Landscaping for Bluebirds

Environmentally Responsible Planting for Bluebirds and Other Birds

QUICK TIPS: Plant native plants adapted to your climate from the list below that produce berries favored by bluebirds, especially some that will retain fruit through the fall and winter when insects are scarce. Best bets are flowering dogwood, foster holly, eastern red cedar, and american elderberry.

Bluebirds rarely eat birdseed (although they will occasionally take shelled sunflowerchips). 68% of their diet is made up of insects such as grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, spiders, and caterpillars. They enjoy mealworms. They may eat suet (see recipes), especially during winter months. They also like the fruit of plants such as flowering dogwood, eastern red cedar, holly, and pokeweed. (Bluebirds will swallow dogwood berries whole and then regurgitate the pits.) They may eat fruit in winter (when it may make up 50% of their diet), fall, and summer; and also in the spring, especially if insects are scarce.

Of course, plants offer other benefits. Evergreens offer year-round cover, refuge from predators and bad weather, and a safe place to roost at night. Trees purify the air. Plants may provide shelter/cover for wildlife. And the plants listed here may attract other animals, birds and insects as well–e.g., the fruit of the Pagoda Dogwood is eaten by at least 34 bird species, including the Downy Woodpecker, Brown Thrasher, Wood Thrush, Eastern Bluebird, and Cedar Waxwing. 

If you would like to attract bluebirds to your area and help supplement their diet, especially during lean winter months, you can plant the following berry-producing shrubs, trees and vines.

BEST BESTS: Flowering dogwood, foster holly, eastern red cedar, and american elderberry. Bluebirds have been confirmed to eat, and prefer the fruit from these plants. Some of the others listed below have not been confirmed (but are listed in many sources), or may be last resorts.

Before selecting plants, consider the following:

• Check with a local nursery or County Extension Service (especially if they have a Master Gardener), or look in a garden book to see if the plants will do well in your area and conditions. For example, in northeastern Connecticut, only plants rated for Zone 6 and lower will thrive. Refer to the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map to see what zone you live in.  (Zones were recently updated to reflect climate change.)
• Avoid invasive plants. Yes, bluebirds will eat the fruit of some of these exotic plants. In fact, one of the reasons their populations have exploded is because birds eat the fruit and then disperse the seeds when they defecate. But these alien plants can cause serious ecological harm, taking over whole habitats and choking out native species. Nationwide, three million acres are lost each year to invasive plants. In general, introduced plants are likely to invade or become noxious because they lack co-evolved competitors and natural enemies to control their populations. Go with native plants whenever possible–they are more likely to thrive in your area anyway. (An exception would be poison ivy for obvious reasons.)

Again, even though bluebirds may eat their fruit, the following non-native plants are invasive in some/all areas. If you are committed to responsible conservation, avoid these plants, and work to eradicate them if they are on your property. I’ve listed them in the table below also. Also be sure to get the correct SPECIES – for example native American Bittersweet (Celastrus scandens) is not invasive but Asian/Oriental Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb.) is extremely invasive.

• Autumn Olive – see Elaeagnus
• Barberry, especially Japanese (Berberis thunbergii), also European (Berberis vulgaris)
• Bradford/Callery Pear – Pyrus calleryana – recent cultivars bred to reduce splitting are not sterile and are invading distrubed areas in the eastern U.S.
• Cherry Silverberry – – see Elaeagnus
• Chinaberry/Umbrella Tree/Persian Lilac (Melia azedarach L.)
• Chinese Tallow Tree (Sapium sebiferum or Triadica sebifera)
• Common Privet (Ligustrum vulgare) and Japanese (L. japonicum)
• Cotoneasters – some like Franchet (Cotoneaster franchetti) and silverleaf (Cotoneaster pannosa)
• Dwarf Mistletoe (Arceuthobium spp.)
• Elaeagnus: Russian Olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia), Autumn Olive (E. umbellata), Cherry Silverberry (E. multiflora), Thorny Elaeagnus (E. pungens)
• English or Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)
• English Ivy (Hedera helix)
• Honeysuckles (11 species listed in some states) especially Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), also Tatarian Honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica)
• Leatherlef Mahonia (Mahoni bealei)
  Morrow Honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii) and their hybrids
• Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora Thunbergi)
• Porcelain Berry (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata (Maxim)
• Russian Olive – see Elaeagnus
• Oriental/Asiatic Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb.) – bright orange berries along the length of stems – American Bittersweet is not invasive
• Thorny Elaegnus see Elaeagnus
• White (wild) mulberry (Morus alba) – white berries

• Consider cultivars that may be hardier (e.g., disease-resistant), more attractive, and produce more fruit. For example, ‘Apple Serviceberry’ is a hybrid that produces larger leaves (with brilliant fall color), flowers and fruit than either of its parents.
• Consider the plant’s other qualities: How big will it get? What kind of soil and sunlight does it need? Does it transplant well? Does it need to be watered? Is the fruit toxic to humans/pets (e.g., pokeweed, poison ivy)? Is it susceptible to diseases common in your area? Will it make a mess (e.g., serviceberry drops twigs, fruit from pokeberry can leave stains)? What time of year does it produce fruit? (It is best to have food sources that span seasons, so plant a variety.)
• For plants that are dioecious (separate male and female plants), make sure you have at least one of each, or the female will not bear fruit.
• The fruit of the plants listed may vary in nutritional value. Look at when they produce fruit, and how long the fruit persists. For example, blackberry plants will not provide winter food for birds, whereas Eastern Red Cedar and holly will.
• Some fruits (like Holly) may look ripe, but cold weather (one or more freeze thaw cycles) is needed to convert the starches to sugars.

