March 26, 2001

     Bluebirds

Eastern bluebirds return to Minnesota in greatest numbers between mid-March and  mid-April from wintering sites in states south.  This beautiful American songbird is a favorite of many people, and bird enthusiasts eagerly await its arrival each spring.

The bluebird is a member of the thrush family and so is related to the American robin.   They are about two-thirds the size of a robin.  The male is bright blue with a reddish-brown breast and white belly; the female is duller.

Bluebirds become summer residents throughout the state wherever suitable habitat and nesting sites are available.  However, they are not found in the dense northern forests and are rare on open prairie.

Ideal bluebird habitat is made up of mixed hardwood forests and grasslands.  The grassy areas might be meadows, pastures, large yards or edges of highways.  The transition zone between grassland and forest provides the nesting and feeding habitat necessary for bluebirds.

Bluebirds prefer insects such as grasshoppers, crickets and beetles, although they also eat spiders and wild fruits.  They prefer to flutter from fences, wires or low trees to the grass to pick up their food.  Nests are built in tree cavities, old woodpecker holes, hollow rotted fence posts or nesting boxes