Blue Birds vs Bluebirds

Our common names for many species can cause confusion:

  • Sometimes people will tell you they saw a "blue bird" and you'll think they're talking about a bluebird, which in this area basically means an Eastern Bluebird.
  • Other times people will be unaware that there's a difference between the Eastern Bluebird and other blue birds.
While we have lots of birds that are bluish gray (including the aptly named Blue-gray Gnatcatcher) and some vibrantly blue birds that you don't see a lot (like the Indigo Bunting), there are actually some common blue birds we see more often than Eastern Bluebirds.

Here's a non-bluebird blue bird, the Blue Jay. These noisy birds are actually much larger than Eastern Bluebirds; confusing them is probably similar to confusing me with a Polar Bear.
May 3, 2023 at Duke Farms
Photo 278557206, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

The next bird, a Tree Swallow, has a shinier blue than the Eastern Bluebird, and as cavity nesters frequently compete with Eastern Bluebirds for nesting sites. As a fairly aggressive, pugnacious bird, they often take possessions of bird houses intended for bluebirds.

May 3, 2023 at Duke Farms
Photo 278557280, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

Finally, here is an actual male Eastern Bluebird [1].

May 3, 2023 at Duke Farms
Photo 278557621, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)		 

[1] Females have much more subdued coloring.


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