DOOR TO NATURE
Bluebirds of Happiness by Charlotte Lukes
H
ave you ever heard of the Bluebird of Happiness? Every time I see a bluebird, it makes me happy. Most people have never seen one close up, but if you maintain and monitor a bluebird trail, you know the joy of seeing these birds using your nest boxes. “The Bluebird of Happiness” is a song written in 1939, but bluebirds have been honored much further back in history for bringing peace and hope. The Navajo Nation considers the mountain bluebird a spirit in the animal world, and Russian folklore revered the bluebird as a symbol of hope. Bluebirds are in the thrush family, which includes the Townsend’s solitaire (a western bird), American robin, veery, gray-cheeked thrush, Swainson’s thrush, hermit thrush and wood thrush. The veery, hermit thrush and wood thrush nest in Door County, but the others are seen only during migration. There are three bluebird species in North America. The eastern bluebird is most widespread and is the one we normally see here. The western bluebird breeds in the Pacific Northwest and is common well down into Mexico. The male has similar colors as our bluebird, with a rusty breast, but a gray belly instead of white. The mountain bluebird male is entirely blue with no rust, and it breeds in the mountains of the western United States up to Alaska. The eastern bluebird is the state bird of both New York and Missouri. Other birds that are blue include the blue jay and indigo bunting, but the eastern bluebird is the only one with a reddish breast, like a robin, and a white belly. Some say it carries the sky on its back,
and others say it bears the colors of our flag: red, white and blue.
claim nesting spots before the bluebirds return.
Eastern bluebirds were more common before English sparrows and European starlings were introduced to our country. Both of these species nest in cavities, like the bluebird. Eastern bluebirds migrate to the southern U.S. during the fall to find food and shelter until spring arrives, and because the nonnative starlings and English sparrows do not migrate, they can
Years ago, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources pleaded with volunteers to build more nest boxes and monitor the breeding success of the eastern bluebirds in the state. That’s how the Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin (BRAW, braw. org) came to be formed in 1986.
Photo by Heather Harle Frykman.
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