Now, let’s look at the third guideline for where to place your bluebird house. To further deter predators, mount your nest box on a metal pole, and consider installing a stovepipe-style baffle under the nest box. But, five feet off the ground is a good starting point for deterring crawling predators. You can successfully mount a bluebird house much higher than than five feet (as you’ll see later in this article). As long as you can stand up straight and be looking directly into the entrance hole, the nest box will be at a convenient height for you to monitor, and it won’t be too close to the ground.Īdmittedly, this “five-feet-off-the-ground” rule has more to do with human preference than the preference of bluebirds. This is a good way to keep the box about five feet off the ground. To avoid this, mount your bluebird house at least five feet off the ground to deter climbing predators.Ī good rule-of-thumb when setting up your nest box is to mount it with the entrance hole at eye-level. If a bluebird house is too low, predators like snakes, raccoons, and cats might be more tempted to reach into the box. Photo by ibm4381 is licensed under CC BY 2.0 Mount your bluebird house about 5 feet off the ground 5 feet off the ground is a convenient height for a nest box Now that we’ve established what type of area is attractive to bluebirds, let’s talk about how high to mount your bluebird house. Bluebirds will appreciate any kind of hunting perch that’s about 3-5 feet off the ground, they won’t care what it is. You could even stick some other object into the ground, like a pitchfork (that’s what I did once). Drive a few 4′ metal stakes in the ground in the 50 foot area around your nest box. If there aren’t many low perches in your yard or in the area around your nest box, you could add in some make-shift perches. Luckily it was right next to the spot I placed my bluebird house, so their yard made my nest box location extra attractive. My old neighbor had a fence row that my bluebirds loved to hunt from. Even if the neighbor’s yard right next to you has these things it will help out. If your yard has a row of wooden fence posts, some tall shrubs, or low trees, you’re in good shape for attracting bluebirds. So, bluebirds will be highly attracted to your yard if they have somewhere to perch. When they do, they’ll swoop down and grab their prey. They will hang out on fence posts, small trees, shrubs, and low tree branches just waiting to spot an insect. Photo by dwolfgra is licensed under CC BY 2.0īluebirds love to hunt from low perches. Bonus Tip: Give your bluebirds somewhere to perch Bluebirds love hunting from fence lines and other perches Just remember that placing the nest box in and around an open area will be important for attracting bluebirds. Try placing it on the edge of your property overlooking the rest of your backyard, if possible.Įach yard is different, so do whatever works for you. When you’re picking the best location in your yard for your bluebird house, consider placing it somewhere where it can face an open expanse of grass. So, they prefer to nest in sunny, open areas with lots of short grass where they can catch their prey. Place your bluebird house in an open area Photo by Robert Pruner is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0īluebirds’ main source of food in the summer is insects. Get one of these bird houses on Amazon here. I’ll also answer some questions you might be asking as you decide on the best nest box location in your own yard.īest Nest Box: My all-time favorite nest box for bluebirds is the Nature’s Way model CWH4. In this article, I’ll go through some basic guidelines for where to put up a bluebird house. Can you (or should you) hang your bluebird house from a tree?.How far apart should you space your bluebird houses (if you’re putting up multiple)?. What direction should you face your bluebird house?.However, there are a few more questions you might want to consider as you decide on a nest box location. If you follow the above guidelines, you should be OK. That is the short and sweet answer for where to place a bluebird house. Mount the nest box at least five feet off the ground, not too close to buildings, and at least 50 feet away from brushy or wooded areas. Where Should I Place My Bluebird House?Īs a general rule, you should place your bluebird house in an open, sunny area where there is plenty of short grass where bluebirds can catch insects. The location worked out, and I attracted my first pair of bluebirds that spring! But, there are actually some best practices when it comes to where to place a bluebird house that I wish I would have known back then. I mounted it so close to the window because I wanted to be able to watch the bluebirds flying in and out of the nest box. I placed the nest box in my backyard, about 30 feet away from our dining room window. Sixteen years ago, I built my first bluebird house.
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