Brilliant Blues and Rusty Hues

The Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) is a bird in the thrush family. That brilliant royal blue and red-brown or rusty chest form a beautiful color palette present in the male. The female still exhibits some blue, but it is paler and has gray tail feathers. This small bird can be found in grassland habitats and measures 6.3-8.3 in (16-21 cm) in length with a wingspan ranging from 9.8-12.6 in (25-32 cm).

They are common in North America and can also be found in Central America as far south as Nicaragua.

They love nesting in cavities and are unlikely to show up in your backyard feeder. They like eating insects. However, if you put up a nest box, you may attract a mating pair. If you would like to hear this bird’s songs, please visit All About Birds.

On one of my Master Naturalist class field trips, we visited Berry Springs Park and Preserve and saw over a dozen nest boxes being used by Eastern Bluebirds. The top two photos were captured at that park. The last two images are from the Pecan Springs Karst Preserve, another park where my naturalist chapter provides volunteer work.

That is the story behind the shots. If you liked this post, you may also be interested in others featuring Berry Springs Park and Preserve, Bird of the Week, Parks, Texas, and Wildlife. Until the next time, keep clicking and capturing the beauty your eyes find.

Posted for I.J. Khanewala’s Birds of the Week Invitation CXIII.