Types of Blue Birds 

There are many types of blue birds that you can encounter across North America. This article will discuss the most common types of bluebirds and what they look like.

Blue Jay

Scientific name: Cyanocitta cristata

The Blue Jay is one of the most adaptable birds in North America and has even adapted to living close to human habitations. They spend their time in the forest, woodlands, and meadows and are often seen hunting for insects and acorns.

It has a black head, a white back, and a blue body with a red chest. This bird eats mainly insects and seeds but occasionally eats meat. The Blue Jay also likes to build nests in trees or buildings with artificial materials, such as wires and even plastic bags.

Belted Kingfishers 

Scientific name: Megaceryle alcyon

Belted Kingfishers are small birds, measuring about 8 inches in length. They are brightly colored with a band of black and white across their chest. Belted Kingfishers can be found throughout North America and into the southernmost regions of South America. 

They prefer to live near water, ponds, lakes, marshes, or rivers. They are most common in the eastern United States. and Canada. 

Belted Kingfishers are somewhat omnivorous, feeding on small fish and invertebrates. They also eat rodents and other small animals, such as amphibians. In the southern part of their range, they may be preyed upon by birds of prey, including Bald Eagles and Cooper’s Hawks.

 They nest in trees or shrubs near water, usually in a cattail marsh like those found in Florida’s prairies.

Steller’s Jays

Scientific name: Cyanocitta stelleri

Steller’s jays are a bird native to North America. They are members of the Corvidae family, including crows, ravens, rooks, and jackdaws. Steller’s jays are found in coniferous forests and mixed woodlands. They can be seen year-round in the northern part of their range but migrate south during winter. The name “Steller’s Jay” is derived from the German zoologist Peter Simon Pallas who first described this species in 1764.

The word “jay” is thought to be derived from “geese,” as these birds were mistaken for geese when Europeans first saw them. Steller’s jays are noisy and gregarious birds with loud, sometimes harsh-sounding calls and various clucking sounds. 

They have white plumage with brown wings, dark eye circles, and a bright yellow patch on the back of the head, which can be seen in flight. Their wings are shorter and thicker than other corvid species. 

They have an average lifespan of under ten years in captivity. Steller’s jays are omnivorous and feed primarily on invertebrates, although they have been known to eat small reptiles, amphibians, and some plant matter. 

These birds are generally found in coniferous forests, open woodlands, scrubland, or any other habitat with a mixture of vegetation. They are migratory and commonly seen in North America during summer.

This bird’s diet consists of various seeds, leaves, and berries. Their habitats range from the Arctic to the Andes Mountains. They can be found as far south as Central America or northern Mexico in winter.

Blue Grosbeak

Scientific name: Passerina caerulea

The blue grosbeak is a bird living in North America with a blue head, neck, and wings. The blue grosbeak is one of the most common birds in North America. It lives in open woodlands, thickets, and scrubby areas near water. 

The blue grosbeak has a gray body, and its wings are black. It has a bright yellow eye with dark lines around it. The blue grosbeak also has a long tail that it uses to balance while perched on branches or wire fences. The blue grosbeak is found in North America. 

The blue grosbeak eats insects primarily, but it will eat all kinds of things that are small enough to fit in its mouth. It has a long thin beak with a pale band near the tip and dark bars on top and bottom. The blue grosbeaek’s tongue is black at the end and orange at the front. Its eyes are yellow with dark rings around them.

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

Scientific name: Polioptila caerulea

The blue-gray gnatcatcher is a small bird that lives in the southwestern United States and Mexico. These birds are mainly insectivores, but they also eat fruit and nectar. They live in desert scrub, woodland, and chaparral habitats. 

Black-Throated Blue Warbler 

Scientific name: Setophaga caerulescens

The black-throated blue warbler is a small bird with a long tail. It is mainly seen in the eastern United States and Canada, but it can also be found in some parts of Mexico. This bird species has a distinctive and beautiful song that can be heard from far away. 

The black-throated blue warbler is a small bird with a tail almost twice as long as its body. The black-throated blue warbler’s diet consists mainly of insects, spiders, and fruit. They are often seen eating berries on trees or catching insects on the ground.

Its head, back, and wings have brown, black, and white feathers. Its belly is a yellowish-beige color. It has a long thin bill that is primarily blue. Its feet are orange with dark claws, and it has small brown eyes. It sings loudly during mating season which can be heard from miles away.

Indigo Bunting

Scientific name: Passerina cyanea

Indigo bunting is a type of bird that is native to North America. The males are usually dark blue, while the females are browner. They have a white stripe on their wings and tail feathers. Indıgo buntıngs are migratory birds that travel up to 7,000 miles in one year.

They live in lowland areas with dense vegetation and can be found near water sources or wetlands, Such as streams, marshes, rivers, and ponds. These birds are omnivores that eat seeds, nuts, berries, and insects. 

The Indigo Bunting is a bird that was first described in 1827. It is a member of the family Emberizidae and the genus Emberiza. They build their nests in the ground on the forest floor and often nest near tall trees to protect themselves from predators. 

The species name for the Indigo Bunting is “Emberiza circus.” It is also known as Common Ground-Sparrow, Common Pennant, Ironbunting, and Plumed Kingfisher.

Mountain bluebird

 Scientific name: Sialia currucoides

The Mountain bluebird is a type of bird that lives in the western United States. The bluebird is often found in open areas such as meadows, pastures, and farmland. 

