How to attract bluebirds to your yard - beginner and advanced tips!
Вставка
- Опубліковано 9 сер 2021
- How to attract bluebirds -
Landscaping tips/ how to landscape for bluebirds
Bird feeder tips/ how to attract bluebirds to your feeder
Tips for bluebird nesting success
Bluebird houses
• Telescoping pole and b...
Telescoping birdhouse tutorial
I am just now seeing Bluebirds in my back yard after not seeing them for the last 27 years. I am so happy.
That is great! The bluebird population has been increasing in recent years, so more should be on the way!
Put up a Nesting Box, HURRY!
Bradford pears are highly invasive in the US. Please don’t plant them! A good, native alternative, depending on your area, is Serviceberry.
We moved into our new house last year and noticed we had mostly Bradford pears so we cut them all down but now we hardly see any bluebirds. Occasionally we’ll see a few on the corners of our house after it’s rained. I so wish we had good trees on our property so we could see them everyday like we did last year.😢
@@nicholsmedley1864 You can look into the types of trees that are native to your location. Also consider shrubs that provide food for birds, and are pollinator preferred. There is a nature center in a county park near me that holds native tree, shrub, and flower sales every year. Maybe there is one near you.
I have never had Bradford Pears but now I have "wild pears" in my woods. They have to be hybrids of Bradford's & other pears & bird planted.
Serviceberries are WONDERFUL! Not terribly expensive, either.
Bradford Pear are wonderful for woodworking ma wood turning. If you cut them down a woodworker would love to have the logs from the trees.
DIY repurposed Bluebird feeder. So easy and you probably already have what you need. I use a "tomato box" or berry box that you get when you buy them at the store. I fill with about 1/2 cup of dried mealworms and attach to a pole, plant hanger, another feeder or what ever you have. I use zip ties or long twist ties and position it so that gravity moves them down as the birds eat. The little holes in the container allow the birds to pick them out. The snap lid on top keeps them mostly dry... even in driving rain and I replace it for free when it starts to look dirty. Although not necessary, I fed a twig through the holes so they have a perch. I've been doing this successfully for more than 5 years
Didn't know how blue they get!💖I'm in Sydney Australia
I don't understand why you don't have more subscribers. Your videos are a treasure trove of helpful and useful information. Those people don't know what they're missing out on! Thank you and please keep the videos coming!
Wow, thank you! Will do!
I second "no" to Bradford pear trees. Super invasive and their sale has been phased out as of Feb 2023 in my state, PA. Glad to hear tips on avoiding wrens and English sparrows. It is better to remove a box than to allow a wren to have a successful nest. If they succeed in fledging babies they will be back and before you know it you won't have anything other than wrens.
Thank you for this I just moved to a slightly new area I live in the heart in North Carolina and I moved out to the country and when I tell you I have seen so many different birds but specifically Blue Jays and Cardinals. I love seeing them in the morning and throughout the day and I’m so excited because I have a whole lot of them in my area. I’m getting ready to set up the birdfeeder and hopes to attract many of these beautiful little song birds Eno they just bring such peace and calm when I see them if I’m in the kitchen cooking or cleaning up the house, and I just can’t hear their little songs or see him sitting outside my windows. He just bring such happiness. I love birds
So happy for you to have these happy-making birds at your new home.
We live in South Alabama and I've noticed that in winter Cardinals really enjoy our Crepe Myrtle's berries.
We have a few Bluebirds that have made a home in the two houses we have, and they are really good singers!
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.
We are blessed we have a group of blue birds daily that visit our feeders & checking out our neighbors blue bird houses!
Nice! Bluebirds are great.
Tell your neighbors to buy slinkies for the nesting house poles. It works and scares away snakes. We lost our four sweet babies. A rat snake held them hostage in their safe little nest . Now I have slinkies on the poles to scare away predators. They work! Enjoy these beautiful birds🤗
Bluebirds are my state bird & my moms fav besides humming birds. I have seen many in the last year and a half than my entire life. Today was so incredibly exciting! I seen what looked from a distance to be a very slim Robin, then I Almost screamed bc it was a bluebird! I quietly hurried inside! Told my mom to look with her binoculars! After much looking at the bluebird on our fence it flew away.. Then I noticed flying out of our birdhouse that is probably 4-5 ft from the ground attached to a Crabtree, a younger Bird flew out onto the fence!! That is when I realized, “Papa Blue,” was keeping a lookout of his surroundings for a good 10 minutes before the baby came out or the female I'm not sure just yet.
