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Photo: Sandysphotos2009 / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

The Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) is a member of the Turdidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 27.5 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

  1. Class Aves
  2. Order Passeriformes
  3. Family Turdidae Thrushes
  4. Genus Sialia
  5. Species sialis

Where it lives

Eastern, central NA to Nicaragua

Quick facts

Weight
27.5 g
Family
Turdidae
Habitat
Woodland

How to identify

Male vs female

Male is vivid royal/cobalt-blue above with a rusty-orange throat and breast and white belly; female is grayish above with only bluish tinges in the wings and tail and a paler, more subdued orange breast.

Juvenile appearance

Juveniles of both sexes are grayish-brown with heavy white spotting/scalloping on the breast and back (thrush-like), showing variable blue in the wings and tail.

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Eastern Bluebird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Behaviour

A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.

Migration

The Eastern Bluebird is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.

The Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) belongs to the Turdidae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA e, c NA to Nicaragua.

It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 27.5 g, with a wing length of about 9.6 cm and a tail of around 6.3 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

The species has a mapped global range of roughly 5.5 million km².

Songs & calls

Eastern Bluebird — Call, subsong

Recorded by Rory Nefdt Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Eastern Bluebird?

The Eastern Bluebird is a small bird that weighs around 27.5 g.

Where does the Eastern Bluebird live?

The Eastern Bluebird is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA e, c NA to Nicaragua, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.

What family does the Eastern Bluebird belong to?

The Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) belongs to the Turdidae family, in the order Passeriformes.

What does the Eastern Bluebird eat?

The Eastern Bluebird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Does the Eastern Bluebird migrate?

The Eastern Bluebird is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.

Is the Eastern Bluebird endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Eastern Bluebird make?

1 real field recording of the Eastern Bluebird — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Eastern Bluebird's range?

The Eastern Bluebird has a mapped global range of about 5.5 million km².

Conservation

Least Concern

Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.

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