The bluebirds are a

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

n group of medium-sized, mostly insectivorous or omnivorous birds in the order of Passerines in the genus ''Sialia'' of the

thrush ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' is an American spy fiction television series produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television and first broadcast on NBC. The series follows secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a secret ...

family (Turdidae). Bluebirds are one of the few thrush genera in the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

. Bluebirds have blue, or blue and rose beige, plumage. Female birds are less brightly colored than males, although color patterns are similar and there is no noticeable difference in size.

Taxonomy and species

The genus ''Sialia'' was introduced by the English naturalist

William John Swainson William John Swainson FLS, FRS (8 October 1789 – 6 December 1855), was an English ornithologist, malacologist, conchologist, entomologist and artist. Life Swainson was born in Dover Place, St Mary Newington, London, the eldest son of ...

in 1827 with the eastern bluebird (''Sialia sialis'') as the type species. A molecular phylogenetic study using mitochondrial sequences published in 2005 found that ''Sialia'', ''

Myadestes ''Myadestes'' is a genus of Solitaire (bird), solitaires, medium-sized mostly Insectivore, insectivorous birds in the thrush (bird), thrush family, Turdidae. They are found in the Americas and Hawaii, Hawaii, where several island species have b ...

'' (solitaires) and '' Neocossyphus'' (African ant-thrushes) formed a basal

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

in the family Turdidae. Within ''Sialia'' the mountain bluebird was sister to the eastern bluebird. The genus contains three species:

Behavior

Bluebirds are territorial and prefer open grassland with scattered trees. This is similar to the behavior of many species of woodpeckers. Bluebirds can typically produce between two and four broods during the spring and summer (March through August in the

Northeastern United States The Northeastern United States, also referred to as the Northeast, the East Coast, or the American Northeast, is a geographic region of the United States. It is located on the Atlantic coast of North America, with Canada to its north, the Southe ...

). Males identify potential nest sites and try to attract prospective female mates to those nesting sites with special behaviors that include singing and flapping wings, and then placing some material in a nesting box or cavity. If the female accepts the male and the nesting site, she alone builds the nest and incubates the eggs. Predators of young bluebirds in the nests can include snakes, cats, and raccoons. Bird species competing with bluebirds for nesting locations include the

common starling The common starling or European starling (''Sturnus vulgaris''), also known simply as the starling in Great Britain and Ireland, is a medium-sized passerine bird in the starling family, Sturnidae. It is about long and has glossy black plumage ...

, American crow, and

house sparrow The house sparrow (''Passer domesticus'') is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, found in most parts of the world. It is a small bird that has a typical length of and a mass of . Females and young birds are coloured pale brown and grey, a ...

, which take over the nesting sites of bluebirds, killing young, smashing eggs, and probably killing adult bluebirds. Western bluebird (male)

Bluebirds are attracted to platform bird feeders, filled with grubs of the darkling beetle, sold by many online bird product wholesalers as mealworms. Bluebirds will also eat raisins soaked in water. In addition, in winter bluebirds use backyard heated birdbaths. By the 1970s, bluebird numbers had declined by estimates ranging to 70% due to unsuccessful competition with

s and starlings, both introduced species, for nesting cavities, coupled with a decline in habitat. In late 2005, Cornell University's Laboratory of Ornithology reported bluebird sightings across the southern U.S. as part of its yearly Backyard Bird Count, a strong indication of the bluebird's return to the region. This upsurge can be attributed largely to a movement of volunteers establishing and maintaining bluebird trails.

In the garden

Bluebirds' consumption of insects make them popular with gardeners.

In culture

Iroquois

In traditional Iroquois cosmology, the call of the bluebird is believed to ward off the icy power of Sawiskera, also referred to as Flint, the spirit of the winter. Its call caused Sawiskera to flee in fear and the ice to recede.

As a symbol in songs

Bluebird of Happiness The symbol of a bluebird as the harbinger of happiness is found in many cultures and may date back thousands of years. Origins of idiom Chinese mythology One of the oldest examples of a blue bird in myth (found on oracle bone inscriptions of th ...

" is a song composed in 1934 by Sandor Harmati, with words by Edward Heyman and additional lyrics by Harry Parr-Davies. " (There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover" was composed in 1941 by Walter Kent to lyrics by Nat Burton looking forward to a time when World War II would be over. Burton was unaware that the bluebird was not indigenous to England. Vera Lynn popularised the song with her performances to the troops. Songwriters have portrayed the bluebird as a muse, as in the song "

Voices in the Sky "Voices in the Sky" is a hit 1968 single by the progressive rock band the Moody Blues, and it was written by their lead guitarist Justin Hayward. It was released as a single in June 1968, with " Dr. Livingstone, I Presume" on the B-side. It was l ...

" by the British rock group The Moody Blues, from their 1968 album '' In Search of the Lost Chord''. " Birdhouse in Your Soul", the 1989 ode to a nightlight by the band They Might Be Giants, references a “bluebird of friendliness” and a “blue canary” in its lyrics. The titular bluebird of the song "Birds", from the 2013 album ''

Government Plates ''Government Plates'' is the third studio album by experimental hip hop group Death Grips. It was released for free download on November 13, 2013, following the release of the single "Birds" in August 2013. It was also uploaded by the band to multi ...

'' by the Sacramento-based experimental hip hop group Death Grips, is thought to be referencing Charles Bukowski's poem "Bluebird", wherein bluebirds represent vulnerability that Bukowski felt as a result of

child abuse Child abuse (also called child endangerment or child maltreatment) is physical, sexual, and/or psychological maltreatment or neglect of a child or children, especially by a parent or a caregiver. Child abuse may include any act or failure to a ...

from his father. "Bluebird" is the title of Miranda Lambert's Country chart-topping late 2019 single from her album ''Wildcard'' . The song was co-written by Lambert who has said the song was a reference to the hope and optimism associated with bluebirds. The accompanying video for the song features a mountain bluebird.

References

External links

Eastern Bluebird
at All About Birds, The Cornell Lab—descriptions, including range, calls and physical description
Thrush videos
on the Internet Bird Collection
North American Bluebird Society

Sialis
��Information on bluebirds and their conservation and restoration. {{Authority control Birds of North America Taxa named by William John Swainson