Bluebirds are not usually found in the suburbs. They are a country resident and can sometimes be lured by homeowners settling in what we now call the “exurbs”, areas pretty far from the cities with fairly large open areas.
There are three members of bluebird family that cover the United States. While very similar, there some differences to note depending on where you live. Generally, each version is bright blue and depending on where you are standing you can figure you’ve got one of the three; they don’t overlap much.
Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis)
It’s hard to miss any of the bluebirds with their brilliant blue color. The eastern bluebird is 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 inches long. It has a rusty breast, with a blue head, back and tail. The belly leans towards white. The female is duller than the male. The range is east of the Rockies from Canada to the Gulf states and southeastern Arizona and south to Nicaragua. The eastern bluebird migrates south for the winter but there are more of them leaving later in the year and returning earlier. They do not go very far to the south, wintering in a line from Maryland through the middle of Kansas and southward.
Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana)
The western bluebird is about the same size (six inches to 7 1/2 inches) and color of the eastern bluebird. It has a rust-like breast moving to an off-white on the belly. The head, back and tail are blue. The range of the western bluebird is the mountain/desert areas to the pacific coast and from Canada to Mexico. The western bluebird - travels to the southern, and warmer, areas of its range during the colder weather.
Mountain bluebird (Sialia currucoides)
The mountain bluebird is turquoise-blue with a paler breast. The belly is nearly white. It is about seven inches long. There is a touch of blue on the rump, tail and wings. The range is Alaska, western Canada to the southwest United States. The mountain bluebird - travels to the warmer climates in its territory. The Mountain bluebird begins singing before dawn and abruptly stops at sunrise.
