Construction

• Bluebirds are most attracted to boxes with a rustic, unfinished appearance. If possible, build your box using rough-hewn wood. Pallet wood is a good source, and in most cases, you can obtain free pallets from warehouses, grocery stores and other local businesses. The wood type is not critical, as long as it is not pressure treated.
  
  Fashion the front side of the box using the roughest piece of wood you can find. The bluebirds will have little trouble gripping the surface before they slip inside. Do not, however, add a perching post below the entrance hole. This will encourage other species, such as starlings, to commandeer the box and force the bluebirds to look elsewhere for a home.
  
  

Placement

• Bluebirds prefer to nest in an open location within 10 to 15 feet of a small tree. The open space encourages good air circulation around the box and the small tree provides their fledglings with a nearby landing site on their maiden voyage aloft. Mount your box on a metal pole, five to eight feet above ground. This will discourage feral cats or raccoons from raiding the box and killing the chicks or eating the eggs. Because the box will be located in an exposed location, drive the post deep into the ground to prevent high winds from toppling it. An alternative might be to fill the center and surrounding cavities of a large cinder block with concrete and stand the mounting post in the center cavity.
  
  

Food Sources

• Building bluebird feeders is more complicated than building nesting boxes. Bluebirds are members of the thrush species. Like their cousin the robin, bluebirds consume a diet of insects, worms, grubs, wild berries and other fruits. However, if you have an existing birdfeeder installed, simply filling a portion of it with live worms and grubs will not attract them. Your best bet is to plant berry bushes, or allow wild fruit-bearing plants to thrive nearby.