DIY Homeschooler

Plate 31: Eastern Bluebird

Sialia sialis

Found perching on fence posts or telephone wires, these bright blue harbingers of spring are easy to spot.

This small thrush, only slightly larger than an English Sparrow, is held in high esteem by those who have made his acquaintance. Unlike the Hermit and Wood Thrushes which sing in the seclusion of deep forests, the Bluebird prefers open country with scattered trees. Old apple orchards make choice locations for usually they have a number of old woodpecker holes for nests.

Unlike most thrushes, he is not noted for his song, however his frequently heard “tur-wee,” gives a restful assurance that all is well. The male has bright blue upper parts with reddish-brown breast. The female is duller with only the wings and tail showing blue with duller brown breast. The young have spotted breasts like others of the thrush family.

Bluebird houses will help bring this bird to your community but remember that the opening should be smaller than 1½ inches which will admit Starlings, while low sites such as fence posts discourage the English Sparrow. These birds cover a large area in their search for food so houses should be spaced accordingly.

Grasshoppers, crickets, cutworms and other insects form a major portion of the food while small fruits and berries also are relished. Like the Robin, he often spends his winters with us.

Introduction to Our Bird Friends, Vol. 1 by Carson

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Suggestions

• Print out the notebooking pages provided below.
• Read the bluebird story in Bird Biographies out loud.
• Have a younger student orally narrate what was read. He can then copy a few lines of his narration onto the notebooking pages.
• Older students can read the text, Plate XXXI: Eastern Bluebird, and provide a written narration.
• Sketch the bird. This encourages attention to detail, which will aid in identifying the bird later on. Another option is to use the printables provided below.
• Sketch the nest of the bird, along with the eggs. Note where the nest is usually found.
• Older students can include the taxonomy.
• Learn more about the Eastern Bluebird at Cornell.
• On one notebooking page note the facts:
  • Description.
  • Habitat.
  • Range.
  • Food.
  • Nest.
  • Eggs.
  • Call.
• The bluebird is covered in The Burgess Bird Book: CHAPTER V. Peter Learns Something He Hadn’t Guessed.

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Additional Resources

30 Narration Ideas
At some point you might appreciate some variety.

The Bird Study sections of our free nature study series: Our Wonderful World:

• Free Nature Studies: Hunting Birds With Eyes & Camera
• Free Nature Studies: Bird Guardians (Owls)
• Free Nature Studies: Landlord to the Birds

Printables & Notebooking Pages

Eastern Bluebird Notebooking Pages
Free simple notebooking set.

Eastern Bluebird
Bird picture for notebook.

Winsome Bluebird
Corresponding print from The Burgess Bird Book.

Fifty Favorite Birds Coloring Book
Dover Nature Coloring Book based on Fifty Birds of Town and City by Bob Hines. Includes the Eastern bluebird.

Eastern Bluebird Range Map
For notebook from Cornell.

Bird Facts Notebooking Page
One option in a more graphic organizer style that is especially nice for noting the facts and range.

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Enjoy the entire series: