Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis)
Place observed
Former golf course area and Tylee Marsh
Description
The male is distinguished from the female by its brighter colors. The head, back, wings and tail are azure blue, the throat and breast brick red and the belly white.
Habitat and diet
The Eastern Bluebird is found in southern Canada and in parts of the United States, Mexico and Central America. Southern Quebec is part of its nesting area. It frequents open environments with isolated trees that it uses for nesting and perching. It is very gregarious and feeds mainly on insects in the summer (crickets, caterpillars and others) and small berries in the winter.
Status
In the 1960s and 1970s, the survival of this passerine species was of particular concern. The species had suffered a significant decline due to a decrease in nesting sites and competition from House Sparrows and European Starlings, two species introduced into Canada. Fortunately, since the 1980's, the species is doing better and is on the increase. A program to install artificial nesting boxes to support them has undoubtedly had a hand in this.
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