Have you ever spotted a brilliant blue bird and thought “Oh look, a bluebird!”? While bluebirds are iconic with their vivid plumage, many people are surprised to learn that not every blue bird is actually a bluebird.
What Are Bluebirds?
In North America, there are only three true bluebird species – the Eastern Bluebird, Western Bluebird, and Mountain Bluebird. These delightful songbirds are relatively small, measuring just 6-8.5 inches from beak to tail feather tip.
True bluebirds have blue heads, backs, wings, and tails. But their breasts are a distinct reddish-brown color.
You’ll often see them perched on fence posts or hovering to catch insects in open, rural areas like fields and meadows. That’s because bluebirds prefer nesting in cavities like old woodpecker holes or nest boxes.
Other Common Blue-Colored Birds
But there are plenty of other birds that don the azure hue. Here are some of the most commonly misidentified as bluebirds:
Blue Jays
The Blue Jay is a larger bird, reaching up to 12 inches long. While blue, they have much bolder black and white markings like a black “necklace.” Their calls are also very loud and harsh compared to a bluebird’s gentle warble.
Indigo Buntings
Indigo Buntings are truly indigo all over – the males at least. Females are brown. These songbirds are smaller than bluebirds and have thicker, stubby beaks perfect for cracking seeds.
Lazuli Buntings
Out west, look for the pale azure Lazuli Bunting with its reddish-brown chest patch. These are often seen flitting about shrubby areas and forests edges in summer breeding grounds.
Swallows
Tree Swallows and Barn Swallows also have iridescent blue-green backs that can be confused for bluebirds from certain angles.
While incredibly beautiful, these birds are not true bluebirds. They belong to different avian families like buntings, jays, and swallows.
Key Identification Tips
- Get a feel for the overall size and shape. Is it stocky like a blue jay or slim like a bluebird?
- Notice the precise colors on the body, wings, and tail. A bluish bird with white patches is likely not a bluebird.
- Pay close attention to beak shape. Seed-eaters have thicker, stubbier beaks while insect-eaters like bluebirds have slimmer, pointed beaks.
- Observe behaviors like diving, gliding, walking on the ground, or flitting through bushes for clues.
- Listen for distinctive calls and study up on local species found in your region.
The Science of Blue Bird Feathers
No matter which blue beauty you’re admiring, that stunning color actually isn’t from pigments. It’s what’s called a “structural” color produced by the microscopic structure of the bird’s feathers.
The feathers are built in a way that allows them to refract and reflect only the blue wavelengths of light. Pretty cool, right? This is why that same blue color can look quite different in various lighting conditions or viewing angles. It’s really an optical illusion!
Bird experts believe structural blues evolved to be incredibly vivid attention-grabbers for attracting mates and asserting dominance. (ref) Whatever the reason, there’s no denying their striking impact.
Appreciating Our Blue Avian Diversity
The incredible spectrum of our blue-hued birds is simply breathtaking. Some may be show-stoppers in the sky with incredible aerial acrobatics while others stick to scratching on the ground.
Certain blue birds are regional specialties too. So appreciating them connects you to your natural surroundings in a special way. Whether it’s a bluebird or blue jay at your backyard feeder, take a moment to stop and really look at these natural wonders.
Read Next
If you’re looking to create a bluebird haven in your yard, planting the right flora is key. Here’s a list of 10 plants that will draw these beautiful birds to your garden, ensuring you enjoy their presence all year round.
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Nancy has been a plant person from an early age. That interest blossomed into a bachelor’s in biology from Elmira College and a master’s degree in horticulture and communications from the University of Kentucky. Nancy worked in plant taxonomy at the University of Florida and the L. H. Bailey Hortorium at Cornell University, and wrote and edited gardening books at Rodale Press in Emmaus, PA. Her interests are plant identification, gardening, hiking, and reading.