Essential Bluebird House Supplies for New Bluebird Landlords

Have you been interested in setting up a bluebird house and enjoying the possibility of having these sweet tenants raise their young? If so, you may have discovered that there are a lot of accessories that go with a bluebird house, and are curious about what you absolutely need.

The most important bluebird house supplies include a proper nest box, pole and baffle; intermediate supplies include sparrow protection; and expert supplies include nest cameras and specialty nest boxes. Choosing the right accessories is critical for bird survival.

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Bare essential bluebird house supplies for bluebird landlords

The absolute most important bluebird house supplies when becoming a new bluebird landlord is a proper nest box, a proper pole for mounting and a good stovepipe baffle.

Choosing the right nest box

There are several models of bluebird nest boxes out there. And many claim they are built according to the specifications of the North American Bluebird Society (NABS). But many of these bluebird nest boxes still have several flaws.

Another very important consideration when looking for a bluebird house is to look specifically for a proper nest box and NOT a birdhouse.

Birdhouses are very decorative, but are not constructed in ways that help bluebirds succeed.

With native cavity birds like bluebirds on such a decline, it is very important you get an appropriate nest box. Improper items can lead to unintended and fatal harm to your wild birds.

We have tested and inspected several commercially available standard nest boxes. Many of which we do not recommend due to small size, color, material, lack of proper ventilation, etc. These do not include specialty boxes, which are in the expert tier.

For instance, the brand Nature’s Way carries several options of bluebird nest boxes. Most, if not all, have a very dark roof. Dark roofs and dark colored nest boxes become ovens in the summer and can lead to the death of chicks or eggs. Do not buy these unless you plan to paint the roofs white with a water-based paint.

Instead, after testing many nest boxes, we recommend the Woodlink BB3* model nest box. The reasons for this recommendation:

One thing to keep in mind – Woodlink is changing their model number on this nest box. The specifications appear to be the same, however.

Choosing the right pole

Never mount your bluebird house or nest box to a tree or wooden post because this easily enables predators to enter and it turns your nest box into a lunch box. Instead, use a metal pole where you can set the nest box at least 5 feet high.

There are several poles available on Amazon, but there are some important things to look for when shopping:

• Height: the height should be more than 60 inches above ground so that you can set your nest box at the proper height.
• Thickness: The pole should be at least 1″ in diameter or wider. Do not use shepherds hooks.
• Mounting brackets: Make sure your pole comes with mounting brackets to easily mount the nest box.
• Auger or driving option: Poles with a built-in auger (coil attachment) make it easier to get poles into the ground and back out if necessary.

There are a few options we really recommend from Amazon after testing them personally. Each meet the minimum requirements.

Choosing the right baffle

Baffles are objects that fit around a pole and prevent invading animals from accessing a bird feeder or nest box.

The right baffle needed for a nest box is a stovepipe baffle measuring at least 8″x24″. This will prevent invasion from raccoons, squirrels, smaller snakes, chipmunks, cats and many other nest box predators.

Without a baffle, your bird has no way of escaping when a predator invades a nest. Loosing an adult bird, especially a female, causes a bigger ecological loss.

You can find 8″x24″ stovepipe baffles on Amazon*. And when starting out, this is going to offer significant protection. However, a taller baffle (4-5 feet tall) is going to give you the best protection.

You can search for plans online to make your own baffle using duct pipe from the hardware store. The upside is that it is relatively cheap to do. The downside is that it is not an easy undertaking for those without the proper tools and know-how.

For more information about baffles, we have a detailed guide. We also have a great guide that explains the different predators to watch out for, and how you can protect your bluebirds from them.

Intermediate supplies for bluebird landlords

What we consider intermediate supplies are supplies that you’re going to begin to look for as you get more experience with bluebirds. You could be looking for these items during your first season with birds, and they are still essential because they protect your bluebirds. But they tend to be more niche and protect your bluebirds when you encounter certain situations.

Intermediate bluebird house supplies for bluebird landlords include sparrow spookers, wren guards, monofilament line, house sparrow and starling traps, and hole reducers.

Sparrow Spookers

A sparrow spooker is a rack with metallic streamers that is attached to the bluebird nest box after the first egg is laid and helps deter house sparrows and other potential invading birds from attacking your nest box.

House sparrows are not native to the US, and have become a major ecological problem. They are one of the biggest reasons purple martins depends almost exclusively on artificial nesting sites.

House sparrows routinely attack and kill bluebirds, chickadees, purple martins and other cavity nesting birds for the nest box. Sometimes, they attack and kill these birds and never take the nest box.

If you have spotted a house sparrow in your area, and have a a bluebird egg in your nest box, it’s time to get a sparrow spooker up. Quick action is important for bluebird survival.

In fact, we recommend making this a habit as soon as you have an egg. Even if you haven’t seen a house sparrow in your area doesn’t mean one might not wonder over. And when this happens, it is an absolutely heartbreaking situation.

We have a video tutorial about how to make an easy sparrow spooker. You can also search online for sparrow spookers.

Wren Guards

House wrens are a threat to bluebird chicks and eggs. They are native birds, and therefore we cannot intentionally trap or harm them. Nor should we discourage them from nesting or interfere with an active nest.

House wrens are known to invade active nests (even other house wren nests), poke the eggs and throw them out of the nest box. They will also toss out very young chicks with a goal of taking over the nest box.

