Peterson Bluebird Nest Box Plans

For Eastern Bluebirds

Pencil drawing of a bluebird perched on a Peterson nest box in a meadow

The Peterson is a proven bluebird nest box, favored for its simplicity, ventilation and predator resistance. Its oval entrance, 1⅜" wide by 2¼" tall, mimics a natural cavity and is often favored by Eastern Bluebirds.

Buy on Etsy $10 · 19-page printable PDF · instant download

The design

An oval entrance, with no perch: bluebirds don't need one, and predators and competitors could take advantage of it.
A floor set on a slope toward the front, so moisture drains out on its own and no drainage holes are needed.
A sub-roof under the roof, which seals a cavity that helps insulate the nest from heat, and a roof overhang with drip kerfs to keep rain off the entrance and away from the box.
Two ¾" ventilation holes in each side.
A front door that pivots open for checking and cleaning, held shut by a cotter pin on a chain, so the pin is never lost in the grass.
Ladder kerfs cut inside the door.
An optional brass hole guard, so squirrels and other birds can't chew or peck the entrance larger.

I build the boxes to check the plans, and refine the instructions from what I learn. More about how the plans are made.

A page from the Peterson Bluebird Nest Box Plans: the Door

A page from the plan: the Door

What's in the plan

A page for each part, with its dimensions, hole placements and assembly steps: the back, sides, sub-roof, roof, floor and door, and the optional hole guard.
A diagram for making a template of the sides, so both come out the same.
Mounting on a pole or a post, and protecting the box from predators.
A sourced materials list, a cut sheet and an exploded view.

Materials

One 1 × 10 × 8' board of cedar, pine or another wood, and one 2 × 4 × 8'. Exterior screws, a brass cotter pin and chain, exterior sealant and wood glue, and a sheet of 24-gauge brass for the optional hole guard. The materials list in the plan names each one.

Where it goes

Mount it on a metal pole, such as 1" EMT conduit, with the entrance 5 to 7 feet up, in open habitat like a meadow, a pasture or the edge of a yard, away from dense brush. A baffle on the pole stops climbing predators. Keep boxes at least 100 yards apart.