Build a Bluebird House

Updated: Feb. 23, 2023

Attract these beautiful birds to your yard with this well-designed house.

bluebird house birdhouse
Bluebird populations declined during the first half of the last century as habitat loss and the introduction of “pest” bird species claimed many of the bluebird’s natural nesting sites. Now, however, bluebirds are making a dramatic comeback, thanks to thousands of dedicated folks who have put up bluebird nesting boxes. Here’s how to build a bluebird house for your yard.

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Nesting Sites and Boxes

Bluebirds hunt for their food on the ground, so they prefer pastures, meadows and other areas with low-cut grass interspersed with a few scattered trees. In populated areas, they’ll nest in golf courses, cemeteries, highway and utility rights-of-way, parks and pastures. Busy urban areas, densely wooded areas and intensively farmed areas (where there’s a lack of natural habitat) are some of their least favored nesting spots. Plus, check out how to build this bird feeder gazebo!

Here, you’ll see how to build one tried-and-true nesting box design, the Peterson bluebird box. It has an opening precisely sized for bluebirds, which helps exclude unwanted European starlings, plus it’s easy to clean out. As you’ll see in the project directions, pulling out the locking nail on one side allows the front of the house to tilt open for inspection and cleaning. This house can be made for three species of bluebirds, eastern, western and mountain, although the dimensions we give are for the eastern and western species. Mountain bluebirds need a larger (1-1/2-in. x 2-1/4-in.) entry hole.

Materials Required to Build a Bluebird House

You can use a variety of woods and plywood to build a bluebird house, as long as they’re weatherproof and not pressure treated. Pine or cedar boards, exterior plywood, even hardboard house siding can all be used. You can stain or paint the outside of your bluebird boxes a light color (gray or brownish gray), but always leave the inside and the edges of the entrance hole unfinished. The materials for your house will cost from $5 to $10. Experienced woodworkers can build one of these in an hour or two, and even novices should be able to build one in an afternoon.

Project Directions:

bluebird house birdhouse step 1

1. Cut and Drill Holes into Side Pieces

Cut out the two side pieces (Labeled “E” in the Shopping List in Project PDF’s below) from plywood or boards. Drill the ventilation holes, the pivot and locking nail holes in one piece. Drill a pivot hole alone in the other piece.

bluebird house birdhouse step 2

2. Cut Out the Rest of the Outside Piece

Cut parts A, B and C to rough length, out of a 2×4. If you’re going to mount the house on a metal T-post, part A can be 19 inches long. Otherwise, make it 30 inches. Then cut the angle on one end of parts A, B and C with your circular saw or jigsaw set at 27 degrees. Finally, cut the 45-degree end on part B. Since this part is short, clamp it down for safety.

Measure and cut door bluebird house

3. Measure and Cut Bluebird House Door

The next step to build a bluebird house is to cut part D from a 1×4 so the end is 45 degrees, and then reset your saw to cut the piece to final length. Cut the entry hole by drilling two overlapping holes with a 1-3/8- in. spade bit (1-1/2 in. for mountain bluebirds), then use a rasp to even out the edges. You can also use a jigsaw to cut the opening; just make sure you make it the exact size shown. Cut narrow saw kerfs on the inside of the front panel just below the entrance hole to give young bluebirds an extra toehold as they exit the box.

bluebird house roof

4. Cut and Place Roof

Cut the roof (F) to size. You can leave the ends square, or cut them at 63 degrees (with your circular saw set at 27 degrees) as we did.

bluebird house step 5

5. Nail the House Together

Assemble the house. Nail parts C and B to part A. Make sure C is 10-1/2 in. from the end of A. Nail the sides (E) to A, B and C so they’re flush with the back edge of A and the top edge of B. Lay the house on its back, and position the front (D) so there is a 5/8-in. gap between it and the roof (F). Hammer in nails for the pivots. Test the front to be sure it opens well, and then tap in the locking nail. Leave the nailhead sticking out so you can remove it easily when it’s time to clean out the house.

bluebird house birdhouse

Installation and Maintenance

Bluebird houses should be installed in late fall or early spring. Place them in pairs, 20 to 30 ft. apart, with 300 ft. between pairs. Placing them in pairs provides one nesting place for bluebirds, and another for tree swallows and other birds who might otherwise compete for a single spot (with the bluebird often losing!). Spacing the pairs 300 ft. apart also gives territorial bluebirds the  proper amount of space they need between each breeding pair. Keep the houses 200 ft. from bushes and trees, and if house wrens take over the boxes, move them even farther away from trees and shrubs.

Wooden fence posts and metal T-posts are acceptable for holding houses, but a baffle should be attached if cats, raccoons and other predators are present. The best way to mount the houses is on a 7-ft. piece of PVC pipe.

In the fall, clean out the boxes and leave the fronts open to prevent mice and house sparrows from nesting in them over the winter. In early spring, it’s time to close them up so they’re ready for the nesting season.

Because of the ease with which bluebirds can be attracted to nest boxes, and because setting out and maintaining a bluebird trail is an activity that has few restrictions, bluebird conservation has become one of the largest grassroots conservation activities in North America. It’s a worthwhile thing do for this beautiful gentle bird that, in the words of Henry David Thoreau, “…carries the sky on his back.”

Project PDFs:

Click the link below to download the shopping list for this project.

Shopping List