Sialia sialis
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis) is a small North American migratory thrush found in open woodlands, farmlands, and orchards. The bright-blue breeding plumage of the male, easily observed on a wire or open perch, makes this species a favorite of birders. The male's call includes sometimes soft warbles of jeew or chir-wi, or the melodious song chiti WEEW wewidoo.
It is the state bird of Missouri and New York. The eastern bluebird was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Motacilla sialis. The type location is South Carolina. Linnaeus based his short Latin description on the earlier more detailed descriptions by the English naturalists Mark Catesby and George Edwards. The eastern bluebird is now placed in the genus Sialia that was introduced by the English naturalist William Swainson in 1827 with the eastern bluebird as the type species.
Seven subspecies are recognized: S. s... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 5 | Celaque National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 6 | Celestún Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 7 | El Triunfo | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 8 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 9 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | La Tigra National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 11 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Guadalupe Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 14 | Badlands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 15 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 16 | Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 17 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Orlando | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 9 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Guatemala City | 🇬🇹 Guatemala |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbus Zoo and Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Montreal Biodome | 🇨🇦 Canada |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Eastern Bluebird sighting in Chicago on a given day, based on 1,634 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 131st most-seen of the 314 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Eastern Bluebird in Chicago on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Eastern Bluebird sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
11th of 20
Of the 20 cities where we can rate Eastern Bluebird sightings, Chicago ranks 11th at under 5%. The best odds are in Washington (United States, about 30%), Dallas (United States, about 20%) and Houston (United States, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Eastern Bluebird is recorded against all the birds logged in Chicago (1,634 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
