Gaston's White River Resort Nature Trails
Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis)
Manford's Gallery Of Photos
A Five Paw Rated Site
Eastern Bluebird
(Sialia sialis)
Click On Any Photo For A Larger View
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Size: 16-21 cm (6-8 in)
Wingspan: 25-32 cm (10-13 in)
Weight: 28-32 g (0.99-1.13
ounces)
Medium-sized songbird; small thrush.
Head large and round.
Wings and tail blue.
Chest reddish-orange.
Body chunky.
Tail short.
Bill black, short, and stout.
Some blue on both sexes.
Head, back, wings, and tail bright blue. Throat, chest, and flanks red-orange, extending onto sides of neck. Chin white or red-orange. Lower belly and undertail white. Outer tail feather with narrow white border.
Duller and not as extensively blue as male. Blue-gray upperparts, with gray-brown wash across back. May have suggestion of white eyering. Wings and tail washed with dull blue. Underparts red-orange, paler than male. Belly and undertail white. White on outer tail feather broader than on male.
Juvenile with spotted chest and back, blue in wings and tail. Immature similar to adults, but duller.
Western Bluebird male has dark throat and chestnut extending onto back.
Female bluebirds are all similar in appearance. Western and Mountain bluebirds have dark or dusky, not white, chins; little contrast between white of belly and reddish on chest; throat color does not extend onto side of neck.
Mountain Bluebird has gray chest with little if any orange, longer bill, longer legs, and longer wings that nearly reach the end of the tail when folded.
Copyright Jim Gaston 11.10.07
