Bird Gallery Index

Eastern Bluebird (male) image © Greg Lavaty

Family: (Turdidae) Thrushes

Preferred Habitat: Fields and open woods.

Seasonal Occurrence: Uncommon in all seasons. Breeds in our area.

Notes: Eastern Bluebirds are one of the most well-known and popular of North American birds. Their numbers were seriously declining in the 1960's because of lack of suitable nesting cavities. This has led to several campaigns which encourage building nest boxes and establishing bluebird trails. Bluebird trails on golf courses have become very popular. Helped by these efforts, bluebirds have made quite a comeback. The North American Bluebird Society website and a Texas Bluebird Society website both have extensive resources on bluebirds and nest boxes.

Eastern Bluebird (female) image © Greg Lavaty

Bluebirds prefer open habitat with sparse undercover. In Houston, they are found in our more rural areas. Bear Creek Park is one of the best locations within the city limits to see them, where they are quite common. They also occur regularly in the Spring area and at Brazos Bend State Park. Like other thrushes, bluebirds eat insects, berries and other small fruit. Immatures are heavily spotted with traces of blue plumage. The Houston Bird Survey has more information and a distribution map for the Eastern Bluebird.
- Susan Billetdeaux