Home » Pets & Animals » Birds » Wild Birds

How to Make a Bluebird Feeder

13 Comments

23 Like

Like 23

Pin It

Ranked #419 in Pets & Animals, #11,824 overall

DIY Bluebird Feeder Plans: Make A Bluebird Feeder

Bluebirds feed on insects rather than seeds, and they are especially fond of mealworms. This specially designed bluebird feeder is easy to make, and the bluebirds learn quickly to enter the feeder to feast on live or freeze dried mealworms.

Mealworms are available in bulk at birding specialty stores, feed and seed supply stores and online and cost significantly less than the live mealworms commonly sold at pet stores. The 1½" entrance hole lets the bluebirds in, but stops larger birds from entering.

This bluebird feeder is an easy to build, and a great weekend project to share with a child. Here's how to build this simple bluebird feeder.

Bluebird Feeder photo and diagram by the Author

Bluebird Feeder Plans: List of Parts

Things You Need:

1" x 6" pine, cedar or redwood board

Clear Plexiglas

Basic woodworking tools and skills
Cut a ¾" thick board into the following parts:

Qty Description Size

1 -- Base (part A) -- 7 ½" L x 5" W

2 -- Ends (part B) -- 7" H x 5" W

1 -- Upper Roof (part C) -- 10 ½" L x 5" W

1 -- Lower Roof (part D) -- 10 ½" L x 4 ¼" W

2 -- Clear Plexiglas (part E) -- 8" L x 3 ½" W

.
.

Making the Cuts

Refer to the diagram to layout the 45 degree cuts on the ends (part B) to form the peaks for the roof of the bluebird feeder.

Then, layout and drill the entrance holes using a 1 ½" bit.

Mill a shallow groove for the clear plastic inserts. Use a table saw, setting the fence ½" in from the side of each edge. Raise the blade about 3/8" high to cut the grooves.

Repeat the process to cut two matching grooves on each end piece. With the grooves facing inward, attach the ends to the base with weather resistant screws or nails.

Assemble the Feeder

Cut the Plexiglas inserts to fit between the ends, and slip the inserts into the grooves. The 3 ½" wide inserts leave an air space along the top for ventilation.

Line up the edge of the lower roof section (part D) with the peak of the end sections, and then attach it with weather resistant screws or nails.

Rip the upper roof (part C) lengthwise into two sections, 1 ½" wide and 3 ½" wide each as shown in the diagram. Connect the two sections together with two small hinges, line up the 1 ½" wide section with the end peak, and attach it with weather resistant screws or nails.

Mount the finished bluebird feeder on a pole in the garden. Blue birds are often found near fields, pastures and along the edge of woodlands in rural areas. Add a few bluebird houses and a water source to attract bluebirds to your yard.

Bluebird Feeder Plans Diagram

“Bluebirds eat insects and berries, and they will not visit feeders filled with wild bird seed”

Bluebird Fun Facts

There are three species of bluebirds in North America: the Eastern, the Western and the Mountain bluebirds.

Bluebirds eat bugs and berries, but are not attracted to bird feeders filled with birdseed.

Bluebirds like mealworms, and will visit feeders filled with live or freeze-dried mealworms.

Eastern bluebirds can have up to three broods per season.

Bluebird eggs are pale blue in color.

In winter, several bluebirds will often roost together in a bluebird house for warmth.

Bluebird populations suffered and declined in the 1960's, but rebounded with the help from concerned birdwatchers. The North American Bluebird Society was formed to encourage and instruct and encourage people to build and hang bluebird houses.

Image: Public Domain

Have You Tried Feeding Bluebirds

Loading poll. Please Wait...

Share this poll
- Stumbleupon
- Facebook
- MySpace
- Twitter
- Digg
- Delicious
- Email

Bluebird Feeders & Mealworms

A Winning Combination for Attracting Bluebirds!

Bird ins Choice Natural Cedar Wood Bluebird Feeder

Amazon Price: $42.41 (as of 05/29/2012)

This bluebird feeder has entrance holes to allow bluebirds in, but keeps larger bird out.

Fluker's Gourmet Canned Mealworms

Amazon Price: $2.81 (as of 05/29/2012)

Bluebird Feeder

Amazon Price: $69.99 (as of 05/29/2012)

Attracting Bluebirds

Tips for Attracting Bluebirds into Your Backyard

Bird watchers and gardeners try to attract bluebirds into their yards, both for their beauty and for the beneficial role they play by eating many different types of insects.

