What are the Different Types of Blue Birds

If you love bluebirds, like we do, then you'll love learning about all the different types of blue birds.

As you already probably know, the bluebird is a fan-favorite bird throughout North America. Their sweet sound and small blue bodies make them truly irresistible to bird and nature lovers alike.

There are three species of these colorful North American birds and they each love having easy access to bluebird feeders.

Eastern and western bluebirds have a reddish brown breast, which contrasts with their predominately blue plumage. Their relative, the (male) mountain bluebird is entirely blue.

• Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides) is a small migratory thrush that is found in mountainous districts of western North America.
  
  It has a light underbelly and black eyes. Adult males have thin bills and are bright turquoise-blue and somewhat lighter underneath. Adult females have duller blue wings and tail, grey breast, grey crown, throat and back.
  
  In fresh fall plumage, the female's throat and breast are tinged with red-orange, brownish near the flank contrasting with white tail underparts. 

• Western Bluebird is a small stocky bird with a length of 15 to 18 cm (5.9 to 7.1 in). The adult male is bright blue on top and on the throat with an orange breast and sides, a brownish patch on back, and a gray belly and undertail coverts.
  
  The adult female has a duller blue body, wings, and tail, a gray throat, a dull orange breast, and a gray belly and undertail coverts. Both sexes have a thin straight bill with a fairly short tail. Immature birds have duller colors than the adults, and have spots on their chest and back. 

• The eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis) is a small North American migratory thrush found in open woodlands, farmlands, and orchards.

The bright-blue breeding plumage of the male, easily observed on a wire or open perch, makes this species a favorite of birders and who doesn't love to watch them play in a backyard bird bath.

What are the different types of bluebirds?

While there are many birds in North America that are the color blue, not all birds are bluebirds.

Scrub Jays, Blue Jays, Great Blue Herons, Blue Grosbeaks, Cerulean Warblers, and others are all stunning in their blue getup. However, bluebirds are the only to have their official, or common, name be “bluebird.”

Bluebirds are in the thrush family, the same as American Robins and other thrushes, such as the Varied thrush, Wood Thrush, or Veery.

Eastern bluebirds are primarily found east of the Rockies, and range from Canada to Mexico and Honduras. They are much admired for their lovely coloring and for a distinctive song that many hear as “chur-lee, chur-lee.” The eastern bluebird is the state bird of both New York and Missouri.

Western bluebirds are found west of the Rocky Mountains from Canada to Mexico. The mountain bluebird also inhabits much of western North America—often at elevations above 7,000 feet.

By the 1970s, bluebird numbers had declined by estimates ranging to 70% due to unsuccessful competition with house sparrows and starlings, both introduced species, for nesting cavities, coupled with a decline in habitat.

In late 2005, Cornell University's Laboratory of Ornithology reported bluebird sightings across the southern U.S. as part of its yearly Backyard Bird Count, a strong indication of the bluebird's return to the region. This upsurge can be attributed largely to a movement of volunteers establishing and maintaining bluebird trails.

On Bird Lover Nest, you'll find the best feeders and supplies for bluebirds!