Two Eastern Bluebirds
Sialia sialis
Eastern Bluebird · Constitution Marsh · 17 October 2026
Two Eastern Bluebirds in the scrub at the edge of Constitution Marsh in October, one on a dead sapling and one on a shrub turning red. After nesting, bluebirds gather in small family parties and wander the open country together, and many in the Hudson Valley stay the winter, living on berries once the insects are gone.
There is no blue pigment in the feathers at all. The colour comes from the structure of the feather, tiny pockets of air in the keratin that scatter blue light and let the rest through, which is why a bluebird's feather held up against the light looks a dull brown.
Birds, insects, plants and other wildlife, mostly from Brooklyn, with some from further afield.
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