Sparrow Resistant Bluebird Houses: Keeping Unwanted Visitors Out

Sparrows are often attracted to the same types of homes and areas that bluebirds choose to live in. This means they often steal bird houses from bluebirds as they are much more forceful birds and not as concerned about the placement of the bird house. When looking for bluebird house plans try to choose a design that offers sparrow resistant bluebird houses. Sparrows are also attracted to barns and farmyards so try to place your bluebird house at least a quarter mile from these areas to minimize the chance of it being taken over by sparrows. It also recommended placing more than one type of birdhouse in an area so that if sparrows do want to nest they will hopefully choose one of the other bird houses and leave the bluebirds to nest in peace. Sparrows usually nest at least five to fifteen feet apart from each other. Therefore if you place additional bird houses within these distances of each other you should cover all nesting sparrows in the area, and protect the bluebird house.

Sparrow Resistant Designs

There are specific designs of bluebird house that are resistant to sparrows. Slot entrances are a good idea as sparrows do not like these types of entrances on their nests. The slot entrance design is one of a wide narrow entrance rather than the usual round entrance usually featured on bird house designs. Sparrow resistant bluebird houses are usually designed a lot shallower than sparrows normally like to nest in. A conventional birdhouse is usually about ten inches deep, whereas sparrow resistant bluebird houses are normally around five inches deep. It is possible to purchase wooden inserts which can be placed inside the bluebird house to make it even shallower, to about three and a half inches. Bluebirds will still be happy to nest in bird houses at this depth but sparrows will disregard a bird house of this depth as a potential nesting spot.

If you are trying to attract bluebirds to your garden and want to build a bluebird house it is best to choose plans that offer sparrow resistant bluebird houses.