Western Bluebird
Bluebird Nestboxes
Bluebird Nesting Behavior
Monitoring Bluebirds
Predators & Pests of Bluebirds
Mountain Bluebird
Bluebird Resources
Abandoned Bluebirds
Bluebird Basics
Creating a Backyard
Wildlife Habitat
Attracting Barn Owls
Cats! Mild to Wild
Photo Credits
Contact
Water & Food for Bluebirds
Importance of Water
A water source for your bluebirds is very important here in San Diego County. A shallow birdbath will provide water for them to drink, as well as a place to frolic and bathe. Keep the water clean and full. To prevent algae, clean with either 1 part apple cider vinegar and 3 parts water or 1 part bleach and 9 parts water.
Bluebird Diet
Bluebirds eat invertebrates - lots of grasshoppers, crickets, caterpillars, beetles and spiders. 82% of the Western Bluebird diet is comprised of insects. The other 18% comes from plant berries, especially during the winter. Some plant berries that bluebirds are attracted to are mistletoe, juniper, toyon, elderberry, oregon grape, hollyleaf cherry, coffeeberry, pyracantha, laurel sumac, lemonadeberry, currant, and wild rose.
Helping Out with Mealworms
Bluebirds don't need you to feed them, as they know how to find wild food. However, a handout of food may help your backyard bluebirds early in the nesting season, when there might be a stretch of unusually wet or cold weather. You can also offer food to a bird that has lost its mate, to help it with the hard work of feeding a clutch of nestlings solo.
During nesting season, you can give your bluebirds a few "mealies" once or twice a day. You can buy these mealworms or raise your own. A dozen or so mealworms, offered each morning and evening in a bowl is enough for a pair of birds. And you can raise that to 50 to 100 at each offering when there are nestlings. Put the worms in the shade and where ants won't get them. And only put out as many as the birds will eat in about 15-20 minutes.
Avoid Putting Out Common Birdseed
Non-native house sparrows can compete with bluebirds for nestboxes. House sparrows can ruin bluebird eggs and young, and may even peck an incubating female to death. House sparrows prefer small grain seeds, such as millet, cracked corn, and milo-- the stuff found in common birdseed mixes. If you like to feed birds, try offering nyjer (thistle), as house sparrows and ground squirrels are not attracted to it. Place feeders away from nestboxes, and consider suspending feeding during nesting season to reduce attacks from hawks and other predators.