Bluebirds inhabit open spaces in rural areas, and they are often found near fields, pastures and in open areas at the edge of woodlands. They can also be enticed to visit gardens that cater to their basic needs while providing an environment to make them feel safe and secure.

Our garden strives to provide the four essential requirements for bluebirds and other feathered visitors: Food, Shelter, Water and Nesting Areas. Plantings include a mixture of native and cultivated perennials and shrubs, planted along and under the mature oak trees where the birds can find berries and hunt for bugs.

Attracting Bluebirds into Your Garden
Bird watchers and gardeners try to attract bluebirds into their yards, both for their beauty and for the beneficial role they play by eating many different t...

How to Make a Bluebird Feeder
Bluebirds feed on insects rather than seeds, and they are especially fond of mealworms. This specially designed bluebird feeder is easy to make, and the blue...

Birdhouse Plans and Nesting Boxes
Every woodworker likes free project plans, and every woodworker that enjoys building wooden birdhouses likes free birdhouse plans. Over time, I created seve...

How To Build a Bluebird House
Bluebird Birdhouses: Bluebirds are as beneficial as they are beautiful, preying on large numbers of beetles, caterpillars, crickets and other bugs. Cavity n...

Build a Traditional Bluebird House: Slant Front Style
Bluebird houses are easy to build from cedar, redwood or pine. The dimensions are important, especially the size of the entrance hole (1 1/2" for easter...

Bird Man Mel - Attracting Bluebirds

This short video shows you how to attract and keep bluebirds feeding and nesting in your backyard.

Bird Man Mel - Attracting Bluebirds: by birdmanmel | video info

13 ratings | 9,432 views

curated content from YouTube

Bluebirds in the News

Bluebirds in our midst: Taylor was determined to reach over that rainbow and capture the essence of the eastern bluebird. Frustrated with attempts to get close enough to the beautiful birds, Taylor combed available research into their habitat, mating patterns and lifestyles ...
Getting on the bluebird bandwagon: ?I found out it was an eastern bluebird, and I've been interested in them ever since.? What Layton saw that day was a male eastern bluebird, which has shockingly royal blue feathers on the back and head, with warm red-brown shades on the breast leading ...
Bluebirds: Nesting with Doting Moms: The eastern bluebird is a beloved species, and with good reason. They're beautiful ? the male's striking blue is legendary. They're also devoted parents and partners, and because they tend to live out their lives near human habitation, they're easy to ...
Spotlight on the Township: New Jersey Bluebird Society takes flight: After all, the Eastern Bluebird is our state bird. He made the necessary contacts and helped establish the New Jersey Bluebird Society last May. The group is an affiliate of the NABS. Follow up meetings at Batsto Village led to designing a logo (which ...

The North American Bluebird Society

Visit the North American Bluebird Society for more information on the different species of bluebirds.

North American Bluebird Society: The North American Bluebird Society is a non-profit education, conservation and research organization that promotes the recovery of bluebirds and other native cavity-nesting bird species in North America.

Become a member today!

Hear the Call of the Bluebird

WhatBird.com: The Whatbird.com Field Guide to Birds of North America lets you listen to the call of the bluebird, and offers additional information on bluebirds including photos and a Range Map.

Build a Bluebird House

This bluebird house is a simple and inexpensive project to build, and can be made from pine, cedar or redwood boards which are commonly available at home centers and lumber yards. The 1�" entrance hole lets the bluebirds in but keeps out the larger starlings.

Audubon Coppertop Cedar Bluebird House

Woodlink NACOPBB Audubon Coppertop Cedar Bluebird House

Amazon Price: $31.17 (as of 05/29/2012)

This bluebird house is the National Audubon Society and is built to Audubon specifications. The entrance hole is 1-9/16" hole and has a predator guard.

Coveside Western Bluebird House

Amazon Price: $33.95 (as of 05/29/2012)

This bluebird house is perfect for Mountain and Western bluebird. The nesting box and entrance hole is slightly larger than standard eastern bluebird houses.

