New York State Bird
Eastern Bluebird

• Official New York State Bird: Eastern Bluebird
• Family: Turdidae, Thrushes
• Scientific name: Sialia sialis
• Length: 7" (18 cm)
• Diet: Insects, fruit, earthworms, snails, other invertebrates; especially berries. Young fed primarily insects. Hawking often from low perch, catching insects near ground. Very dependent on berries in winter.
• Voice: Song a pleasing soft phrase of mellow whitstles chiti WEEW wewidoo and variations. Call of similar pleasant musical quality: a soft, husky whistle jeew or jeew wiwi; also a short, dry chatter.
• Habitat: Found in open woodlands, farmlands, orchards.
• Displays: Courting male sings and flutters in front of female, wings half open, tail spread, then perches beside and preens female, and may offer food.
• Number of broods: 2, occasionally 3.
• Nest: Often in woodpecker-excavated cavity; loose cup of grass, weed stems, pine needles, twigs, occasionally with hair or feathers. Built in average of 10-11 days. Female occasionally builds more than one nest.
• Eggs: Averages 4-5 pale blue, occasionally white, unmarked eggs. 0.8" (21 mm).
• Incubation period: 12-14 days
• Fledge: 15-20 days after hatching
• Longevity Record: 10 Years and 5 months (according to USGS Bird Banding Lab)

The Eastern Bluebird was adopted as the New York State Bird in 1970.

New York Birds

The once-prolific, Eastern Bluebird has been making a comeback from low numbers in the 1950s. Many people provide special nesting boxes along fence rows for bluebirds, to supplement natural nesting cavities.

Bluebirds are the State Birds of three other States besides New York.
Go to Missouri State Bird (also the Eastern Bluebird).
Go to Idaho State Bird and Nevada State Bird (Mountain Bluebird).

For more information about bird houses or nest boxes for bluebirds:
Go to bluebird house plans.

Live Eastern Bluebird Webcam

Return to 50 State Birds Page

Get this cute Singing Eastern Bluebird Plush Toy. Design input from Audubon and the authentic Bluebird song is from the world famous Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

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