Eastern Bluebird

Sialia sialis

"The male is an intense, shiny blue above, with a rich chestnut-red throat and breast and a contrasting white belly ... The eastern bluebird has suffered a drastic population decline during the past decades, in some areas decreasing by as much as 90 percent."

The juveniles are more thrush-like, but with hints of the blue to come.

These are common year-round birds.

Photo taken with a Nikon D80 using a Nikon 400mm, f/5.6 manual focus, external focus lens.

January 13, 2007.