How to Identify the Eastern Bluebird when Bird Watching

Video Transcript

"Hello, welcome to Expert Village. My name is Wayne Petersen, director of the Massachusetts Audubon Society Important Bird Areas Program and we’re here this afternoon at the Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary in Marshville, Massachusetts. Next we’re going to talk about backyard birding, a place where everybody has an opportunity to get involved and where many peoples interest in birding first begins. Among the many North American birds that are readily attractive to birdhouses in suburban backyards if they are in the right situation which includes open fields and meadow edges is the eastern bluebird. This is a stunning bird with sky blue upper parts and a rusty breast, that is certainly one of our most beloved bird species and the fact that they can be attractive to nest boxes similar to the one beside me here means that its one of these things that if you live in an area where you do have sort of extensive open areas and fields and woodland edges you often have the opportunity to attract the eastern blue bird. Tree swallows would also similarly use boxes like this. Bluebirds are one of those species that has under gone on a fairly significant recovery as a result of intensive posting of bluebird boxes and what are called bluebird trails and in many areas where bluebirds were seriously depressed in numbers as a result of the decline in orchard farming and actually pesticides during the 60’s. A lot of bluebird populations have essentially recovered and are now quiet numerous, thanks to the extensive erection of bluebird trails and appropriate nest boxes."