Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) lives in open woodland areas across Eastern North America from southern Canada to Nicaragua. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Eastern Bluebird
- Eastern bluebirds tip the scales at just 27-34 g, a weight range that lets a 16-21 cm bird zip through the air at about 17 mph, fast enough to snatch insects yet light enough to perch on a thin fence wire. Their compact size and swift bursts of speed make them effective insect hunters, helping keep garden pest populations in check.
- A single female builds a nest in an abandoned woodpecker hole over roughly 10 days, then lays three to seven light-blue eggs that hatch after 13-16 days; the chicks stay in the nest another 15-20 days before fledging. Both parents feed the nestlings almost entirely insects.
- Eastern bluebirds can live up to 10 years and five months, yet most die within their first year, making long-lived individuals rare gems in a sea of short-lived birds. This stark contrast highlights the high mortality pressures, from predators like rat snakes and domestic cats to competition for nest sites, that shape the species' life-history strategy.
- Listening to birdsong in a restored forest cut participants' stress scores in half, from 6.4 to 3.2 on an 11-point scale, and boosted positive emotions. The study shows that even a modest, two-decade-old urban forest can deliver mental-health benefits, underscoring how preserving and planting bird-friendly green spaces can improve human well-being alongside wildlife conservation.
- From 1966-2015 the species grew by more than 1.5 % each year across most of its breeding range.
Sources
Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.
At a glance
RangeEastern North America from southern Canada to Nicaragua
HabitatOpen woodland areas
DietInsects and fruit
About the Eastern Bluebird
As the warmth of dawn awakens the forest, the Eastern Bluebird bursts into vibrant life, its iridescent feathers glimmering like sapphires as it flits between the trees, its gentle song a melodious serenade to the new day. With an effortless flutter of its wings, it dances through the air, its agility and grace a testament to its remarkable adaptability, as it navigates the intricate tapestry of branches and leaves with ease. In its fleeting moments of stillness, the bluebird's bright, inquisitive gaze shines like a beacon, illuminating the secrets of its enchanting world.
Hear the Eastern Bluebird, and 4,400+ more
Real recorded sounds, 11 nature games and a free Daily 5, 1v1 quiz duels, conservation wins and a safe Kids mode. Free on Feravox.