DIY Birdhouse Plans

Making Wooden Birdhouses is a PDF file of project plans for making birdhouses, nesting boxes and feeders. Bluebirds, chickadees, titmice, downy woodpeckers, wrens and other small birds raise families in my birdhouses every spring. At last count, there are more than 30 birdhouses of different styles and made for different species of birds hanging in the gardens and woodlands around my property.

Over time, I created several different short, online articles based on the assortment of wooden birdhouses that I've built and scattered around my yard, and this PDF file is a collection of my favorite wooden birdhouse projects.

Each birdhouse project included in this PDF file includes a cutting list and diagram with step-by-step instructions on how to build the birdhouse.

Bluebird Photos

Photo of the Week - Eastern Bluebird (MA) by U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Northeast Region

Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) by wackybadger

Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) by wackybadger

Eastern Bluebirds on Fence (Sialia sialis) by wackybadger

automatically generated by Flickr

Did You Like This Lens?

This module only appears with actual data when viewed on a live lens. The favorite and lensroll options will appear on a live lens if the viewer is a member of Squidoo and logged in.

Add this to your lens »

Thanks for stopping by!

Reply

JGracey May 27, 2012 @ 9:57 am | delete

Thanks for sharing these great plans. I'm going to show this to my son-in-law and see if he can adapt it for me into a robin's nesting box - one that can keep the starlings out.

Reply

Rankography May 17, 2012 @ 10:23 pm | delete

Nice lens and great idea for a craft with the kids.

Reply

KimGiancaterino Apr 14, 2012 @ 6:39 pm | delete

Excellent step-by-step instructions!

Reply

RenaissanceWoman2010 Mar 27, 2012 @ 11:14 am | delete

Since there isn't much for my early bluebird arrivals to feed on, I want to provide some nourishment for them. I plan to build this bluebird feeder. Thank you for the instructions!

Reply

BLemley Mar 22, 2012 @ 2:16 pm | delete

Great lens! How I wish I could make one of these! love your picts! B : )
Load More

Show All

Share this Guestbook
- Stumbleupon
- Facebook
- MySpace
- Twitter
- Digg
- Delicious
- RSS
- Email

Bluebird Resources & Supplies

Bluebird Feeders

Bird ins Choice Natural Cedar Wood Bluebird Feeder

Amazon Price: $42.41 (as of 05/29/2012)

How to Make a Bluebird Feeder

DIY Bluebird Feeder Plans: Make A Bluebird Feeder

Bluebird Feeder Plans: List of Parts

Making the Cuts

Assemble the Feeder

Bluebird Feeder Plans Diagram

“Bluebirds eat insects and berries, and they will not visit feeders filled with wild bird seed”

Bluebird Fun Facts

Have You Tried Feeding Bluebirds

Thanks for voting! Now invite your friends to vote.

Bluebird Feeders & Mealworms

A Winning Combination for Attracting Bluebirds!

Attracting Bluebirds

Tips for Attracting Bluebirds into Your Backyard

Bird Man Mel - Attracting Bluebirds

Bluebirds in the News

The North American Bluebird Society

Hear the Call of the Bluebird

Build a Bluebird House

Audubon Coppertop Cedar Bluebird House

Coveside Western Bluebird House

DIY Birdhouse Plans

Bluebird Photos

Did You Like This Lens?

Thanks for stopping by!

Bluebird Resources & Supplies

Bluebird Feeders

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Please pick your widget size and display. Then click "Make the Widget" to get the code that's just right for you.

Voila! Just copy and paste this code into your own site. Have fun!

Oopsey! Please login to Squidoo in order to add this module to your lens.

Feeding Bluebirds

Books about Bluebirds

Going Green Bluebird House

More Bluebird Houses

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

Please pick your widget size and display. Then click "Make the Widget" to get the code that's just right for you.

Voila! Just copy and paste this code into your own site. Have fun!

Oopsey! Please login to Squidoo in order to add this module to your lens.

Bluebird Houses on eBay

Crystal Bluebird Sculpture

Bluebird Mailbox Cover

If You Build It, They Might Come!

Featured Birdhouse Plans and Projects

by AnthonyAltorenna

Explore related pages

The Complete Guide to Attracting Bluebirds

The Ultimate Bluebird Food

Fluker's Gourmet Canned Mealworms

Birds Choice Bluebird Feeder

Related Tags

Want our Newsletter?