In the days of my youth, this was a common bird around Toronto, with good-sized flocks migrating over in March & October, and many staying to nest in surrounding farmland.

With the advent of starlings, wire fences and urbanization they are now rare in most parts of Ontario.

A few very cold winters in the 1950’s were also implicated in their decline.

Various nest-box projects have been successful in maintaining populations in some areas. Our birds winter mainly in the southern U.S.A.

The Eastern Bluebirds are somewhat larger than House Sparrows, which are therefore able to occupy bluebird nest-boxes. With its blue back and reddish breast the blue bird is unmistakable.

Mountain Bluebirds have a blue breast and paler blue back.

Western Bluebirds have a rusty upper back (blue in our Eastern Bluebird).

The song of the Eastern Bluebird is a mellow, usually 3-syllabled warble, sometimes given as “pur-i-ty”. As well as in nest boxes, they often nest in hollow fence posts, and in natural cavities in trees etc.

J. Murray Speirs