PLANTS THAT PRODUCE BERRIES BLUEBIRDS WILL EAT

Note: I am looking for confirmation – if you have witnessed bluebirds eating berries from a plant listed below with a “?” after it, please contact me. Plants highlighted in yellow (with an “#” after the common name are considered invasive in some/all areas and should never be planted.

This website focuses on Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis). See below for plants that Western Bluebirds (Sialia mexicana) may favor. Western Bluebirds are still in decline, so these natural, native food sources are particularly critical.

* Bluebirds will also eat poison ivy (Rhus radicans), and poison oak (Toxidendron diversilobum) berries, which are white.

They do not appear to like Nandina domestic (Heavenly bamboo, non-native) – a juvenile was witnessed trying to spit the fruit out.

Once the skin is broken bluebirds will peck at and eat apples, pears, figs, bing, sweet and sour cherries, and all types of grapes. Bluebirds will also feed on hickory, walnuts, chestnuts, pecans, butternuts, pig nuts and other nuts when other birds, animals or cars crush the shells so that they can get to the meat.

Western Bluebirds may eat berries from the following ([c] = confirmed). Many of these plants are drought tolerant. The liquid in the berries from plants like the Lemonadeberry may be as important to Southwestern birds during hot summer months as high-calorie berries are to Eastern birds during the winter.

• Baja Bird Bush (Ornithostaphylos oppositifolia)
• Big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata)
• Blackberries and raspberries (Rubus spp.) [c]
• California Fan Palm (Washingtonia filifera)- fibers also used for nesting material [c]
• California (Peruvian) Peppertree (Schinus molle) – hard pink berry. May be last resort food. Non-native. Need male and female. [c]
• Cascara (seeds) (Rhammus purshiana) [c]
• Chokecherries (Prunus virginiana) [c]
• Coffeeberry (Rhamnus californica)
• Coralberry (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus)
• Currant (Ribes spp.) [c]
• Dock (Rumex spp.) [c]
• Dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium pusillum)
• Dwarf sumac (Rhus copallina) [c]
• Elderberry
  • blackbead (Sambucus melanocarpa)
  • Blue (Sambucus caerulea – dry areas) [c]
  • Mexican (Sambucus mexicanus) [c]
  • Pacific Red (Sambucus callicarpa)
• Figs (Ficus spp.) [c]
• Grapes (Vitus spp.) [c]
• Juniper (Juniperus) [c]
• Hollyleaf Cherry (Prunus ilicifolia)
• Lantana (Lantana sp.)
• Laurel sumac (Rhus laurina)
• Lemonadeberry (Rhus integrifolia) [c]
• Mistletoe spp., Oak (e.g., Phoradendron coryae) [c] – observed drinking water repeatedly during feeding by Bob Schmalzel in Tucson
• Nightshade (Solanum spp.) [c]
• Redberry (Rhamnus crocea and Rhamnus ilicifolia) [c]
• Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia) [c]
• Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium) [c]
• Pacific madrone (Arbutus menziesii)
• Pepper tree (Schinus molle) [c]
• Poison Oak (Rhus diversiloba) [c]
• Prunes and cherries (Prunus spp.) [c]
• Smartweed (Polygonus spp.) [c]
• Toyon/Christmas Berry (Heteromeles arbutifolia) [c]
• Wild Rose (Rosa woodsii)

In addition to the fruit sources, you can add native plants that support edible insects and caterpillars, such as Coffeeberry, California Aster, Ceanothus, Baja Fairy Duster and Sticky Monkeyflower.

MORE INFORMATION & RESOURCES:

• Invasive Plants (Sialis.org)
• High quality, interesting video of bluebirds hanging around a nestbox, hacking up hackberry seeds , iwishicouldfly.com
• Conservation Landscaping – tips from the National Audubon Society
• Dogwood berries – collecting, feeding, ordering (Finch Homes for Bluebirds). Fruits keep well for about a month when stored in a cool, dry place. By Jack Finch.
• Favorite Fruiting Trees for Wildlife – Little Tchefunct Wildlife Habitat
• Planting for Wildlife
• Native Plant Societies
• Enjoying Bluebirds More, The Bluebird Landlord’s Handbook, J. Zickefoose
• Bluebirds Across Nebraska – Berry-producing plants that attract bluebirds
• The Bluebird Monitor’s Guide, C. Berger, K. Kridler, J. Griggs
• Bluebirds Forever, C. Toops
• Invasive.org – Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
• Index of Common Plant Names
• Plant Conservation Alliance list of invasive plants (by name, shows states)
• Stokes Bluebird Book, Donald and Lillian Stokes
• USDA Plants Database
• Southern plants to attract birds (Hummingbird Hill)

The goldenrod is yellow, The corn is turning brown, The trees in apple orchards With fruit are bending down.
~ Helen Hunt Jackson