The Eastern Bluebird

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The Eastern Bluebird is a relatively small bird measuring just 6 ½ inches in length. It is a blue bird with a rusty red breast and a white belly. Adult females have a duller blue-gray on their head and are brown across the back and wings. The breast and tail match the male. Juveniles look nothing like the adults. Its speckle breasted with a dull, grayish-brown head, but there is some tell-tale blue on its wings and tail.

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The Eastern Bluebird prefers open woodlands and farmlands with scattered trees. It can be found in rural gardens, orchards, and suburban gardens as long as there is open space nearby. They are partially migratory, leaving their northern territory when food becomes scares or the weather turns cold. They travel southward but stop as soon as the environmental conditions improve. They will return to their northern habitat as soon as the weather allows it. They can be seen east of the Rockies from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.

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Eastern Bluebirds are cavity nesters. They will use an abandoned woodpecker hole or a birdhouse if one is available. Competing with the sparrows and starlings for nesting sites has drastically impacted the number of Eastern Bluebirds. They're making a slow comeback as more and more people are hanging bird boxes and keeping them available by evicting the squatters until the bluebirds arrive. If you plan on putting up a nest box, place it on a pole 4 to 5 feet off the ground. Keep a close eye on it. If sparrows or starling start building a nest, keep removing it until the Eastern Bluebirds show up.

The Eastern Bluebird's nest is made of grass, plant stems, and pine needles. The interior is lined with soft material such as feathers, hair and grass. The clutch consists of 3 to 6 pale blue eggs. The young leave the nest within 15 to 20 days of hatching. The male will keep feeding the fledglings while the female starts building another nest.

Most of the Eastern Bluebird's diet is composed of insects, but they will occasionally eat berries and fruit. A birdfeeder filled with seeds doesn't appeal to them at all, but they will occasionally go for dried fruit or chopped peanuts. If you truly want to feed the Eastern Bluebirds nesting in your yard, place some mealworms on a tray feeder.

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The Eastern Bluebird is a songbird with a distinctive voice. Its chir-lee, chir-lee, is easy to recognize.

Listen to the song of the Eastern Bluebird: Sound Byte: Eastern Bluebird, National Park Service

Common Birds and Their Songs (Book and Audio CD)

This book-audio package provides a unique introduction to fifty of the most familiar birds of North America and the songs they sing. Common Birds and Their Songs will be valuable to anyone interested in birds, from beginner to expert. It's the perfect gift for any birder - or anyone with a bird feeder.

1. If a birdbath is available, the Eastern Bluebird will find it. If the water is moving, so much the better. Their bath time antics can be heard from quite a distance.
2. The Eastern Bluebird is an extremely social creature. They will gather in large flocks of a 100 or more.