Types of Blue Birds in Illinois: Identification Guide
The blue birds of Illinois include the eastern bluebird, blue jay, indigo bunting, blue grosbeak, and belted kingfisher, along with tree swallows and purple martins. Illinois offers a lovely variety of blue and blue-toned birds across its prairies, woods, and yards. This guide covers the types of blue birds in Illinois, how to identify them, and where to see them.
| Blue Bird | Key Feature |
|---|---|
| Eastern Bluebird | Blue back, rusty breast |
| Blue Jay | Large, crested, bold |
| Indigo Bunting | All-blue small finch |
| Blue Grosbeak | Deep blue, chestnut wingbars |
| Belted Kingfisher | Blue-gray, shaggy crest |
| Tree Swallow | Blue-green above, white below |
How Many Blue Birds Live in Illinois?
Illinois hosts a good variety of blue and blue-toned birds across its diverse habitats. The eastern bluebird, with its blue back and rusty breast, is a beloved bird of open country and a conservation success story, having rebounded thanks to nest boxes, and the blue jay, a large crested blue bird, is a common and bold resident of woods and yards. The indigo bunting is a small finch whose breeding male is entirely brilliant blue, singing from field edges and roadsides in summer, and the blue grosbeak, a deep blue bird with chestnut wingbars, breeds in brushy areas. The belted kingfisher, blue-gray with a shaggy crest, patrols rivers and ponds, while the tree swallow, blue-green above and white below, and the dark, glossy purple martin add to the blue-toned birds of the state. Understanding Illinois’s blue birds begins with these species, and the classic bluebird is covered in our guide to the eastern bluebird.
Common Illinois Blue Birds and How to Identify Them
Several blue birds are especially worth knowing in Illinois. The eastern bluebird is a small thrush with a blue head, back, and wings and a rusty-orange breast, often seen perched on wires and fences in open country. The blue jay is a large, crested blue bird with black-and-white markings, bold and noisy in yards and woods. The indigo bunting male is a small finch of dazzling all-over blue in breeding season, while the female is warm brown. The blue grosbeak is a larger, deep blue bird with chestnut wingbars and a heavy bill. The belted kingfisher is blue-gray with a shaggy crest and a white collar, often heard giving a loud rattle along water. The tree swallow is iridescent blue-green above and clean white below, seen swooping over fields and water. Each blue bird is a delight, as explored in our guide to types of blue birds in California.
Where to See Blue Birds in Illinois
Blue birds can be found across Illinois in a range of habitats. Open country, prairies, pastures, parks, and roadsides with scattered trees and nest boxes are ideal for eastern bluebirds, especially along bluebird trails, and these open and edge habitats also suit the indigo bunting, which sings from field edges and brushy roadsides in summer. Woodlands, parks, and suburban yards throughout the state host blue jays year-round, bold visitors to feeders. Brushy fields, thickets, and weedy edges are where blue grosbeaks breed, and rivers, ponds, and lakeshores are the place to find belted kingfishers patrolling the water. Open fields, wetlands, and areas near water attract tree swallows and purple martins, which nest in boxes and martin houses. Because different blue birds favor different habitats, Illinois offers rewarding birding year-round, as detailed in our guide to types of blue birds in Virginia.
The Eastern Bluebird’s Comeback
The eastern bluebird is one of the great conservation success stories in Illinois and across the country. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, eastern bluebird populations declined during the twentieth century, in part because of competition for nest cavities from introduced house sparrows and European starlings and the loss of nesting habitat. Bluebirds are cavity nesters that cannot excavate their own holes, so they depend on natural cavities, old woodpecker holes, and nest boxes. The widespread effort by people to put up bluebird nest boxes, often organized into bluebird trails along parks, prairies, and open country, has helped the species rebound strongly. Providing boxes with the right dimensions and placement, in open habitat with scattered perches, gives bluebirds safe places to raise their broods. This recovery shows how backyard conservation can make a real difference, and it makes the eastern bluebird a rewarding bird to support, as explored in our guide to types of blue birds in California.
