(1998). These nests are small, cup-like structures lined with grass, feathers, stems, and hairs. The Eastern bluebird lays two clutches per season. According to the What Bird resource, the total population size of the Eastern bluebird is 10 million individuals. Eastern bluebirds are found in eastern North America and Central America, from southern Canada to Nicaragua. When repeated a number of times, the call sounds like the words “truly” or “purity”. Introduced species such as European starlings and house sparrows are competitors for nesting sites. Eastern chipmunks and flying squirrels like to eat eastern bluebird eggs. They use different songs for mating and territoriality, as well as other purposes. These birds can often be found on trees or fences that border meadows, scanning the clearings for food. 2. When feeding, they often fly from their perch to the ground in order to catch a prey item such as an insect. © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, © 2015- Eastern Bluebird on The IUCN Red List site -, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_bluebird, http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/22708550/0. When approached by a predator, the male makes a song-like warning cry. These little birds are easily recognized by the male's bright royal blue upper plumage, chest of reddish brown and white abdomen. These birds live in open woodlands, orchards, farmlands, and suburban areas. A male may sing as many as 1,000 songs an hour in his attempt to attract a mate. Range expansion of Barred Owls, part 2: facilitating ecological changes. When the weather is cooler and insects are scarce, it’ll also eat fruits and berries. Populations also occur across eastern North America and south as far as Nicaragua. If faced by a predator, an eastern bluebird will flick its wings and warble, and a male will make song-like warning cries. The northern edge of its range includes part of the Canadian provinces of south-central Saskatchewan, southern Manitoba, and central Ontario (See range map). Some young stay around the nest to help raise another brood. 3 to 5 white or sky blue eggs are laid, and incubation is by the female, for around 12 to 14 days. Range expansion of Barred Owls, part I: chronology and distribution. Gowaty PA, Plissner GH. They also use vocalizations to warn predators to stay away from their small, cup-like nests that are usually built inside old woodpecker holes. Fledglings are grayish in color, with speckled breasts. Bluebird Money Transfer orders can be picked up during Walmart store hours (typically 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time Monday through Saturday and 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Sunday, but hours may vary) at any Walmart MoneyCenter or customer service desk in the State or territory you specified in your order. [11], The eastern bluebird is found east of the Rockies, southern Canada to the Gulf states, and southeastern Arizona to Nicaragua. They also dwell on the islands of Cuba and Bermuda. Eastern bluebirds are social, and will sometimes gather in flocks of over a hundred. These birds are skilled fliers with incredible vision. 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 most common bluebird call sounds like “chur lee” or “chir wi”. [4] The type location is South Carolina. The eastern bluebird is the state bird of New York and Missouri.These birds can often be found on trees or fences that border meadows, scanning the clearings for food. [11] Females are lighter with gray on the head and back and some blue on their wings and tail. The bright-blue breeding plumage of the male, easily observed on a wire or open perch, makes this species a favorite of birders. These birds are monogamous, and a pair may mate with each other for more than just one season. Non-nesting adults face predation by all native species of falcons, owls, and most varieties of hawks, particularly those in the genus Accipiter. Original habitats probably included open, frequently burned pine savannas, beaver ponds, mature but open woods, and forest openings. More than half of an eastern bluebird’s diet consists of beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, and caterpillars. Mating occurs in the spring and summer. The bird has a round belly, long wings, and short legs. The female incubates the eggs, which hatch after 13 to 16 days. Female Eastern Bluebird. They use different songs for mating and territoriality, as well as other purposes. A male will display at a potential nest site to attract a female, bringing nest material, going in and out of a suitable hole, then perching above it, waving his wings. The eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis) is a small North American migratory thrush found in open woodlands, farmlands, and orchards. Most fledglings, or baby birds, leave the nest about three weeks after they hatch, but some stay to help their parents with the next batch of eggs. Birds that live farther north and in the west of the range tend to lay more eggs than eastern and southern birds.[17]. However, they are territorial during the breeding season and may continue to defend a feeding area throughout the winter. They prefer open land where there are scattered trees for nesting, perching and feeding.