We usually have 6 to 7 feeders in our yard throughout the Year. This winter we moved to to 2. I also changed the food I was feeding them. Typically I would buy a wild feed from Walmart. 20lbs cost around $7-8.50 then mix in 40lbs Black oil sunflower seeds ($20) . I stumbled into Farm and home store, shockingly you get 40lbs of wild bird seed, different mix than Walmart, but for twice as much for a few dollars more Plus the black oil seed is 16.99 ( cheaper) for 40lbs! Other than that nothing else has changed in my yard except now we have bluebirds for the first time in my life and I just want to keep them here
That’s a great story! Thanks for sharing.
Congrats. So exciting to see for the first time.They are heavenly.
If you have bluebird houses , meal worms and a fresh water supply bluebirds will probably stay but bluebirds also migrate in the summer and return in December or atleast thats what mine do .
So you may be residing in their Northern hangout or their winter one. Bluebirds are very territorial so don't place the houses too close or worry too much if they stay away for half of the year .I have one in the front yard and one in the back and both have done very well .
Make sure to clean when birds are away .
i like the heated rock tip!
Thanks!
Eliminating house sparrows is priority 1. Nice video. Good job.
Thanks! I have found the best was to get rid of house sparrows is to offer less millet, corn, and sunflower seeds when the flocks are around.
@@carsonsbackyardgarden7135 yeah. Depends whefe you live I think. If it is as simple as that for you that is a blessing. Other areas require a more aggressive approach. Not easy for everyone but it makes a big difference. And the spooker right after eggs are laid is a big must....just in case. I learned my lesson after not seeing a sparrow all season until the day the babies were due to fledge. As I was approaching the box to watch them fledge a sparrow was coming out and had pecked them all to death.
Excellent video on bluebirds. Thanks
✨🕊️✨PVC for the best box works nicely. Squirrel 🐿️ love the glue in plywood so remember when building the boxes. Adding pitching sticks with a blue color.
Wasn’t long ago they were endangered.
Love your post and wish everyone success ✨🕊️✨
And buy a slinky for the pole! Keeps snakes out if the house
Thank you for this video I really enjoyed it learned a lot
love the bluebird tips. Thanks
No problem! Thanks for commenting
Really great tips and ideas!
Thanks!
Hackberry tree is another berry tree super great for blue birds in PA winters rather than using invasive Bradford pear. In our yard house wrens are preferred over house sparrows so I offer boxes with small holes. How do you keep house sparrows from taking over bb boxes? Too many neighbors are just happy to have house sparrows in their boxes so way too much competition against bb. Great video.
Very good info, always interested in helping our blue birds. Thank you
No problem! Thanks for commenting
Enjoyed your video. Thanks for the great tips!😀
No problem! Thanks for commenting.
Thanks Carson
I never realized just how vibrant and bright blue on the eastern bluebirds are compared to the westerns I see in CA which seem a darker tone.
I just got my first bluebird house and put it up. I’ve been looking for more info and this is really helpful. Thanks!
Thanks! Glad I could help.
🐦Wonderful bird footage, thanks for sharing!🕊
I had a bluebird family in my nesting house. It was on a fence post close to my house, facing south. It was very protected. My husband and I were so excited to have baby birds. We could hear them chirping for food. Mommy and daddy were working hard to feed them, I took a picture of mommy and daddy perched on the house That afternoon, I could hear the little babies. Mommy and daddy were busy. I was away all day and when I returned I didn't hear the babies. Fearing they were dead, I opened the nesting box . And there was the problem.... a rat snake was curled up in the best and had eaten the babies. I was so sad. I had protected the nesting box since their birth and in just a couple of hours, a predator held them hostage! I realize what a miracle it is to see a bluebird family together. It won't happen again! We moved the box on a PVC pipe and place a slinky around the pipe to scare any predator away. I hope and pray the bluebirds return and try again.
Thanks for your useful video with great info and tips!!😊 subscribed!!
