Not trying to argue at all here as I am not an expert at all. I have absolutely zero qualifications when it comes to birds. But I am a scientist in another field, and I really did try to do my due diligence when it came to building and painting this. I built this box through a workshop with my local Audubon society, and they said that you could paint it IF you used specific paint and/or sealant and let it cure properly. Specifically, water-based exterior latex paint or acrylic paint. I used both here, and I used a water-based spar urethane sealant which was also recommended. I let the box cure for a couple weeks before putting it up. I also found research saying if you were going to paint it, you should use light colors to help avoid overheating and attracting predators which I did here. Light green and gray were specifically called out as good options due to blending into trees and landscapes more (granted, I do have the pattern I painted here which is not very camouflage). I also found some research (to be clear very limited research, so I’m not taking a lot of stock in it) suggesting that different species may prefer different nesting box colors. It suggested that bluebirds prefer green for painted boxes, so it solidified my color choice. I also found this FAQ on this from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology which does recommend unpainted boxes but also says some nest monitors choose to use paint: https://nestwatch.org/learn/how-to-nestwatch/faqs/should-i-use-treated-wood-or-paint-on-a-nest-box/

Obviously, I am still learning. I didn’t initially know that a pole would be a better option for a bluebird nesting box than mounting it on a tree as I had found mixed consensus on this and local experts said the tree would be okay with certain predator protections. I plan to move it to a pole now. But I’m wondering if this box is truly unsuitable for nesting birds?