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The Eastern Bluebird, Sialia sialis, is a medium-sized
thrush found in open woodlands, farmlands and
orchards.
Adults have a white belly. Adult males are bright
blue on top and have a red throat and breast.
Adult females have duller blue wings and tail,
a brownish throat and breast and a grey crown
and back. Eastern Bluebirds are found in the Eastern
US as the name implies.
The population of the Eastern Bluebird in the
US declined seriously in the US and became critical
in the middle of the 1900s. The decline was due
to:
- Habitat destruction (loss of fields and nesting
cavities in split-rail fences)
- Pesticide use
- Nest predation of House Sparrow and European
Starlings.
Fortunately the species was rescued by a network
of birding enthusiasts who erected nesting boxes
for Bluebirds, with close monitoring necessary
to prevent House Sparrows from nesting in them.
They remain threatened, however, with competition
still prevalent from other species and in certain
states of the US they are difficult to spot.
The Bluebird is the state bird of Missouri and
New York.
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