If you have heard a house wren or seen a house wren in your area, and have at least one egg in your nest box, it is time to get a wren guard on your nest box.

A wren guard is a little hood or awning that fits over the nest box and hides the entry hole. The parent bluebirds who have an egg inside will remember where the entry hole is and will be able to get in and out of the box. But disguising the hole from other birds will minimize invasion.

You can make a wren guard out of cardboard easily. We have a video to do this:

We also have a great video about how to manage the two species, because sometimes you get both in your yard.

Monofilament Line (fishing line):

When you start working with bluebirds and talk to other bluebird landlords, you’ll discover just how problematic house sparrows and starlings are. One of the tricks to discourage invasion is to use fishing line near the entry hole.

For some reason, native birds don’t seem to have too much of an issue with this but house sparrows do.

We will say, that we have tested this, and it isn’t the best method for defense. For others, it has worked really well. Below is information about using fishing line (monofilament line) to discourage house sparrows.

• How to apply monofilament line
• Does monofilament work

House sparrow and starling traps

So what do you do when faced with a relentless house sparrow or starling? These birds are not native and invasive. Therefore, in most locations, it is permissible to trap and euthanize without the need of a permit.

That can sound pretty heavy, which is why this goes into the realm of intermediate supplies.

But if you’ve witnessed an attack, you will end up more motivated to take action.

If this sounds a little inhumane, that is absolutely understandable. Managing wildlife is not an easy job. To fix the problems our ancestors created, we have to do hard stuff that turns the stomach in order to make it better. And if you can’t do it – skip this section for now for now. That’s ok.

Another thing to consider, when thinking about cruelty is that the death a bluebird suffers from a house sparrow is by far crueler. It is slow and painful. Whereas euthanizing invasive species is meant to be instant and nearly painless.

When starting out trapping house sparrows and starlings, there are some important things to consider:

• that you can properly identify birds as either being a house sparrow/starling or not.
• you use live traps only. Avoid poisons, mouse traps and devices that may kill.
• that you watch your trap very closely. Check it every hour and release native birds
• during periods of very high heat or very low temperatures, we do not recommend you using these traps. You could unintentionally harm a native bird
• do not let neighbors see your traps. Use bushes or objects to conceal them. Neighbors might be upset to hear what you are doing.
• be sure to check your state and local ordinances
• trap only on your property. Do not do this on public grounds. You may get a fine or worse.

With that said, there are 2 common types of traps for house sparrows:

• Nest box trap – called the Van Ert trap
• Repeater/elevator trap

Both are live traps, which means they will not kill a bird. Never use things like poison, mouse traps or glue traps because you can poison other animals indirectly and kill native birds.

The Van Ert Nest box trap is a device that fits under the nest box entry hole and snaps shut, blocking the hole once a bird enters. You set this trap when you have seen a house sparrow going near the nest box.

It is ideal to use a decoy nest box when possible. A decoy box is a secondary box – maybe a not-as-nice box that is used for trapping invasive birds. You can also make this out of a cardboard box.

Between the Van Ert trap and repeater trap, we recommend starting with the Van Ert because it allows you to catch an immediate threat. But both types of traps are really good to have handy.

The repeating elevator trap is a trap with a trap door system and cage. The trap door is weighted so that when the house sparrow enters, it is lowered into the cage section, and the trap door lifts back up and resets automatically.

The repeating trap allows you to catch several house sparrows at a time, and is a great option when you have a flock or several in your area.

For starlings, you can purchase* or make funnel traps. Making a funnel trap is a great option, because you can size it as needed and trap flocks at a time.

Hole reducers and hole guards

A hole reducer is a metal plate that goes around the entry hole, reducing its size. This is a great option when you have a smaller bird using your bluebird nest box.

For instance, chickadees will often use bluebird nest boxes, and a smaller hole size prevents attacks or eviction.

Chickadees and house wrens are native cavity birds. And chickadees, especially, need help to survive. They only require a 1-1/8 inch hole size. By reducing the entry hole size to the most minimum, you can exclude house sparrows, tree swallows, bluebirds and other competing birds.

While you might have been hoping for a bluebird instead, don’t worry. Chickadees only have one brood per season. And they tend to nest earlier in the breeding season. As soon as they’re done, take the hole reducer off, clean out the box and you might get a bluebird right away.

You can find 1-1/8 inch hole reducers at your local bird store or on Amazon. If you’re in crunch for time, we have a tutorial about how to make a very very temporary one to buy you time.

Expert bluebird house supplies for bluebird landlords

Expert bluebird house supplies are like the bells and whistles of bluebirding. They include nest box cameras, specialty nest boxes and photography cameras.

Most of these items aren’t needed. But they usually feel necessary as you get more and more into the birding hobby.

We won’t spend much time on this section since these items aren’t absolutely necessary to bird survival.

The first thing we’ll talk about is nest box cameras. We have had the best luck with using Blink cameras from Amazon. In fact, we have whole playlists about how to install them, how to make them last, and their benefits.

Specialty nest boxes are nest boxes designed for special circumstances such as better escape or to deter predators. We have a great article that goes into detail about different nest box designs and the benefits and purpose of each design.

Cameras and lenses are another expert level accessory. We really have no advice in this department other than to be prepared to spend a few thousand dollars on telephoto lenses and a good DSLR camera.