Just found your channel this morning. Very informative video! Thank you, I made sure to like and subscribe!
Excellent information and well done! Thank you!
This was an excellent video full of neccessry information and answered all of the questions that I had. Thank you!
I love these birds .
Thanks for the great video my friend
No problem!
I'm gonna need a prequel to this: "How do you attract bluebirds to your country - beginners and advanced tips" 😁
Lovely vídeo, Thank You,
AWESOME~~~ You sure did your homework and demonstrated the best video out here that teaches us about blue birds. Bought meal worms online and some houses at Walmart. On my way thanks to you. I'm jealous of your setup:) Subscriber from NW Florida.
Thanks!!
Awesome video
carson, another tip, have the box facing a tree if possible within 50 feet for fledging's to fly to for safety when leaving the nest
Thanks!!
Enjoyed watching your tips video. I dont have a large yard[120x60] but would love to draw some bluebirds. As far as I know I have never had any in my particular area , at least none that I have seen. I recently purchased a Gilbertson nesting bluebird box. I also have a cheap bluebird tube hanger with some dried meal worms in it. I wouldnt be surprised though if I get some other type of nester before seeing any bluebirds.
Birds such as chickadees and wrens will often be the first to use a house if bluebirds don’t claim it first. Bluebirds love mealworms, so you might see some soon!
Well, it may sound mean, but if you see bluebirds interested in your box, open the access door and remove the incomplete nest.
The wrens or chickadees will nest elsewhere, but it's up to you.
Enjoy.
You know where I've seen bluebirds here on Southern Ontario is on hiking trails that have smooth sumac trees. I had to look that tree up it's the tree that has the red cluster things that look like giant nuggets of weed except they're red.
Nice! Good observations
Man, you do take great care of your birds 🥰! Thank you for that, and also for the video and info 😊
Subscribed, and liked!
I have a bird like this. What is its favorite food and what is the name of the bird? Please reply quickly
Thanku
No problem!
Nice video! Thank you so much! ---
I feed the songbirds in my garden sunflower seeds all year round (Europe). Would it be good if I gave mealworms to feed the nestlings in spring???
Surely! They can use all the help they can get during nesting season.
I've heard that Bradford Pear Trees are heavily discouraged for planting as it's a non-native, invasive tree. Good video, but I am a proponent of native (to your area) species and would suggest other trees and fruiting shrubs over the Bradford.
I am all for native plants too, but the bluebirds in my area love the small pears too much to not include it on the list. Thanks for commenting!
@@carsonsbackyardgarden7135 do they eat those little "berries" on the pear?
Yes they do!
@@carsonsbackyardgarden7135 oh wow. I always wondered if those things were edible for birds. I have on in my front yard so hope that helps.
I'm all about natives as well. I get rid of more lawn every year and replace it with natives. Even prof. Doug Tallamy, my native transition inspiration (watch some of his videos on YT if you've not heard of him) says that it's alright to have things other than natives (he mentions bradford pears frequently as being invasive) as long as they're in the smaller percentage of your plants. I have a native pollinator and native prairie garden in my yard. I also have a poison garden with monkshood, foxglove and lily of the valley, none of which are native. I love hollyhocks and have lots of them; they aren't native either. So you don't have to avoid _all_ of them to help the environment. It's great that you're planting natives! I wish there were more of us who realize that kentucky bluegrass doesn't belong here....
New subscriber here
I’m getting into bird houses around my property
Your video helped me out
I put mine at 5ft to 6ft though off the ground
Is that ok ? I read that was a good night and easy to clean out and monitor
carson another tip, use box on metal pipe . preferably 3/4 " using a predator guard below box ,60" by 8" duct round pipe to prevent snakes, racoons, and other climbing predators from getting the birds
I personally haven’t had any trouble with snakes, raccoons or other predators getting to the boxes. If you are having trouble- yes I would definitely recommend!
@@carsonsbackyardgarden7135 we've had coons invade the nesting box and destroy the eggs. Wrapping the post with garlic or onions will deter them or nails thru/or on a board attached to the wooden post will also help keep coons out of the box. Have lost 3 broods of eggs in the past and still hopeful something will deter the sparrows and coons. Every year we have another challenger. the garlic and onions as well as the nails have kept the coons away, but now the sparrows are the enemy!
