Eastern Bluebird

Description:

The Eastern Bluebird, Sialia sialis, is a small thrush found in open woodlands, farmlands and orchards, and most recently can be spotted in suburban areas. It is the state bird of Missouri[1] and New York. This species measures 16–21 cm (6.3–8.3 in) long, span 25–32 cm (9.8–13 in) across the wings and weigh 28–32 g (0.99–1.1 oz).[2] Adult males are bright blue on top and have a reddish brown throat and breast. Adult females have lighter blue wings and tail, a brownish throat and breast and a grey crown and back. Eastern Bluebirds are found east of the Rockies, southern Canada to the Gulf States and southeastern Arizona to Nicaragua. The bright blue breeding plumage of the male, easily observed on a wire or open perch, fluttering down to the mowed grass to capture a grasshopper, cricket or beetle makes this species a favorite of birders. The male's call includes sometimes soft warbles of jeew or chir-wi. Approximately two-thirds of the diet of an adult eastern bluebird consists of insects and other invertebrates. The remainder of the bird's diet is made up of wild fruits. Favored insect foods include grasshoppers, crickets, katydids, and beetles. Other food items include earthworms, spiders, millipedes, centipedes, sow bugs and snails. Fruits are especially important when insects are scarce in the winter months. Some preferred winter food sources include Dogwood, Hawthorn, Wild Grape, and Sumac and Hackberry seeds. Supplemental fruits eaten include Black Raspberries, Bayberries, Fruit of Honeysuckle, Virginia Creeper, Eastern Juniper and Pokeberries. Bluebirds feed by perching on a high point, such as a branch or fence post, and swooping down to catch insects on or near the ground. The availability of a winter food source will often determine whether or not a bird will migrate. If bluebirds do remain in a region for the winter, they will group and seek cover in heavy thickets, orchards, or other areas in which adequate food and cover resources are available. If you want to attract these species, put crunched-up peanuts in a feeder about four feet off the ground. Eastern bluebirds prefer to nest in woodlands where cavity holes excavated by a previous species will serve as their home. These woodlands must be near clearings or meadows because this is the preferred hunting ground of the species. River or creek access is an added benefit and preferred. Keep these things in mind when placing a nestbox on your property. Determined bluebird lovers may wish to pay attention to nestbox size (overly large boxes can invite deadly raids by non-native Common Starlings). The entrance hole should be 1 1/2" diameter for Eastern Bluebirds, and the box should have good ventilation. Active and/or passive pest control is also greatly useful against non-native House Sparrows -- these are small enough to enter bluebird boxes and kill bluebirds, destroy nests. Although doing well now, Eastern Bluebird populations declined to a level raising extinction fears by the 1960s, and in large part, the volunteer intervention of bluebird lovers in Eastern North America brought the species back by implementing the above. Such practices and the organizations promoting them remain important for stable populations today. An activist writes, "The most significant factor in the recent population recovery is volunteerism - by young and old - people like you - doing their part by putting up and monitoring nestboxes, spreading the word, and encouraging others to get involved."[6]

Habitat:

Eastern bluebirds prefer to nest in woodlands where cavity holes excavated by a previous species will serve as their home. These woodlands must be near clearings or meadows because this is the preferred hunting ground of the species. River or creek access is an added benefit and preferred. Keep these things in mind when placing a nestbox on your property. Determined bluebird lovers may wish to pay attention to nestbox size (overly large boxes can invite deadly raids by non-native Common Starlings). The entrance hole should be 1 1/2" diameter for Eastern Bluebirds, and the box should have good ventilation. Active and/or passive pest control is also greatly useful against non-native House Sparrows -- these are small enough to enter bluebird boxes and kill bluebirds, destroy nests. Although doing well now, Eastern Bluebird populations declined to a level raising extinction fears by the 1960s, and in large part, the volunteer intervention of bluebird lovers in Eastern North America brought the species back by implementing the above. Such practices and the organizations promoting them remain important for stable populations today. An activist writes, "The most significant factor in the recent population recovery is volunteerism - by young and old - people like you - doing their part by putting up and monitoring nestboxes, spreading the word, and encouraging others to get involved."

Notes:

State Bird! :D