There are probably dozens of good, very specific reasons to become a bluebirder. (A bluebirder is someone that provides housing for bluebirds, watches bluebirds, or is otherwise a bluebird enthusiast). In this article, I will describe five good reasons, but I will keep it on a very general, non-technical level. Bluebirding is a wonderful, engaging hobby for people of all ages, and you certainly do not need a degree in ornithology to enjoy it.

For example, greenhorns quickly learn that bluebirds prefer to live in open areas with scattered trees. Bluebirds will perch in the trees for a good vantage point from which to spot insects on the ground. Then they swoop down and - gulp! New bluebirders learn to place bluebird houses so that the entry hole faces away from prevailing winds so that, if it rains, the birdhouse doesn't flood.

Bluebirds, as well as other birds, will be attracted to water they can drink and bathe in. Plants like dogwood trees or bunchberry, a type of wildflower, are bluebird favorites.

Time will pass, but the opportunities for mental stimulation will never wane when you are dealing with creatures as charming and complex as bluebirds.

Bluebird enthusiasts live longer than non-bluebirders. Okay, that claim is completely unsubstantiated by any direct evidence, but allow me to make a case. I think everyone can agree that it won't shorten one's life span. I have never heard of any tragic, bluebird related deaths, and I don't even want to imagine how that scenario would play out. Now that we have established that bluebirding will not shorten a life, we have to ask, "Can it actually lengthen it?"

Many people, including some experts, believe that a relationship with animals - usually pets, but not necessarily so - has a directly positive impact on health. If you put up a bluebird house and you want to be successful in actually getting bluebirds to nest there, you will perform regular nest checks. Once a pair of bluebirds finds the birdhouse you have been maintaining for them, you will find that a bond with these wonderful birds is easily and quickly formed. Be careful that it doesn't become too personal a bond, as bluebirds are subject to predation, and it's only natural that a few won't survive the season.

Now you have a healthy bond with a little bluebird family, and you are getting much needed fresh air doing nest checks. I'm going to ask you to take it one step further. Put up two, three, or more bluebird houses in a "bluebird trail." A good idea is to place them along a highway or rural road, but any stretch of land that matches the bluebirds' habitat will do. Just make sure you can get to and from all the installed birdhouses. Each bluebird house should be placed from 100 to 300 yards (depending on species) from other bluebird houses - bluebirds are too competitive to live peaceably close together. Instead of starting up the car to go do nest checks, start up the pedometer. Walking from birdhouse to birdhouse is great exercise. What's more, it is not walking for the sake of walking; you will be doing something productive and interesting. Now that's a boost for the body, mind, and maybe even the soul!

This one goes hand in hand with that human-to-bluebird relationship I just mentioned, but it is a little bigger than that. Let me explain.

It is so easy for us to be caught up in the rat race that we forget about nearly everything else. We spend much of our lives working for money, spending money, and then worrying about making more money to replace what we just spent. It seems like there is no time left for anything else. There is, but you have to take it. If you take twenty or thirty minutes a day to focus on something as wholesome and rewarding as bluebirding, you will get those minutes back, and then some. Here's how it works.

For twenty to thirty minutes a day, you will allow yourself to focus only on bluebirds, their birdhouses, and their protection. Nest checks usually only take five or ten minutes per birdhouse, and you only have to do them once or twice per week. What do you do the rest of the time? Just watch them? Yes, if you like. Maybe you could plant some of those bunchberries, or other bluebird attracting plants. You can change the water in your birdbath, or install a drip to attract even more birds. You can coat the bottom half of the post to which the bluebird house is fastened with petroleum jelly to prevent snakes from climbing up. You could start a bluebird journal, noting the number of bluebirds, how many eggs they laid, the day you noticed the eggs had hatched, and how long it took the young to fledge (leave the nest).

You will definitely find that it feels good to connect with nature, even in this small, easy way. Allowing your mind to focus on only one area actually reinvigorates it. Your newly recharged and focused mind will be able to process information and situations more efficiently, which will ultimately give you your time back. (Of course, this technique of singular focus will be beneficial when applied to any constructive endeavor or interest - it is almost a form of meditation. My personal suggestion is in the area of birding.)

We humans are darn clever. Our creative faculties are what have ensured our survival as a species over hundreds of thousands of years. Over this time, I think it is possible that we have developed a sort of addiction to invention. Our ability to adapt to our surroundings is remarkable; our ability to adapt our surroundings to our wants and needs is astounding, and sometimes frightening. I think we are guilty of doing things for the sake of the doing - simply because we can. In the last century or so, we have been slowly coming to the realization that we should preemptively consider the consequences of our actions. Otherwise, we may find ourselves in a mess we cannot clean up.

I am not anti-progress, nor am I a technophobe. I am for conservation, consideration, and responsible stewardship. Attracting bluebirds to a bluebird house and helping to reestablish one of our beautiful native bird species is a wonderful example of such stewardship.

These days, it is okay to lean to the "green" a bit. Responsible stewardship is an ideal that crosses political, cultural, and racial barriers. You can make a small, but meaningful contribution one bluebird house at a time.

Many groups are available to bluebirders for the sharing of knowledge, stories, and ideas. There are international organizations like the Audubon Society and the North American Bluebird Society, and there are many regional and local birding groups. Whether you are a new owner of your first bluebird house, or you are a bluebird expert with decades of experience, these groups are always very welcoming and helpful. Most of these organizations are free to join, depending on voluntary donations to support operations. Participating in a bluebird club is a good way to make new friends while gaining insights and tips for better bluebirding success.

There is a reason that term came into being. Beyond the feeling of accomplishment you get from hosting a nesting pair of bluebirds in your bluebird house, there is the sense of fascination that comes from watching these endearing birds. Whether it is a hungry adult launching a surprise attack on an unsuspecting bug, or it is a fledgling taking its first flaps in flight, there is always something interesting and smile-inducing happening at a bluebird house. Why be a bluebirder, you ask? You want to be happy, don't you?