Eastern Bluebird

The Eastern Bluebird, Sialia sialis, is a medium-sized thrush.

Adults have a white belly. Adult males are bright blue on top and have a red throat and breast. Adult females have duller blue wings and tail, a brownish throat and breast and a grey crown and back.

Their breeding habitat is open country across eastern North America to Central America. They nest in cavities or in nest boxes. They have been displaced from their natural nesting locations by House Sparrows and European Starlings. This is the bluebird with the widest range.

Northern birds migrate to the southern parts of the range; southern birds are often permanent residents.

These birds wait on a perch and fly down to catch insects, sometimes catching them in midair. They mainly eat insects and berries.

Bluebird boxes are often placed in pairs where they are likely to be claimed by Tree Swallows; the swallow will prefer a bluebird as a neighbour to another tree swallow.

This is the state bird of Missouri and New York.