New York State Bird - Eastern Bluebird
Are you interested in different birds, and do you want to know about the New York state bird?
New York is located in the northeast section of the United States, and it is the third most populous state in the country. The state nickname is the “Empire State” and the state song is “I Love New York.”
What is the New York State Bird?
The New York State bird is the Eastern Bluebird. The Eastern Bluebird has a unique and beautiful appearance. The male bird has large black eyes, and thin, pointed brown bills. The male birds have a blue head, and blue wings. The bird has a white underside, and a reddish and brown breast. The bird has a long tail, and the tail is also blue. The feet and the legs of the bird are dark brown.
Female Birds
The female birds are camouflaged. The blue color on the male birds is a much brighter blue than the blue color on the female birds. The female birds have a gray head and a gray back. The female birds also have a breast that is a darker brown than the male birds. The female birds have a white ring around their eyes, and they also have a white belly.
Younger Birds
Before the Eastern Bluebirds reach adulthood, their color is a dull blue and their underbelly is spotted instead of all white. Further, the younger birds have a gray crown and a gray back. When the Eastern Bluebird reaches adulthood, it grows to about seven inches in length. The wingspan of an adult Eastern Bluebird is eleven to thirteen inches.
Eastern Bluebird Diet and Habitat
The bird can be found throughout the eastern half of the United States, and the south of Canada. The range of the bird is approximately from the Atlantic Coast to the Rocky Mountains. The bird is an omnivore, and eats both meat and fruit.
It primarily consumes insects, in particular the Eastern Bluebird consumes grasshoppers, crickets, katydids, and beetles. The bird will also consume worms, snails, and spiders. Although it primarily eats meat, the bird will eat fruit if it cannot locate insects or worms. The lifespan of the bird is usually around six years.
Nesting Behavior
The Eastern Bluebird builds its nests in holes either located in trees, or located in tree stumps that have rotted. The nests are shaped like a cup, and made from a variety of materials. For example, the Eastern Bluebird will use dried grass, pine needles, and plant stems to construct the nests.
The bird lies between three and six eggs at a time. The color of the eggs are a pale bluish color. After the bird lays the eggs, the female then incubates them for approximately twelve to fourteen days. After the eggs hatch, both parents help raise the hatchlings for a short period of time. Usually the parents care for the eggs from between fifteen and twenty days. After fifteen to twenty days, the young birds leave the nest.
Danger to the Eastern Bluebird Population
The population of the Eastern Bluebirds has greatly decreased in the past one hundred years. Although the bird is no longer considered threatened, fifty years ago the population of the bird was considered in critical status.
This decline was due to a number of different factors. A large amount of the bird’s habitats were destructed over the years. Dead trees were cleared, and a number of fields were destroyed. The increased use of pesticides also caused the bird’s population to decrease.
Finally, the bird was increasingly hunted by its predators, the House Sparrow and the European Starling. These two species would prey on the nest of the Eastern Bluebird. Luckily, a concentrated effort from bird enthusiasts saved the species from extinction. They were able to do this by creating nesting boxes for the Bluebirds.
Now that you’ve learned a little more about the New York State bird, see if you can spot the bird when you visit New York!