Western Bluebird

Western Bluebird

Construction Difficulty

moderate difficulty moderate

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Nesting Range

Western Bluebird Range
Source: Birds of the World

Nesting Habitat

  •  icon Forest
  •  icon Open Woodland

Attach Nest Box To

  • Live tree icon Live tree
  • Pole icon Pole

Known Nesting Period

Not Nesting
Some Nesting Occurrence
Nesting in Most of Range
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
Source: Birds of the World

Nest Box Placement

Height Range From Ground

4ft
6ft
4–6 feet

Spacing Between Nest Boxes

215 feet

Facing

Entrance hole facing visualization
East

Nest Box Measurements

Entrance Hole Size

Entrance hole size visualization 1 1/2

Nest Box Depth (inside)

Nest box depth visualization 9

Nest Box Width and Length

Nest box width and length visualization 5 1/2 5 1/2

Helpful Tips

  • Orient the nest box so that it is facing east into an open area.
  • Some mid-day shade is desirable, but if box is to be placed in full sun, it should face south.
  • Clean out old nests as soon as a brood fledges so that the nest box can be used for a second nest attempt.
  • If House Sparrows are a problem, consider drilling a second entrance hole beside the first one (so that there are two separate but identical holes on the front panel) to enable bluebirds to better defend boxes from sparrows.