The Eastern Bluebird
There are three species of bluebirds with the Eastern Bluebird being the most common. This beautiful bird is making a comeback as more and more backyard birder are erecting bluebird boxes and evicting the squatters.
Look at me! I'm so Pretty.
Description
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. Eastern Bluebird
Eastern Bluebird
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Habitat
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. Birdhouses
Nesting Habits
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.
Eastern Bluebird
Eating Habits
Most of the Eastern Bluebird's diet is composed of insects, but 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. Voice
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
Great Books Featuring the Eastern Bluebird and other Songbirds
Interesting Trivia
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.
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Lizzy's Lensographies
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Busy Lizzy's Aquatic Birds
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Aquatic birds live on or near bodies of water. They acquire their food from the water, the shorelines, or animals within the same region. They include seabirds, such as gulls, pelicans, albatrosses, and ducks, swans and geese.
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Busy Lizzy's Birds of Prey
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Birds of Prey or Raptors are birds that usually hunt on the wing. They use their keen sense of sight to spot prey, swoop down, and capture it. They usually have large, powerful beaks and talons for tearing and piercing the flesh of their prey.
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Busy Lizzy's Backyard Birds
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As we go through life, some sights and events have a profound impact on our lives, while others flitter past unnoticed. Some passions can be traced back to that single pivotal point while others grow seemingly unnoticed for years. I am a morning pers...
Seen any interesting birds lately?
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naturegirl7
Hi Liz, Posted August 16, 2008 |
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poddys
Lovely lens, I do really enjoy your bird lenses. 5***** A very nice job. Posted July 22, 2008 |
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Evelyn_Saenz
My Bluebirds flew over to visit yours and love your lens so much that they are sending you virtual heart shaped waffles. Posted April 06, 2008 |
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bbug
I love birds. We feed them all winter and summer. I have only seen one or two Eastern Blue Birds in the last 1year. Love to read your lenses Posted March 30, 2008 |
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References used to construct this page.
Peterson, T.P. & Peterson, V.M. 2002. Birds of Eastern and Central North America, Fifth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, N.Y.
Cornell University Laboratory of Ornithology
Seattle Audubon Society
The Eastern Bluebird, Chipper Woods Observatory
