The Western Bluebird is
a welcome resident in any garden. Their numbers in the wild have
been declining for years due to habitat loss. Western Bluebirds nest
in hollow trees in the wild. Adding a birdhouse to your garden can
help give them a place to live and add beauty to your garden as
well. The Western Bluebird feeds on insects, snails, worms, and
berries. Toyon, Elderberry,
Sugarbush, Lemonade
Berry, and mistletoe all provide berries for the Western
Bluebird. The Western Bluebird will find a high open perch and catch
flying insects. I find this far more entertaining than watching a
bug zapper. A bluebird house should be placed 5-10 feet above the
ground. The base should be 5"x 5". The cavity should
be 8" deep. A 1.5" hole is placed 6" above the
floor. I like to slope the roof, and notch the corners of the floor
to provide drainage. A roost is only advantageous to pest birds that
would harass the bluebirds. Western Bluebirds feeding their young
will find an incredible number of insects in your yard for the little
ones.
Other birds will use the nest boxes too.
Often several sets each year. Oak
Titmouse, Nuttal's Woodpeckers, and the Violet Green Swallows have all
nested in our boxes.
This
Western Bluebird image is available in high resolution and is part of our stock photo
collection.