I set up a new house for them in my yard 2 days ago. I’ve seen a pair inspecting it, but not going in. They came back again today, but I didn’t see them go in. They seem to be interested, but they are either confused or cautious.
Is this how they normally act before selecting a home?
That is the same things my bluebirds do. Glad you are having visitors!
@@carsonsbackyardgarden7135 that gives me hope 😊 hope we all have a great blue bird season 💙
@@davidbrachetto1420 Marks Backyard Birds says that the bluebirds will nest 2-3 times per year and often will choose a different house at the next nesting.
It is important to clear out the previous nesting material as soon as the fledglings leave as the birds will add new material on top which can make them susceptible to mold as well as bringing them too close to the top and opening which can be dangerous due to predator birds attempting to get chicks.
Hope you’ve been able to get the bluebirds to use your nest box!
I feed my bluebirds mealworm and they love it. I buy These large meal worms cakes with nuts and berries mixed in and they seem to really love them only problem they’re quite expensive.
I can make a video on how to DIY the seed blocks. They sure can be expensive!
I tell myself that every dollar spent on bird food saves ten bucks in insect control.
That’s a good way to think about it!
Birds are amazing--just another reason for me to not eat eggs (as I have a family history of Cancer the choline in eggs is the other). Great video--thank you
the blue bird taking a bath with their enemies HOSPs,,,,,,
Yep!
Plant American Beauty shrubs. The bluebirds love mine and they are loaded with berries this year.
Male bluebird has been checking out our box but those pesky sparrows will not stay away!!!! Help!!
The best solution I've found is to put up more bluebird houses nearby so hopefully the bluebirds will nest in a different house. Good luck!
We had a pair of bluebirds successfully raise a brood in a woodpecker cavity in a tree trunk we plan to make into...something. It's about 10 feet tall and 3 feet around. Thought about putting a roof on it to look like a giant bird house. You say to clean the "man-made" house. Can't really do anything with the woodpecker cavity can I? Would the roof keep them from returning? An unexpected natural habitat right off our front porch. Also have a dying Ash tree where they perch. Both trees are 25-30 feet from our porch. We had a brood a few years ago in a man-made house I suspect were killed by sparrows. Have caught 60 plus sparrow in a trap in the last month or so.
First off, well done young man. I think your interest in nature is great. Just a couple of comments from someone who has been enjoying these birds for the last 35 years.........The language of birds is very complex. What may appear to be the exact same call to human ears over and over may have very subtle differences we simply can't pick up on. I would strongly discourage the use of speakers to pipe in recorded bird calls. They can be stressful and confusing to birds and the bottom line is that we have NO IDEA WHAT THEY REALLY MEAN. As far as mealworms are concerned, use them initially to draw them in. Once they are established you can begin mixing them with other seed. Use a screen type feeder which makes them work a little for their mealworm meal. If they are simply laid out onto a tray, they will absolutely gorge themselves. Not a good thing, especially since the outer shell of a mealworm is very hard. Keep up the good work!
I have them in my yard and they had babies in my birdhouse.
I did too. It was great!
Nice!
Could you please give me examples of perches that they use?
You might like my house sparrow-proof mealworm feeder shown on a video on my channel. Never had any luck attracting bluebirds in my Dallas, Tx garden. So, I never had a chance to see if they could retrieve mealworms from my feeder. I did have tons of Carolina Wrens, and in fact that is the star of the my video that shows how a male house sparrow how to retrieve a mealworm from the feeder.
Loved your video, what’s the name of the bird that showed up at the feeder around 9:19?
Besides the female bluebird, the only other bird on the feeder is a European Starling
I have build numerous (10-15) bluebird houses. I have had multiple families set up house keeping over the years. For the past 5 years the pesky sparrows and wrens have intimated the BB's from building nests and actually killed BB babies. Any ideas on how to rid the area of those pests?
Good video, but as someone else commented please don't plant Bradford pear. Also consider greasing the poles the boxes are on or adding baffles, otherwise you might be just feeding raccoons.
How can you tell if birds have left? They seem to leave, here in Va. and a few weeks later come back. Should we clean out the old nest? We are never sure if they have left and do not want to destroy a home still in use.
