Skip to Content

The 5 Best Bluebird Feeders That Actually Work

Attracting birds to the garden is easy when you know the lifestyle of that bird. Bluebirds are one of my favorites! So, naturally, finding the best bluebird feeders was on my “to do” list when we moved to our current property.

bluebird sitting on a white plate with mealworms

Bluebirds don’t actually like seeds. They LOVE mealworms. So, getting the right bird feeder for bluebirds is a matter of finding ones that can feature this type of food! That’s not always easy to accomplish.

Other things to keep in mind when looking for the right bluebird feeder are their size, their habits, and the sometimes pushier natures of everything else that wants the same meal they do.

You have to do everything you can to encourage bluebirds to your feeder. And whenever possible, make sure they’re not cheated out of their prize by other birds and animals.

bluebird feeding at a mealworm feeder

Fortunately, people have been having their hearts gladdened by bluebirds for thousands of years – that whole “bluebird of happiness” legend has a long history.

That means we’ve become pretty good at studying them and building feeders that offer them a meal that can’t be stolen by other animals.

So much so, that the market is competitive. So, how do you know which are the best bluebird feeders out there, and which only look pretty, but won’t bring the bluebirds you want round to your place for breakfast and a song?

Read our guide to the best bluebird feeders on the market and you won’t go wrong.

Love watching birds? Here are more feeders to attract birds to your yard.

Our rating:
Yellow star
Kettle Moraine Cedar Post Mount Bluebird Mealworm Feeder

Best Bluebird Feeders – Comparison Table

RANK
PRODUCT NAME
1
Kettle Moraine Cedar Post Bluebird Mealworm Feeder
2
More Birds 38200 SeedFeed Feeder Dish
3
Audubon Dome Top Seed and Bluebird Feeder
4
Erva Bluebird Feeder Designed to Keep Squirrels Out
5
Small Multi-purpose Bird Feed Dome

Best Bluebird Feeders – Reviews

Our Top Pick
Kettle Moraine Cedar Post Mount Bluebird Mealworm Feeder
Our rating:
Yellow star

Want bluebirds? Get mealworms. Mealworms are fillet mignon to bluebirds.

Unfortunately, they’re also fillet mignon to bigger, bossier birds.

So you need a feeder with access tailored specifically to bluebirds while stopping bigger birds and animals from helping themselves.

The Kettle Moraine Cedar Mealworm Feeder has two holes, each an inch and a half in diameter. Most bluebirds are slightly less than an inch and a half across, which is on the smaller side for garden birds.

The Kettle Moraine post mount feeder is an exclusive bluebird club, protected against the bigger birds who might try to steal a meal.

It’s built of cedar, a wood for all seasons, which encourages the bluebirds to stay a while. Its sharp edges have been smoothed out, and it’s held together with rustproof stainless steel screws, making it an all-weather venue. What’s more, the hinged roof means you can refill the feeder easily.

Occasionally, birds that fly in through the small holes can’t fly out again due to there being no pre-flight perch, but you can free them by lifting up the feeder’s Plexiglass side.

Pros
  • Bluebird-sized entry holes prevent food-theft
  • Cedarwood encourages longer stays
  • Easy to refill
Cons
  • No perch to assist exits

Best Bluebird Feeders – Buyers Guide

If you’re looking for a bluebird feeder, here’s what you need to know.

Are you going to position the feeder permanently, and if so where? Or will it be a hanging feeder that can be moved around to entice more bluebirds to your garden?

Mealworm bluebird feeder

Mealworm bluebird feeder

There’s a strong argument for using a mealworm feeder: some bluebirds won’t migrate if they have a regular food source where they are. If you’re diligent about refilling it, there’s no reason why your mealworm feeder shouldn’t be that food source. After all, it’s easier for the birds to get a meal from you than to find mealworms in the ground in colder weather.

So if you still want bluebirds later in the year, keep your mealworm feeder filled. That way, your feeder becomes a regular stop for the birds.

DutchCrafters Amish Made Hanging Bluebird Mealworm Feeder; Bluebird Hanging Feeder with Removable Sides (Blue & Bright Cedar)DutchCrafters Amish Made Hanging Bluebird Mealworm Feeder; Bluebird Hanging Feeder with Removable Sides (Blue & Bright Cedar)DutchCrafters Amish Made Hanging Bluebird Mealworm Feeder; Bluebird Hanging Feeder with Removable Sides (Blue & Bright Cedar)

Erva bluebird feeder

Erva bluebird feeders deliver four important things. They’re:

  1. a reliable diner for bluebirds and other smaller birds
  2. an impossible challenge for larger birds like starlings, which might otherwise steal the food.
  3. relatively safe from the likes of cats, who might otherwise try and eat the bluebirds
  4. they give all-around visibility for you, so you can enjoy watching the comings and goings of the birds

While there are many types and brands of bluebird feeders, Erva feeders are perhaps the most elegant examples of the ‘only small birds allowed’ philosophy which helps feed bluebirds reliably, without their meals being stolen by bigger creatures.

Bluebird feeders food

Kaytee Wild Bird Food Mealworms For Bluebirds, Wrens, Robins, Chickadees, Woodpeckers, Cardinals & Chickens, 17.6 Ounce

We know bluebirds love mealworms, but that’s by no means the only thing that can attract them to feeders. They’re small birds, more or less constantly on the move. So high-energy foods like suet and suet cakes will always find favor as they need to regularly recharge.

They also like foods high in natural sugars, like small slices of fruit. Be aware of scale though: these are small birds. Scale down your fruit slices to doll’s house size if you’re going to use them to give your visiting bluebirds a sugar-hit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where to place the bluebird feeder

Bluebird feeder hanging in an evergreen tree

Bluebirds usually like feeders that have space around them and are not too hot. So, avoid putting your feeder in the middle of a concrete patch standing close to your house. The crowded environment and the latent heat might discourage them from visiting it.

Also, don’t put it too close to walls or windows, because accidents can happen, especially if the bluebirds see their reflection and try to check it out.

Give your bluebird feeder as much air and space as possible. Ideally, put it somewhere shaded, where the bluebirds can check out the environment.

And of course, avoid putting it where potential predators might use your bluebird feeder as their own bluebird buffet.

So, where will you hang your bluebird feeder?

Even the best bluebird feeder is no good if the bluebirds don’t know it’s there.

Bluebirds nest quite high up. They also aren’t afraid of flying high. So if possible, to attract them to your feeder, hang it at least seven feet up. That way, it stands a better chance of catching their eye and drawing them in.

It’s the bluebird equivalent of putting advertising hoardings on the side of the freeway, where people will see them, rather than three miles down a dirt road, where they won’t.

5 best bluebird feeders
Website | + posts

Adriana Copaceanu is a passionate nature lover living in the country on her dream property where she grows vegetables, lavender, and wildflowers that she shares with the wildlife they attract. When she's not in the garden, she loves spending time with her chickens and planning her next nature project. Check out her books below:

How to Grow Lavender for Fun and Profit: Lessons Learned from Planting Three Hundred Lavender Plants

How to Raise Chickens for Eggs: A Guide to Raising Happy, Healthy Chickens for Nutritious, Organic Eggs at Home

Pin To Save For Later

Gardening Gift Basket Ideas

Sunday 13th of September 2020

[…] Bluebird feeders […]