One of the earliest voices of spring in North America is the bluebird's. Bluebirds got their name from the males' bright blue feathers. All bluebirds belong to the thrush family; different species, or types, include the common, mountain, and western bluebirds. The common bluebird is the state bird of Missouri and New York. Where bluebirds liveBluebirds are found in fields, orchards, and gardens in North America. Common, or eastern, bluebirds live east of the Rocky Mountains, from northeastern Canada to the state of Florida. During the winter months, they migrate south to the middle states and the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. The mountain, or Arctic, bluebird can be found in the mountains of western North America. In winter, mountain bluebirds live in the southern United States and Mexico. The western bluebird lives from western Nevada and Idaho to the Pacific coast and north to British Columbia. It spends its winters in Mexico. Physical featuresBluebirds are about 7 inches (18 centimeters) long. The males are usually more colorful than the females. Different kinds of bluebirds have slightly different colors. Most males are blue with a chestnut-colored throat, breast, and sides. Females can be grayish blue or brownish gray. BehaviorBluebirds nest in enclosed spaces, such as a hollow tree, an abandoned woodpecker hole, a rotted fence post, a bird box, or even a mailbox. Bluebirds line the bottom of their nests with dry grasses. The female lays four to six bluish white eggs at a time. Bluebirds eat mostly insects and some fruit. Their diet makes them helpful to farmers because they keep harmful insects away from crops. |