Library #21 · C Color · Wave 2

Eastern Bluebird

Sialia sialis · Turdidae

A nest-box conservation icon — bright blue with a rusty breast.

At a glance

Size: 6.3–8.3 in
Wingspan: 9.8–12.6 in
Habitat: Open fields with nest boxes, orchards, golf edges
Diet: Insects, berries

Range: Eastern North America

Nesting: Cup of grass in a cavity or box; often multiple broods.

Coloring pose idea: At nest box entrance

Hear this bird

General call / song: Musical chur-wee; soft warbling song.

Mating / display: Male sings near the nest box and shows the cavity to the female.

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Play calls on All About Birds Species overview Audubon field guide

How to know it

Male: vivid blue above, rusty throat/breast, white belly.
Female: grayer blue with softer rust.
Upright posture on fences and wires.

Behavior

Cavity nester that uses nest boxes readily.
Hunts insects from a low perch.
Winter flocks roam berry bushes.

Fun facts

Nest-box trails helped recover populations after habitat loss.
Competes with House Sparrows and starlings for cavities.
State bird of Missouri and New York.

Companion page for the Birds Coloring Calendar series by R. J. D. B. Fact summaries are original educational text or short paraphrases with source links. Call playback via link to All About Birds / Cornell Lab. Re-test QR codes on a phone before final print. Not affiliated with Cornell Lab or Audubon.