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;[[:Category:Sialia|Sialia]] sialis | ;[[:Category:Sialia|Sialia]] sialis | ||
==Identification== | ==Identification== | ||
| − | Length 16·5–21 cm 6½-8¼ in), Wingspan 33cm (13 in)<br /> | + | Length 16·5–21 cm (6½-8¼ in), Wingspan 33cm (13 in)<br /> |
'''Male''' | '''Male''' | ||
*Blue upperparts | *Blue upperparts | ||
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====Similar Species==== | ====Similar Species==== | ||
Similar to [[Western Bluebird]], which has a blue throat. Belly and undertail whiter, not as grey. | Similar to [[Western Bluebird]], which has a blue throat. Belly and undertail whiter, not as grey. | ||
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==Distribution== | ==Distribution== | ||
[[Image:609-10892fg Eastern Bluebird-1.JPG|thumb|350px|right|Female<br />Photo by {{user|bobsofpa|bobsofpa}}<br />[[Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area]], [[Pennsylvania]], [[USA]], July 2009]] | [[Image:609-10892fg Eastern Bluebird-1.JPG|thumb|350px|right|Female<br />Photo by {{user|bobsofpa|bobsofpa}}<br />[[Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area]], [[Pennsylvania]], [[USA]], July 2009]] | ||
Revision as of 04:06, 29 September 2016
- Sialia sialis
Identification
Length 16·5–21 cm (6½-8¼ in), Wingspan 33cm (13 in)
Male
- Blue upperparts
- Orange throat, sides of neck, and chest
- White belly
- Blackish tips on tail
- Black eyes and legs
Female: similar, but drabber, with rusty colour in place of orange, and grey nape
Juvenile: has speckled breast.
Similar Species
Similar to Western Bluebird, which has a blue throat. Belly and undertail whiter, not as grey.
Distribution
Eastern Bluebirds are found east of the Rockies, southern Canada to the Gulf States and south-eastern Arizona and winters south to Nicaragua.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
This is a polytypic species, consisting of seven subspecies in two groups[1]:
Eastern Group
- S. s. sialis:
- Breeds in eastern North America, from southern Canada to north-eastern Mexico (southern Tamaulipas); winters from eastern United States to northern Mexico, rarely to Cuba
- S. s. bermudensis:
Guatemala Group
- S. s. fulva:
- S. s. nidificans:
- Mexico (south-western Tamaulipas to central Veracruz)
- S. s. guatemalae:
- Southern Mexico (Chiapas) and Guatemala
- S. s. meridionalis:
- Northern El Salvador, central and western Honduras, and north-central Nicaragua; birds from western Belize probably also this subspecies
- S. s. caribaea:
- Eastern Honduras and north-eastern Nicaragua
Habitat
Found in open stands of mature pine woods and dead trees, farmlands and orchards.
Behaviour
The bright blue breeding plumage of the male, makes it easy to see when perched on a wire or open perch, prior to fluttering down to the ground to feed.
Diet
The diet consists of insects such as grasshoppers, crickets or beetles during the summer with fruit and berries added in the autumn and winter months. Feeds mostly in open to semi-open areas.
Breeding
Nests in cavities including in bird houses, and compete with other cavity nesters.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved September 2016)
- Wikipedia
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Eastern Bluebird. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 25 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Eastern_Bluebird
External Links
