All About Bluebirds and How to Attract Them

Birders can't deny the beauty of bluebirds. They are often at the top of the wish list of colorful birds to spot on nature walks and wildlife photo safaris. And for backyard bird enthusiasts in climates with snow, it's a treat to spot bluebirds flocking at their feeders as dreary winter days shift to the vibrant spring season.

However, the striking blue hues aren't a result of pigmentation. Instead, the coloration comes from a complex arrangement of air bubbles and keratin (a protein-rich tissue found in feathers) that only reflects short blue wavelengths for us to see.

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We reached out to Margaret Rohde, the Conservation Manager for Wissahickon Trails in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, to learn more about wild bluebirds. She's been birding since she was six and is a North American Banding Council Certified Bird Bander. Rohde has worked in the field of wildlife and environmental conservation since 2011.

Where to Find Bluebirds In Nature

Rohde shared, "Bluebirds naturally live in the United States, Canada, and Mexico." They like open habitats such as fields, farmland, meadows, and wide roadside ditches where they hunt for insects. During the winter, they take cover at the edges of forests or in meadows where they source berries from fruit-bearing shrubs and trees including holly, flowering dogwood, and juniper.

If you're on the lookout for these beautiful songbirds, you'll discover three species: Western, Mountain, and Eastern.

• Eastern bluebirds: If you live east of the Rocky Mountains, in Canada's southern provinces, or in Central America, you can attract Eastern bluebirds to your backyard feeder.

• Western bluebirds: You can spot these birds in western parts of the United States, from California to western Texas, north into British Columbia, and south into central Mexico. They have the shortest range, or area they cover, of the three types of bluebirds.

• Mountain bluebirds: These beauties explore further into Canada as well as in the western and central parts of the United States. They partially overlap in range with the Western bluebirds.

About Bluebird Migration

So do bluebirds migrate? Sometimes.

"Some populations migrate, and some don't. One example might be bluebirds that spend the winter in the south might migrate north during the summer to breed, and some populations that live in the north might move south in the winter to find more food," Rohde explained. "In other parts of the country where temperatures are milder — especially in the winter — bluebirds may not migrate at all."

And a bluebird isn't just a blue bird. Each of these types has unique markings and characteristics known as "field marks."

How to Identify a Bluebird

As you venture out to area parks to try and spot a bluebird, look for a medium-sized bird approximately 7 inches long (about the size of a banana) with blue feathers on the back, tail, parts of the wings, and head. Most bluebirds also have areas of white and orange plumage.

Rohde shares these unique physical distinctions among the three species of wild bluebirds.

Eastern bluebirds

Eastern bluebirds have orange feathers that go up their throats to below their bills and a bit up into their necks, with white bellies and under-tail feathers. Their backs, wings, and tops of their heads are bright blue.

Western bluebirds

Western bluebirds are very similar, but they have rufous coloration (a rusty reddish-brown color) on their backs, as well as their chests, with less white on their bellies. The easiest way to tell them from Eastern bluebirds is by the extent of orange. In Western bluebirds, the orange doesn't go beyond the chest, while in Eastern bluebirds, it goes up into the throat.

Mountain bluebirds

Mountain bluebirds are the most distinct because they have no orange coloration and are blue across their back, head, wings, and tail. Their cheeks, throats, and chests are a paler blue that fades to mostly white on their lower belly and under tail feathers.

In all three species, females appear paler and duller in color than males, so you can use the same field marks to tell them apart.

Note: Be careful not to confuse the beautiful blue hues of blue jays with bluebirds. Jays have longer, thicker black beaks, black lines on their faces, as well as black barbs, or stripes, on their tails and parts of their wings. If you look closely, blue jays have funny feather tufts at the tops of their heads known as crests. This sometimes stands up like a small mohawk or can appear slicked back and flat.

How to Bring Bluebirds to Your Backyard

Eastern and Western bluebirds are foragers. They find tree branches to perch on with a clear view of the ground below, then dive down when they see tasty insects scurry by, using a technique called "drop hunting." Mountain bluebirds hunt this way too, but instead of perching, they hover over the ground, scanning for their next meal.

To attract bluebirds to your backyard, platform or feeder trays with a roof work well. Rohde says a bird-house style, or cage, works too, as long as the opening is big enough for bluebirds to navigate but too small for robins, starlings, and blue jays to enter.

If you're trying to attract as many species of birds to your yard as possible, the Kaytee Cedar Bird Bath Or Feeder is ideal. It can hold up to 3 three pounds of Kaytee Nut & Fruit Blend, has a drainage feature to prevent mold, and comes with a hanger to secure it to a tree branch or shepherd's hook.

Bluebirds love live mealworms. During the nesting season (typically late March through early August), offer live worms for the bluebirds to feed to their young in a feeder that has a glass, plastic, metal, or ceramic rim so the worms can't crawl out.

"Mealworms are popular with a lot of birds, so one way to make sure only bluebirds get them is to train the bluebirds by putting the mealworms out at the same time each day (morning is best). That way, they can beat other birds to them," Rohde shared.

In the cooler months, switch to dried mealworms. Mealworms are high in protein, offering our feathered friends extra energy. Scatter the snack on a tray or a platform feeder. Or, you can try a Kaytee Mealworm Cake that mixes dried worms with sunflower and safflower seeds. This cake offers less mess since there are no seed shells. This treat will also attract hungry woodpeckers, chickadees, and robins.

Bluebirds also enjoy sunflower chips (sunflower seeds without the hull), dried blueberries, dried cranberries, and raisins. In the winter when snow covers their natural food sources, suet will attract backyard bluebirds.

Fun Fact: Bluebirds Love Their Families

If you're lucky enough to find a bluebird nest on your property or in a park you frequent, you'll likely see activity there throughout the year.

Rohde explained that bluebirds sometimes practice cooperative breeding. This is when juveniles from an early spring nest stay close to help their parents feed and raise the young from late spring or summer nests.

"These family groups often stay together into the fall, and sometimes even into the winter," Rohde added.

Bring Bluebirds to Your Backyard

If you'd like to see more bluebirds in your yard, simply entice them with a few of their favorite treats and wait. These darling yard friends will gladly feast on the dried berries, mealworms, and sunflower chips you supply for them. Patience is key. It takes time for wild birds to find their way to your feeder and establish a routine of visiting your yard.

Are you ready to give your bird feeding station a few updates? Browse bird feeders and bird foods from Kaytee to bring bluebirds to your backyard.