Eastern bluebirds are small, round thrushes – most weighing no more than 32 grams. They flit and fly quickly throughout the landscape, pausing to rest on tree branches and standing out to our human eyes due to their rare blue color. It’s no wonder that they have become a symbol of happiness and cheer – they really are a delight to see.
At Irvine, we’ve installed over 60 of wooden bird boxes that are the perfect size and shape for bluebirds, so it’s common to see bustling bluebird parents collecting nesting materials and food across our property.
But a question was posed to me recently and it got me thinking: are bluebirds really blue?