Hobbies And Interests
Food
Bluebirds prefer to eat insects but they also enjoy berries and seeds. Bluebirds fill up on berries during the fall in order to insulate their bodies with fat for the upcoming winter. Many people put out feeders for bluebirds that contain meal worms and currants. Planting berry trees is a great way of supplying food for bluebirds.
Nest Boxes
Bluebirds live in nests that they build from leaves and twigs. You can choose to provide the bluebirds in your area with next boxes, which are bird houses that allow a bird to build a nest inside while allowing you to see the birds. Set up your nest boxes in open areas that have scattered trees. Avoid tall grasses, dense woods or places where pesticides might be used.
Bird Monitoring
If you have nest boxes, you should monitor them to give your bluebirds a better chance of survival. Chest your nest boxes once a week and eliminate any wasps, ants, mites or other harmful insects from the next box. Do no use any pesticides. If there are dead birds, they need to be removed. Always tap on the side of the next box before looking in to allow the adult bluebird a chance to leave the nest.
Mating
Between March and June, a male bluebird will find a nesting site and establish a territory. The male bluebird with sing for a female. Once a female locates the male bluebird, she will begin making her nest in the territory. The female will lay three to six eggs and begin incubating. The male and the female bluebird will tend to the babies until they are grown.
Migration
After mating season, bluebirds leave their territories. Some northern bluebird flocks remain in the area and look for berries to eat to build up fat so they can last the upcoming cold months. Other flocks head south after October. They stay in pine trees and nesting cavities during the cold months. Just before mating season, the bluebirds will come back to their home areas to start a new year.