Eastern Bluebird
This is the only bluebird that occurs east of the Great Plains.
About This Species
The Eastern Bluebird has a rust-colored throat, chest, and sides, with a white belly. The male has a brilliant dark-blue head and wings. The female has lighter gray-blue plumage in the same areas. The Eastern Bluebird has a hunched, round-shouldered appearance when perched. It can be distinguished from the Western Bluebird by the rust color on the sides of the neck, which the Western Bluebird does not have, and by the white belly, as opposed to the gray-blue belly of the Western Bluebird. The call is a rising "chur-LEE", which may be extended into a song that consists of a sustained series of warbles.
More Information:
Physical Characteristics
Length is 6½" to 7½".
Range
Year-round range of the Eastern Bluebird is from the central United States to the Gulf of Mexico. The breeding range is east of the Continental Divide, from southern Canada to the central United States. The winter range is western Texas and eastern New Mexico. In Colorado, the Eastern Bluebird is typically found only in the extreme northeastern tip of the state; however, individuals have been found as far west and as high as Rocky Mountain National Park.
Habitat
It is typically found in open woodlands, woodland edges, farmland, orchards, and towns. Typically seen in Colorado from mid-March through November.
Diet
The Eastern Bluebird eats many different insects including ants, beetles, and weevils, as well as spiders, earthworms, snails, caterpillars, and grasshoppers. It typically drops down from a perch to capture small insects in flight, but may also hover to pick up food on the ground. It also eats fruit and wild berries, such as the hackberry.
Reproduction
The Eastern Bluebird breeds in semi-open country from southern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. It typically nests in holes in trees and fence-posts though, like the Western and Mountain Bluebirds, it has adapted well to nesting boxes. It lays 4 to 7 pale blue eggs (occasionally white) without markings. The Eastern Bluebird has undergone a major decline in breeding in recent years due to competition for suitable nesting sites by European Starlings and House Sparrows. The population has also been reduced by harsh winters.