Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Eastern Bluebird


Eastern Bluebird
The eastern bluebird is a small brightly colored song bird that is found in the eastern United States, Mexico, and parts of Central America. Birds living in the northern portion of the range are migratory and head south for the winter. Birds living in the southern portion of the range are year round residents. Eastern bluebirds prefer open habitat with some trees but very little undergrowth. They are often found in areas close to people, such as parks, golf courses, and farm fields. Because of this, and their bright color, they are commonly recognized by many people. They are also the state bird of Missouri and New York.
Eastern Bluebird
 Eastern bluebirds are cavity nesters. They nest in woodpecker excavations, tree cavities or nesting boxes. The female builds the nest by herself and it is made up primarily of grasses. Both parents help to raise the young and they often have two broods per year. They eat primarily insects, dropping down from a perch to grab an insect on the ground or snatch it from the air. They also eat berries and fruit, particularly during the winter when insects can not be found. Occasionally they will take larger prey such as a lizard or small snake.



5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Beautiful little bird, great capture too!
Thanks for sharing with us on ABC Wednesday!

ellen b. said...

Wonderful captures. I love birds!

Carole M. said...

OH; it's so beautiful, good to see it managed to find a good food source too

Roger Owen Green said...

Love the songbirds!
ROG, ABCW

Jen said...

The bluebirds are so pretty. I love seeing them. It's hard to imagine them with a snake, even a small one. I will have to pay closer attention.