Did you know we have three species of bluebirds in Texas? In the eastern half of the state, we have breeding eastern bluebirds, and in the western part of the state, we have breeding western bluebirds.
They are very pretty birds with blue heads, backs, wings, and tails and rufous on their breasts, but western bluebirds also have a little bit of rufous color on their upper back, which is how you can distinguish the two. Both nest in cavities and will readily take to boxes. You can often see these two bluebird species perched on power lines or fences as they hunt their primary food which is insects. They also eat berries from fruiting trees and shrubs. Males are brighter blue than females so they can attract a mate.
So that’s two and the third species is the mountain bluebird. They are a gorgeous blue with no rufous like the other two species. Males are sky blue on the back and a bit lighter underneath and females are mostly gray with tinges of blue in the wings and tail.
In all three species, the female builds the nest and incubates the eggs, and they must contend with competition for nesting cavities from swallows, nuthatches, woodpeckers, wrens and starlings, so providing nest boxes for them is valuable.
The Frisco Garden Club has partnered with several businesses, residents, and the City of Frisco to place and maintain bluebird nesting boxes throughout the city. If you would like to help with this project, please reach out to Bonnie Kenan at membership@friscogardenclub.org
Happy Birding!