Eastern bluebird, the state bird of Missouri and New York
The eastern bluebird is the state bird of Missouri, which adopted it in 1927, and New York, which followed in 1970. The male is bright blue above with a rusty orange breast, and Missouri's secretary of state points out its red, white and blue coloring. Bluebird numbers fell sharply by the middle of the 20th century, and volunteers with nest boxes helped bring them back.
The 2 states
Two states
The eastern bluebird is the state bird of Missouri and New York. Missouri chose it in 1927, and its secretary of state notes the bird’s red, white and blue coloring and its popularity with Missourians who put up nest boxes. New York adopted it on May 18, 1970, when Governor Nelson Rockefeller signed the law.
How to recognize it
The eastern bluebird is a small, plump thrush, about 7 inches long. The male is bright blue above, with a rusty orange throat and breast and a white belly; the female is a grayer, duller blue with paler underparts, and young birds are heavily spotted. Its song is a soft, warbled series of whistles, and it hunts from a low perch, dropping to the ground to catch crickets, grasshoppers and beetles.
A comeback
Eastern bluebirds declined sharply by the middle of the 20th century, as natural nest cavities disappeared and introduced house sparrows and European starlings competed for the rest. Volunteers responded by setting out nest boxes along fence rows and trails, and bluebird numbers have climbed back steadily since. Today the species is of low conservation concern.
Questions people ask
- Which states have the eastern bluebird as state bird?
- Missouri, since 1927, and New York, since 1970.
- Why did eastern bluebirds decline?
- They lost natural nest cavities and faced competition from introduced house sparrows and European starlings. Nest box programs helped them recover.
- When can you see eastern bluebirds?
- In Missouri they are common from mid-March through November, and in New York they are among the first birds back in spring. Some stay through the winter where food is available.
Sources
- Eastern Bluebird National Audubon Society
- Missouri State Symbols: State Bird Missouri Secretary of State
- New York State Emblems New York State Library