The bluebirds are a
North American
group of medium-sized, mostly insectivorous or omnivorous
bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...
s in the order of
Passerines
A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped'), which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines are distinguished from other orders of birds by th ...
in the genus ''Sialia'' of the
thrush 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
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
''Sialia'' was introduced by the English naturalist
William John Swainson in 1827 with the eastern bluebird (''Sialia sialis'') as the
type species
In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specime ...
. A molecular phylogenetic study using mitochondrial sequences published in 2005 found that
''Sialia'', ''
Myadestes
''Myadestes'' is a genus of solitaires, medium-sized mostly insectivorous birds in the thrush family, Turdidae.
They are found in the Americas and Hawaii, where several island species have become extinct.
Species in taxonomic order
* ''Mya ...
'' (solitaires) and ''
Neocossyphus
The ant thrushes are medium-sized insectivorous birds in the genus ''Neocossyphus'' of the thrush family Turdidae. These are African forest dwelling species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank o ...
'' (African ant-thrushes) formed a basal
clade in the family Turdidae. Within ''Sialia'' the mountain bluebird was
sister
A sister is a woman or a girl who shares one or more parents with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a family, familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to r ...
to the eastern bluebird.
The genus contains three species:
Behavior
![Mountainbluebird30](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Mountainbluebird30.JPG)
Bluebirds are territorial and prefer open grassland with scattered trees. This is similar to the behavior of many species of
woodpeckers
Woodpeckers are part of the bird family Picidae, which also includes the piculets, wrynecks, and sapsuckers. Members of this family are found worldwide, except for Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, Madagascar, and the extreme polar regions. ...
. Bluebirds can typically produce between two and four broods during the spring and summer (March through August in the
Northeastern United States). 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,
American crow
The American crow (''Corvus brachyrhynchos'') is a large passerine bird species of the family Corvidae. It is a common bird found throughout much of North America. American crows are the New World counterpart to the carrion crow of Europe an ...
, and
house sparrow, which take over the nesting sites of bluebirds, killing young, smashing eggs, and probably killing adult bluebirds.
![Western bluebird (male)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/Western_bluebird_%28male%29.jpg)
Bluebirds are attracted to platform bird feeders, filled with grubs of the darkling beetle, sold by many online bird product wholesalers as
mealworm
Mealworms are the larval form of the yellow mealworm beetle, ''Tenebrio molitor'', a species of darkling beetle. Like all holometabolic insects, they go through four life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Larvae typically measure about or ...
s. 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
house sparrows and
starlings
Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Sturnidae. The Sturnidae are named for the genus '' Sturnus'', which in turn comes from the Latin word for starling, ''sturnus''. Many Asian species, particularly the larger ones, ...
, both
introduced species
An introduced species, alien species, exotic species, adventive species, immigrant species, foreign species, non-indigenous species, or non-native species is a species living outside its native distributional range, but which has arrived ther ...
, 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
The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian-speaking confederacy of First Nations peoples in northeast North America/ Turtle Island. They were known during the colonial years to ...
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" 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
Walter Kent (born Walter Maurice Kaufman, November 29, 1911 – March 2, 1994) was an American composer and conductor. Some notable compositions are: " I'll Be Home for Christmas", "I'm Gonna Live Till I Die" and " (There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The ...
to lyrics by Nat Burton looking forward to a time when
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
would be over. Burton was unaware that the bluebird was not indigenous to England.
Vera Lynn
Dame Vera Margaret Lynn (; 20 March 191718 June 2020) was an English singer and entertainer whose musical recordings and performances were very popular during World War II. She is honorifically known as the " Forces' Sweetheart", having giv ...
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" by the British rock group
The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1964, initially consisting of keyboardist Mike Pinder, multi-instrumentalist Ray Thomas, guitarist Denny Laine, drummer Graeme Edge and bassist Clint Warwick. The g ...
, from their 1968 album ''
In Search of the Lost Chord
''In Search of the Lost Chord'' is the third album by The Moody Blues, released in July 1968 on the Deram label.
Content
''In Search of the Lost Chord'' is a concept album around a broad theme of quest and discovery, including world exploratio ...
''.
"
Birdhouse in Your Soul
"Birdhouse in Your Soul" is a song by American alternative rock band They Might Be Giants. It was released in late 1989 through Elektra Records as the lead single from the album ''Flood'', making the single the band's first release on a major labe ...
", the 1989 ode to a
nightlight
A nightlight is a small light fixture, usually electrical, placed for comfort or convenience in dark areas or areas that may become dark at certain times, such as at night or during an emergency. Small long-burning candles serving a similar fun ...
by the band
They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants (often abbreviated as TMBG) is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years, Flansburgh and Linnell frequently performed as a duo, often accompanied by a ...
, 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
)
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-based
experimental
An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when a ...
hip hop group
Death Grips
Death Grips is an American experimental hip hop group formed in 2010 in Sacramento, California. The group consists of Stefan Burnett, also known as MC Ride (vocals, lyrics), Zach Hill (drums, production, lyrics), and Andy Morin (keyboards, pr ...
, is thought to be referencing
Charles Bukowski
Henry Charles Bukowski ( ; born Heinrich Karl Bukowski, ; August 16, 1920 – March 9, 1994) was a German-American poet, novelist, and short story writer. His writing was influenced by the social, cultural, and economic ambience of his adopted ...
's
poem
Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings in ...
"Bluebird", wherein bluebirds represent vulnerability that Bukowski felt as a result of
child abuse from his father.
"Bluebird" is the title of
Miranda Lambert
Miranda Leigh Lambert (born November 10, 1983) is an American country singer and guitarist. Born in Longview, Texas, she started out in early 2001 when she released her self-titled debut album independently. In 2003, she finished in third place o ...
'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.
See also
*
Bluebird of happiness
References
External links
Eastern Bluebirdat All About Birds, The Cornell Lab—descriptions, including range, calls and physical description
Thrush videoson the Internet Bird Collection
North American Bluebird Society
SialisInformation on bluebirds and their conservation and restoration.
{{Authority control
Birds of North America
Taxa named by William John Swainson