Blue Beauties

Perhaps they aren’t the colors of Christmas, but the Eastern Bluebird is so beautiful and fun to observe that I just had to share it as part of the bird bonanza! Their vibrant blue confirms their namesake, and the deep orange on their chest is the perfect contrast. They are frequent visitors to the backyard feeders and usually arrive in pairs. Their striking colors always set them apart from other birds. 

So, let’s get to know these gorgeous birds a bit better. 

Did You Know:

• You can find Eastern Bluebirds in open country with patchy vegetation and large trees or nest boxes. Meadows, old fields, and golf courses are good places. Bluebirds typically sit in the open on power lines or along fences, with an alert, vertical posture. When they drop to the ground after an insect, they make a show of it, with fluttering wings and a fairly slow approach, followed by a quick return to the perch.

• The male Eastern Bluebird displays at his nest cavity to attract a female. He brings nest material to the hole, goes in and out, and waves his wings while perched above it. That is pretty much his contribution to nest building; only the female Eastern Bluebird builds the nest and incubates the eggs.

• Eastern Bluebirds occur across eastern North America and south as far as Nicaragua. Birds that live farther north and in the west of the range tend to lay more eggs than eastern and southern birds.

• Eastern Bluebirds eat mostly insects, wild fruit and berries. Occasionally, Eastern Bluebirds have also been observed capturing and eating larger prey items such as shrews, salamanders, snakes, lizards and tree frogs.

• The oldest recorded Eastern Bluebird was at least 10 years, 6 months old. It had been banded in New York in May 1989, and was found dead in South Carolina November 1999.

The above information and much more is available at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website. They are one of the leading authorities worldwide on birds. Click here to learn more.