Conservation Guardians of Northwest Illinois

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Eastern Bluebird: Sialia sialis

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Description  |  Status  |  Behavior  |  What You Can Do

 

Description

The bluebird carries the sky on its back. The male bluebird has brilliant blue back, wings, and head. The breast is rust colored. The female is has bluish wings, and the back and head tend toward gray. The breast of the female is a light rust color. Both are about 7 inches long from head to tail.

Status

Until recently, the bluebird was in sharp decline (up to 90% decline overall) due to competition from introduced species such as the starling and house sparrow. Other native species such as the house wren also compete with the bluebird for habitat.

Their preferred nesting site is abandoned woodpecker-excavated cavities in trees. As these sites have been lost due to development, the bluebird has further declined.

The comeback of the bluebird is due largely the efforts of bird enthusiasts who provided numerous nest boxes. The Natural Area Guardians have a very active program of establishing new nest boxes and monitoring the boxes during the breeding season. Locally, the result is an amazing success story, and we are now able to view bluebirds along many of the roads in the county.

Behavior

Bluebirds prefer nesting in open areas with an occasional small tree or shrub for perching. During the breeding season, a bluebird pair will have two or occasionally three broods. The number of pale blue eggs laid is usually four o five. The preferred food is fruit and insects.

Bluebirds usually migrate south in the winter, but occasionally they will stay here and feed on berries through the winter.

What You Can Do

Put up a bluebird box. Bluebirds still need help, and more boxes and individual monitors are needed. If you would like further information, you can send an e-mail to the chairperson of the Bluebird Recovery Program.

— This text and image originally appeared in Territory Times.