The mountain bluebird is a species of thrush, a small passerine bird with medium to long tails and strong feet. They are known for their beautiful songs, but they also have an attractive appearance with their dark-blue head and upper body with light-blue underparts. 

Bluebirds are commonly found in areas with an abundance of trees. The mountain bluebird is a species of thrush, a small passerine bird with medium to long tails and strong feet. They are known for their beautiful songs, but they also have an attractive appearance with their dark-blue head and upper body with light-blue underparts.

Barn Swallow

Scientific name: Hirundo rustica

Barn Swallows are the most common species of swallow in North America.

The Barn Swallow is a small bird named for its habitat, where it builds its nest on artificial structures like barns and sheds.

The Barn Swallow is brown on top and white underneath. The tail has two dark bands, visible when the bottom is spread.

This bird does not migrate but will move south if there are harsh winters. 

It has a long, pointed bill that it uses to catch flying insects in the air. It also eats spiders, ants, and other minor bugs on the ground or in water.

Cerulean Warbler

Scientific name: Setophaga cerulea

The Cerulean Warbler is a small songbird that is found in North America. It is one of the singers, a group of birds located near water and brushy habitats.

They are often compared to sparrows because they are small and have short tails, but they can be distinguished by their blue plumage, which gives them their name. 

Cerulean Warblers migrate from North America to Central America for the winter. They will fly at night and rest during the day while traveling through Mexico and Central America. This migration takes about two months. Cerulean Warblers are primarily found in the eastern United States but also occur in western regions. 

They range from southern Ontario and southern Quebec to central Florida. They typically live near woodland edges and forested areas with dense mats of aquatic plants.

Cerulean Warblers often forage in shrubs or small bushes that protect them from predators. In areas with human development, like cities and suburbs, Cerulean Warblers will use bird feeders.

Northern Parula

Scientific name: Setophaga Americana 

The northern parula is a small, long-tailed bird of the genus Parula in the family Parulidae. It has a distinctive yellow patch on its breast and a black face mask. It is found in North America, Central America, and South America. 

The northern parula builds two types of nests: they may make an open cup nest on the ground or low in a bush, but they generally create within an inch (2 cm) or two of the land to deter predators.

Tree Swallow

Scientific name: Tachycineta bicolor

The Tree Swallow is a bird that belongs to the family of Hirundinidae. This family consists of swallows and martins. The tree swallow is native to North America but also breeds in Central America and South America. 

It can be found in many habitats, including open areas such as meadows, marshes, ponds, lakes, and woodlands near water sources. The tree swallow is a migratory bird with an extensive range across North America. 

In the breeding season, flocks can be seen in the open meadows of Central America, where they feed on flying insects. It winters in the southern United States and northern Mexico; it breeds from Alaska south to Georgia and from Texas east to Maine. It migrates south as far as Colombia and Ecuador in South America. 

The tree swallow builds a nest from sticks and twigs woven into a cup-shaped nest 5 to 6 feet off the ground on a horizontal surface, such as an old fence. The nest is placed near water or woodland areas for protection and access to food sources, but not necessarily close to large trees.

Little Blue Heron

Scientific name: Egretta caerulea 

This section is about a bird that has been around for a long time. The Little Blue Heron has a blue-gray body and white underparts. It is the smallest heron in North America and one of the most common. 

The Little Blue Heron feeds mainly on small fish and frogs but will also eat small mammals, insects, crustaceans, and other aquatic creatures. It can be found near ponds, rivers, lakes, or marshes where it hunts for food.

California Scrub-Jay

Scientific name: Aphelocoma californica

The California scrub-jay is a widespread bird in California. It is a member of the corvid family and is found in lowland areas and foothills. It eats insects, other invertebrates, small vertebrates, fruit, and acorns.

They are monogamous and form lifelong pairs. They have been seen to practice alloparental care, where one bird will feed the young of another team away from the nest, hunting for food.

California scrub jays are active during the day and at night. The California scrub jay is a medium-sized bird, reaching in length and weighing between.

They have a dark brown back, cream underparts, dark brown flanks, and a head with a white stripe on the forehead. The wings are brownish-grey with black bars, and the tail is mostly black with some white below. 

They have buffy yellow legs, feet, and eye-rings, which may reflect ultraviolet light due to the yellow color in the iris. The female is similar to the male but has brown wings, a buffy tail, and less black on its head, neck, and below its eyes.

Adults are usually 7-8 inches long. The males weigh up to 0.77 ounces, while the females weigh 0.64 ounces; both adults average approximately 3 grams of fat in their bodies and are about 5 cm long from head to tail.

Lazuli Bunting

Scientific name: Passerina amoena 

The Lazuli Bunting is a small, brightly colored bird often found in North America. 

It has an olive-green back with a blue head and breasts. This bird feeds on insects and other invertebrates. They are mainly found in the northern United States and southern Canada.

Eastern and Western Bluebirds

Scientific name: Sialia sialis (Eastern), Sialia mexicana (Western)

Eastern and Western Bluebirds are the same species. The bluebird is a common sight in many parts of the world and is often depicted as a symbol of happiness. The Eastern Bluebird is found in eastern North America, while the Western Bluebird can be found in western North America. 

Bluebirds are distinguished from other birds by their blue coloration and whitish wing patches. 

They have a distinctive “chirp” call, more profound than a songbird, and a faster attachment beat. In size, they range from. Their bill is usually gray to black. 

They eat insects, fruit, seeds, and small animals such as spiders or caterpillars. Bluebirds feed their young only insects for the first few days of life. They are monogamous and pair-bond, typically nesting near water sources.