Michigan Bluebird Society

Bluebird Feeding 101

During the warmer months of the year (May through October), bluebirds can usually find enough food to survive without any problems.  However, under harsh conditions such as prolonged period of chilly, wet weather, or snow & cold, or when ice coats most of the wild berries, bluebirds will benefit from receiving feeder food.  Mealworms, suet, sunflower hearts, softened fruits, and cornmeal muffins can all be fed to bluebirds.  Most of these will be accepted during the cold weather months if bluebirds have wintered over.  But, mealworms are the best food to feed bluebirds and they will readily eat them year-round.  During the breeding season, it is nice to feed mealworms because the harried parents will gratefully accept them to help feed their ravenous young.  Basically, it acts as a supplement to the natural insect diet bluebirds feed their young.

NOTE: supplemental feeding can make a HUGE difference to bluebirds and their young during periods in the spring when rain and cool weather persists over multiple days.  Bluebirds will have a hard time feeding their young when cool, wet conditions persist.  If this happens, adults will stop feeding their young and focus on their own survival.  So, you can help bluebirds survive by feeding mealworms and even scrambled eggs.  See below for details.   

Mealworms

Mealworms can be purchased at some bait shops, pet stores or bird supply stores.  To order larger quantities, it is usually more economical to purchase mealworms online.

Mealworms are the larval stage of darkling beetles.  Put a bedding of cornmeal or wheat bran into a plastic rectangular container with holes drilled or punched in the top for ventilation.  Add a piece of apple, carrot or potato for moisture.  If you have a large amount of mealworms that you won't use right away, put the container in the refrigerator to keep them dormant so they don't turn into adult beetles.

Mealworms can be served up in any type of shallow dish or container with smooth sides, so the mealworms can't escape.  The feeding dish MUST BE made of either glass, plastic, metal, or ceramic because mealworms can crawl out of anything with rough sides (like wood).  The problem is once other birds find the mealies (e.g. robins) they'll be gone in a flash.  Mealworm feeders can be purchased at many bird supply stores.  Some feeders have entrance holes which require birds to enter the feeder to get at the mealworms.  This will discourage non-cavity nesting birds that are larger than bluebirds from eating up all the worms - after all, insects are popular with most birds!

Another mealworm feeding tip is to "train" the birds to find the mealworms in the same place, at the same time every day.  The bluebirds will figure this out quickly, and be waiting for you each day when you bring the worms out.  Our experience has shown that early morning is the best time.  Bluebirds are hungry then, other insects may not be active yet, and competition from other birds is less.

Online sources for mealworms:

Rainbow
http://www.rainbowmealworms.net/

Sunshine
http://www.sunshinemealworms.com/

Nature's Way 

http://www.thenaturesway.com

Scrambled Eggs

As previously stated, under severe conditions of cold and wet weather, bluebirds can be fed scrambled eggs.  They will readily accept them and feed them to their young.  Kurt Hagemeister of the Michigan Bluebird Society reports that this tactic saved a nest of young bluebirds several years ago in his yard.  The eggs should be cooked as normal, scrambled, let cool, and then put out in a tray type of birdfeeder not far from the nest.  If the birds don't eat them within a day or two, remove them from the area so they don't go bad or attract unwanted predators. 

Suet

Bluebirds will sometimes feed on suet.  Since insects are plentiful in the summer, it will be difficult to get them to eat suet at that time of year.  But as the weather gets cold and insects are scarce or non-existent, they will really eat up the nutritious and energy-filled suet that you provide for them.  Commercially made suet cakes are easy and relatively inexpensive.  Cakes with hulled sunflower, peanut bits, raisins, and ground up corn meal are very good.

Here is a great recipe that you can make to attract bluebirds:

Bluebird Suet Recipe:

1 cup lard
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups oatmeal
2 cups cornmeal
1 ½ cup raisins

Put raisins in sauce pan and add water to cover.  Bring to boil; remove pan from heat and let raisins cool. Drain water and cut raisins in half.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together flour, oatmeal and cornmeal.

In small sauce pan on low heat, melt lard, peanut butter and sugar.  Pour liquid mixture into dry ingredients and mix well.  Add raisins.

Seed And Other Foods

During the cold weather months, you can feed bluebirds sunflower hearts, softened raisins, blueberries, and currants.  It is best to put it in an open tray feeder or a special bluebird feeder which has openings at either end for the blluebirds to enter. A very good type is the Bluebird Jail feeder.  This feeder (seen below), is better than some of the models with the plexiglass or glass sides.  It has openings on either end (1 1/2" diameter to exclude larger birds like starlings) and open sides with vertical dowel "bars" to let bluebird-sized birds through.  Being more open, it's easier for bluebirds to see the food and enter.  To get birds to start using this feeder, it's best to leave the hinged roof open for a while so the bluebirds can find the food source.  Then, when they are used to coming to it, you can close the top.  The Jail feeder can be mounted on a post or deckrail.