Eastern Bluebird, a species common across eastern North America. Often seen on telephone wires or nest boxes, these birds are known for their wavering calls and habit of dropping to the ground to catch insects.
The males display brilliant royal blue heads and backs with red-brown breasts, while females feature gray plumage with blue-tinged wings and tails.
Nesting boxes for bluebirds should be in place by early February and location is the key to success.
Preferences for bluebird box sites:
- Short, mowed grass, like a golf course or cemetery.
- Open land, similar to a meadow.
- Utility wires nearby, for bluebirds to perch while hunting insects below.
- No nearby buildings that might harbor house sparrows, which can invade nests and kill the young.
- An expanded front yard with a garden.
- Scattered knee-high bushes, such as those found in old fields.
- Well-established maturing trees.
How to Build a Bluebird Nest Box from National Audubon Society https://www.audubon.org/news/how-build-bluebird-nest-box
Learn more about the Eastern Bluebird from Cornell Lab All About Birds https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Bluebird/overview