Eastern Bluebird

There are three different types of bluebirds that can be found across North America. There is the western bluebird, which is found on the west coast as well as the south western US down into Mexico, the mountain bluebird, whose range includes most of the western half of North America including much which overlaps the range of the western bluebird, and the eastern bluebird, which inhabits most of the eastern half of North America.

The eastern bluebird is the smallest of the three types of bluebirds and the kind that we see around here in Minnesota, although from time to time a stray mountain bluebird may show up. Since much of their food comes from insects most eastern bluebirds leave this area during the winter, however there are frequently eastern bluebirds spotted during the Christmas counts in the area suggesting that a few stay in the area at least through the end of the year. These stragglers probably survive by eating left over berries off of trees and bushes. These pics were taken in October at the Necedah NWR in Wisconsin.