Why Blue Birds Look Blue
The blue of a bluebird, blue jay, or indigo bunting is one of nature’s clever illusions, and the science behind it is fascinating. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, blue birds are not actually blue in the way red or yellow birds are colored, because their blue comes from the microscopic structure of their feathers rather than from a blue pigment. Most bird colors come from pigments, such as the melanin that makes feathers brown or black, but there is no blue pigment in these birds. Instead, tiny structures in the feather scatter light so that blue wavelengths are reflected back to our eyes, a phenomenon called structural color, which is why a blue feather can look gray or dark when backlit. This same trick gives the eastern bluebird, blue jay, and indigo bunting their brilliant blues. Understanding this makes every blue bird a small marvel of physics, as explored in our guide to the eastern bluebird.
Blue Birds Through the Seasons in Illinois
Illinois blue birds offer rewards across the year, with the cast changing by season. Blue jays are present year-round in woods and yards, bold visitors to feeders in every month. Spring brings the return of migratory blue birds, with eastern bluebirds nesting in boxes and cavities and indigo buntings arriving to sing from field edges through the summer. The blue grosbeak breeds in brushy areas in the warmer months, and belted kingfishers patrol open water when it is not frozen. Tree swallows and purple martins arrive in spring to nest, swooping over fields and wetlands, and gather in flocks before departing in late summer. Fall sees the buntings, swallows, and grosbeaks head south, while bluebirds may linger or move in loose flocks, sometimes visiting fruiting shrubs. By watching through the seasons, Illinois birders can enjoy resident blue jays year-round plus a colorful array of migratory blue birds from spring through fall.
Appreciating Illinois Blue Birds
Illinois blue birds are a rewarding group to appreciate, both for their beauty and for the variety the state offers. From the beloved eastern bluebird and bold blue jay to the dazzling indigo bunting and deep blue grosbeak, these birds bring color to the state’s prairies, woods, and yards. Learning to recognize the different species, understanding the structural color that makes them appear blue, and attracting bluebirds with nest boxes all deepen the pleasure of birding in Illinois. Because several of these birds visit yards and some use nest boxes, they offer wonderful chances to observe them up close. Taking the time to appreciate Illinois’s blue birds connects you to one of the most colorful parts of the state’s birdlife.
Blue Birds and the Illinois Landscape
Blue birds play a valuable role in the Illinois landscape, and understanding it adds to their appeal. Bluebirds, indigo buntings, and other blue birds help control insects, feeding on beetles, grasshoppers, caterpillars, and other invertebrates through the breeding season, while also eating seeds and fruits that help disperse native plants. Blue jays are known for caching acorns, and in doing so they help plant oak trees across the landscape. Supporting blue birds by putting up nest boxes, planting native trees and shrubs, and providing water benefits both the birds and the wider ecosystem. From the prairies to the woodlands, blue birds contribute to the health and beauty of Illinois’s natural areas and backyards, making them a rewarding group to welcome and protect throughout the year.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kinds of blue birds live in Illinois?
Illinois’s blue birds include the eastern bluebird, blue jay, indigo bunting, blue grosbeak, and belted kingfisher, along with tree swallows and purple martins.
Are there bluebirds in Illinois?
Yes, the eastern bluebird lives in Illinois, a blue bird with a rusty breast found in open country. It has rebounded thanks to nest boxes placed along bluebird trails.
What is the small all-blue bird in Illinois?
The indigo bunting is the small all-blue bird, with the breeding male entirely brilliant blue. It sings from field edges and brushy roadsides in summer across Illinois.
What is the large blue bird in Illinois?
The blue jay is the large blue bird in Illinois, a crested, bold species with black-and-white markings, common in woods and yards and a frequent feeder visitor.
What blue bird lives near water in Illinois?
The belted kingfisher, blue-gray with a shaggy crest, lives along rivers, ponds, and lakes in Illinois, diving for fish and giving a loud rattling call.
How do I attract bluebirds in Illinois?
Put up a bluebird nest box in open country with scattered perches, offer mealworms, and provide water. Bluebird trails have helped the species rebound across Illinois.
Where can you see blue birds in Illinois?
Look in open country for eastern bluebirds, field edges for indigo buntings, yards for blue jays, brushy areas for blue grosbeaks, and water for kingfishers.
