Uploaded March 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Bluebird-World of Birds
These beautiful and beloved little birds are considered harbingers of spring and in some places, their song can be heard even when snow is still on the ground. Unlike so many other animals, their status is of least concern, and their numbers are actually increasing. This is largely due to the fact that bluebirds have no trouble living around human beings and won’t hesitate to build a nest in a house provided for them. They return the favor by eating insect pests.
Eastern Bluebird Amazing facts
Some facts about the Eastern bluebird are:
They usually raise two broods a year. The chicks from the first brood sometimes help raise the chicks from the second.
The female is a little larger than the male.
Another interesting bluebird fact is that bluebirds aren’t really blue. Their blue coloration is a trick of the light. Check out a list of types of birds that appear blue.
Bluebirds who live in the northern and western parts of the range lay more eggs than those that live in the southern and eastern parts of the range.
The Eastern bluebird is about 7 inches long on average, with a 9.8 to 12.6 wingspan. The male has a back of pure, bright blue, a rusty breast, and a white belly. They have small beaks and short legs and weigh about an ounce. The female is a little larger, but her plumage is duller, and juveniles are brownish-gray with a bit of blue on the wings and tail. They have spots on their breast that disappear as they mature.
Eastern bluebirds tend to have a hunched look when they perch. The coloration of the juvenile and the female is probably protective and keeps them hidden from predators. Any blue in the plumage comes about when the light strikes proteins arranged a certain way in the feathers, for no bird can create blue pigment the way it can create red or yellow pigment.
Ornithologists believe that about 68 percent of the bluebird’s diet is made up of insects and other small invertebrates such as snails and grubs. Many of these animals are harmful to plants, so the bluebird’s diet is beneficial to humans. During the colder months when animal protein is scarce, the bluebird will subsist on berries found in the woods. This includes the berries of honeysuckle, which are poisonous to humans. Vegetation sprayed with pesticides are detrimental to bluebirds and was one reason their numbers declined during the middle years of the 20th century.
Bluebirds get their water from ponds and streams and also drink from and bathe in birdbaths. Since they prefer running water to still water, a human might install a device to agitate the water in the birdbath.
#worldofbirds #bluebird #birds
Bluebird-World of Birds
These beautiful and beloved little birds are considered harbingers of spring and in some places, their song can be heard even when snow is still on the ground. Unlike so many other animals, their status is of least concern, and their numbers are actually increasing. This is largely due to the fact that bluebirds have no trouble living around human beings and won’t hesitate to build a nest in a house provided for them. They return the favor by eating insect pests.
Eastern Bluebird Amazing facts
Some facts about the Eastern bluebird are:
They usually raise two broods a year. The chicks from the first brood sometimes help raise the chicks from the second.
The female is a little larger than the male.
Another interesting bluebird fact is that bluebirds aren’t really blue. Their blue coloration is a trick of the light. Check out a list of types of birds that appear blue.
Bluebirds who live in the northern and western parts of the range lay more eggs than those that live in the southern and eastern parts of the range.
The Eastern bluebird is about 7 inches long on average, with a 9.8 to 12.6 wingspan. The male has a back of pure, bright blue, a rusty breast, and a white belly. They have small beaks and short legs and weigh about an ounce. The female is a little larger, but her plumage is duller, and juveniles are brownish-gray with a bit of blue on the wings and tail. They have spots on their breast that disappear as they mature.
Eastern bluebirds tend to have a hunched look when they perch. The coloration of the juvenile and the female is probably protective and keeps them hidden from predators. Any blue in the plumage comes about when the light strikes proteins arranged a certain way in the feathers, for no bird can create blue pigment the way it can create red or yellow pigment.
Ornithologists believe that about 68 percent of the bluebird’s diet is made up of insects and other small invertebrates such as snails and grubs. Many of these animals are harmful to plants, so the bluebird’s diet is beneficial to humans. During the colder months when animal protein is scarce, the bluebird will subsist on berries found in the woods. This includes the berries of honeysuckle, which are poisonous to humans. Vegetation sprayed with pesticides are detrimental to bluebirds and was one reason their numbers declined during the middle years of the 20th century.
Bluebirds get their water from ponds and streams and also drink from and bathe in birdbaths. Since they prefer running water to still water, a human might install a device to agitate the water in the birdbath.
#worldofbirds #bluebird #birds
