to take a quick peek inside and also remove any old nests.
Little did we know, you should not mount bluebird houses directly to a tree. This gives predators, like snakes, squirrels and cats, direct access to the nesting birds.
We had a couple of bluebird nesting seasons where unfortunately, we did have some casualties. It was heartbreaking and we did not want it to happen again. That’s when my mom (Denise) started doing some research and learned that bluebird houses should never be mounted directly on a tree. It's best to mount your box on a free-standing pole. Any free-standing pole works — a shepherd's hook or steel pole are both great options. It makes it much more difficult for predators to reach the birds.
You want the entry hole to be about 1.5 inches, this is large enough for bluebirds but small enough to keep other unwanted bird species out. The birdhouse itself should be about 4-6 feet off the ground.
We had our nesting box custom made, but this is the closest option we've found on Amazon that hits all the right specs. We recommend getting these together since mounting directly on a tree puts your birds at risk. The pole mounting kit also includes a baffle which is an added bonus and one less thing to purchase separately - Nesting box & Pole Mount Kit
Where to Place Bluebird Box
When it comes to location, you don’t want to put your bluebird house in heavily wooded areas as this might attract unwanted house guests like snakes and squirrels. Bluebirds need open ground to hunt from, so a yard that's clear in the middle with trees or fence posts nearby gives them exactly what they're looking for.
Ideally the box should get morning sun and afternoon shade. Bluebirds can overheat in a box that gets direct sun all day.
Protection From Predators
Location is just one area of defense against unwanted predators. There are some additional protection measures that are easy to implement to best protect your nesting eastern bluebirds.
Baffle- a baffle is simply a physical barrier that wraps around the pole/shepherd's hook that protects against squirrels, snakes and other unwanted visitors. They typically are a cone or cylinder shape and are an easy protection device to implement in your own backyard bluebird nesting space.
Predator guard- This is another easy option to implement as added protection for the bluebirds. The predator guard fits around the front entrance hole. This prevents woodpeckers and squirrels from chewing the wood around the hole and making it a wider entryway.
The winning combination: Pole mounted nesting box + baffle + predator guard
(Bonus: this nesting box comes with a predator guard)
(Bonus: this kit comes with a baffle)
Keep an Eye on the Nest
The best part about bringing bluebird families to your yard — other than helping the eastern bluebird population grow — is getting to watch and learn.
Adding a camera takes the backyard birding experience to the next level and it’s fun for all ages- children, parents, and grandparents. It is one of those rare activities that can be enjoyed by all.
There are a few different ways you can approach this, with varying levels of expense and ease of setup.
One option is to install a Blink camera inside your birdhouse. Add a solar panel on top to keep it charged so you never have to worry about the battery. If you already have a security camera system at home with an extra camera to spare, pop it inside your birdhouse — it's the easiest setup you'll find.
Blink Outdoor Cameras + Solar Panel
Smart birdhouses, like Birdfy, are a great option if you want something ready to go right out of the box — the camera is already installed and connects straight to your phone.
Birdfy Smart Birdhouse — the all-in-one option
We personally use a Blink camera we already had on hand — it was an easy and affordable setup. If you're looking for something designed specifically for nest watching right out of the box, Birdfy is a popular option we've had our eye on.
If you want a peek at what you're in for, check out our Bluebird Gallery. These are real photos from our own backyard over the years
Feed Your New Backyard Friends
If you want to turn your backyard into a hotspot for bluebirds, we recommend adding a mealworm feeder nearby. Mealworms are eastern bluebirds’ favorite snack. There are different types of mealworm feeder options, and we’ve tried a couple of different ones.
The first mealworm feeder we tried was more open. It had a dome-shaped top and a space for mealworms below (pictured below on the left- Dome Mealworm Feeder). It was great for a while until we realized it was easy access for other birds too, including the other species that can be harmful or territorial towards bluebirds- mockingbirds. One other thing to note about the domed feeder, it is much more susceptible to weather, often leading to soggy mealworms.
(our old, open mealworm feeder) (our new mealworm feeder, we LOVE)
The new mealworm feeder my mom found and purchased- Enclosed Mealworm Feederhas been the best. It is more enclosed and offers limited access to other birds (pictured above on the right). It has 4 small holes on each side that a bluebird can safely slip into and grab a quick snack. The enclosed feeder also protects the feed from outside weather elements.
While the mealworm feeder may be considered the “5 star restaurant” in your yard, bluebirds may also enjoy visiting one of our other “2 star restaurants”, depending on what you serve. Bluebirds actually don’t typically go after standard seed. However, we tried a birdseed mix on Amazon that had dried blueberries in it and they seemed to really enjoy that (Bird Seed with Blueberries ). For the most part though, mealworms are what reliably brings them in.
Pack Your Patience
Now that you have your backyard setup — mealworm feeder, nesting box and camera it's time to sit back, relax and wait for the magic. It may take some time for bluebirds to find your yard — just be patient. It's worth it. Don't be surprised if some other feathered friends find you first — we've had plenty of unexpected visitors while waiting on our bluebirds.
Eastern Bluebirds are found across most of the eastern United States — if you're east of the Rockies, there's a good chance they're already in your area.
This is a great time to start tracking what you see with your kids. We created a printable bluebird observation worksheet specifically for this moment — available soon in our shop!
We'd love to see what shows up in your yard too! Share your photos and stories on our Bluebird Community page.
Gear List
Heads up: the gear links below are Amazon affiliate links. We only recommend stuff we'd actually use — and if you buy through our links, we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you
Essentials
Nesting box - Correct size, metal predator guard around the entrance hole, and easy to clean out — everything in one box
Pole Mount Kit - Keeps the box off the tree and away from predators — includes a baffle so you're covered on all fronts
Enclosed Mealworm Feeder - The small entry holes let bluebirds in and keep other birds out — this one made a noticeable difference for us
Mealworms - The single best thing you can do to attract bluebirds — we always make sure this is full
Blink Outdoor Cameras - We had an extra one on hand and it works perfectly inside the box — affordable and easy to set up
Solar Panel - Keeps the camera charged without having to change any batteries — set it and forget it
Optional/Upgrade
Birdfy Smart Birdhouse — the all-in-one option - Camera already installed and ready to go — the all-in-one option we have our eye on
Birdfeeder - A nice addition once your bluebirds are comfortable in the yard
Bird Seed with Blueberries - Standard seed doesn’t typically attract bluebirds — this mix with dried blueberries is the exception we found
The setup is the easy part. What happens inside that box is where it gets really good. If you have little ones watching with you, our children's book Anna Marie and the Bluebird Inn was written for exactly this moment — a family discovering bluebirds together for the first time. And once those birds arrive, check out our bluebird facts for kids — it's the perfect read-along for curious little ones.
