Sialia sialis
female
The Eastern Bluebird is a colorful and familiar songbird. The sexes are dissimilar. Adult males have blue upperparts, and a capped appearance to the head created by the orange-red partial collar. The throat, breast, and flanks are also orange-red, and the belly and undertail are white. Adult females have gray-brown upperparts with a blue tail and flight feathers. The throat, partial collar, and breast are suffused orange while the belly and undertail are white. Juveniles are brown, darker above than below, and with pale spots on the upperparts and scaly-looking underparts.
The Eastern Bluebird is present as a breeding species in the north of its range mainly from April to September. It is present year-round in southern U.S.A. and its winter range extends to Mexico. The species nests in treeholes and will use nestboxes; it has suffered from competition for nest sites from European Starlings and House Sparrows. Outside the breeding season it forms flocks, when berries and fruits feature in the diet.
juvenile
male
FACT FILE
LENGTH 7 in (18 cm)
FOOD Invertebrates and fruit
HABITAT Open woodland, parks, and gardens
STATUS Widespread, fairly common but declining summer visitor; present year-round in the south
VOICE Song is a series of warbling phrases. Call is a disyllabic tchu-lee