Orange slices also
At 2:26
You recommend planting Bradford pear.
Bradford pear is an invasive Asian species that has been outlawed in many states .
There are not n invasive pears that could be recommended instead.
Please note.
Blue birds are nesting in the bird house I put up :)
Yay!
If we want to put up a few bluebird houses, how far apart do they need to be. Our existing bluebird house is 6 feet off the ground, is that to low? We have seen bluebird use this house, build ther nest with pine straw but never have seen the babies? Any tips, Thanks, Bill
I typically only see bluebirds using boxes more than 100 yards apart from other pairs. 6 feet is a ok height off the ground, but bluebirds typically prefer higher. This could be why the bluebirds didn’t use the nest they built; they found a better nesting site somewhere else.
Where did you get the “water wiggler”?
You can buy them off Amazon, but many birds stores carry them too.
@@carsonsbackyardgarden7135 thank you! Didn’t mean to post twice😀
Hi Your profile hits home with me and I like that you seem relaxed and very open. Life is to enjoy, laugh, communicate and have a connection with someone special who has a zest for life and all things in it. I like to be active and I tend to find the humor in life. It’s my feeling that people need adventure, laughter and passion....Let’s talk and see where life takes us..
Wish these birds were on the east coast, I'm between N.Y. N.J. & Pennsylvania, there are none. :(
Sure there are! They are less common there for sure, but their range extends to Maine in the summer!
If you keep your eyes out you may see them..I saw them on a regular basis last year for first time..they sit on my power line and on our back fence..they dont hang out in my yard like here but they're around..I'm in Maryland near Baltimore..I just dont see Baltimore Orioles lol
Like
We don't have bluebirds in Vermont in the winter. Too much snow and cold.
Can't keep the house wrens from taking over the bluebird houses
How do you stop woodpeckers from trying to get to my bluebirds...
What do you mean “trying to get”?
What is in your birdbath please?
It is called a water wiggler. Thanks for the question!
are there bluebirds in long island and what is the chance of bluebirds coming and can bluebirds come in the winter
There aren't very many Bluebirds right now on Long Island, but their numbers have increased drastically in recent years, so you may see some soon!
@@carsonsbackyardgarden7135 what happened to the bluebirds and how common are they in long island
More people are putting up birdhouses and feeders so their population is growing
I’m not sure how common they are - I’ve never been
@@carsonsbackyardgarden7135what states have bluebirds
Cupid twin ver 0:13
I had 0 last year and this year I have 20+. Didn’t do a thing. 🥰
Nice!
@0:29 please don't let them non-invasive species house sparrows around your bluebirds. Trap, shoot, they kill our songbirds.
Mowed lawns with non-native turf grasses don’t provide good habitat for insects, and they aren’t at all like native grassland habitats.
Great video and info on bluebirds. However, I am dismayed at your suggestion to plant Bradford Pears. Please do not! This is an invasive species that needs to be controlled and removed. Invasive species are foreign or hybridized species that spread into natural areas and crowd out native species. Where I live in Indiana Bradford or Callary Pears are a huge problem. Please choose berry producing plants and trees that are native to your area.
Need a trap for those sparrows or those bluebirds will be mutilated red birds.
Got that right, I trap shoot all I can.
I do too, but can’t post it on UA-cam!
I’m sorry but never plant Bradford Pear. Horribly invasive and chokes out native plants.
I get bluebirds every year. They nest, I fed them mealworms. I get the eggs and young ones but the English sparrows attack and kill them most of the time. They are the number one enemy of bluebirds 😢
Mowing grass doesn't increase insects, it destroys them. Way too much mowing happening already. Mowing should be discouraged
YACK YACK TO MUCH TROUBLE BY BY !!!!!!!
It’s a 10 minute video with easy to follow, good directions. That’s too much trouble for you? Maybe a coloring book would be more your speed assuming you don’t lose focus and start eating the crayons.
What is the legality of eating eastern bluebirds? I've done this many tiemes and I wundered if I was going to crime a jail
Yes, eating Bluebirds or any other native species of birds is illegal. Here is a article you can read: www.fws.gov/law/migratory-bird-treaty-act-1918
Try chicken or maybe some vegetables. A home garden will help the birds and provide better sustenance.