Eastern Bluebirds Brighten Our Days

BirdNote^®
Eastern Bluebirds Brighten Our Days
Written by Ariana Remmel

This is BirdNote.

[Eastern Bluebird singing ML617085721]

If the cheerful melody of the Eastern Bluebird doesn't bring a smile to your face, perhaps its striking color and skillful acrobatics will brighten your day. Males are swathed in sapphire blue feathers with a rufous breast and white belly. The females wear demure shades of the same colors.

[Eastern Bluebird singing ML617085721]

Look for them along country roads, city parks, and other open woodlands with plenty of grassy patches where they can hunt for insects. These birds can spot a snack from 60 feet away before swooping down to pounce on their prey.

Bluebirds build their nests in cavities, like hollow trees and old woodpecker holes. In the early 20th century, Eastern Bluebird populations were on the decline as invasive House Sparrows and European Starlings took over available nesting sites. So backyard birders and conservation groups began putting up nest boxes and constructing bluebird trails to help restore their breeding habitat.

Thanks in large part to this community-led advocacy, Eastern Bluebirds are now thriving.

[Eastern Bluebird singing ML617085721]

For BirdNote, I'm Michael Stein.

Today’s show is in memory of Bud Oehler, whose trail of nest boxes helped bring Eastern Bluebirds back to Southwest Iowa.

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Senior Producer: Mark Bramhill
Producer: Sam Johnson
Managing Editor: Jazzi Johnson
Content Director: Jonese Franklin
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Eastern Bluebird ML617085721 recorded by Wil Hershberger.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2025 BirdNote February 2025
Narrator: Michael Stein

ID# EABL-01-2025-02-10    EABL-01

Reference:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Bluebird