Who's at my feeder?

Identify by colour

Blue birds at the feeder

Blue jays, bluebirds, buntings and blue tits – the blue birds that visit feeders and how to identify them.

Colours you saw

  1. Blue Jay, a blue feeder bird

    Blue Jay

    Crested jay, blue-grey back, bright blue wings and tail, black necklace, white wing bars and tail corners.
  2. Eastern Bluebird, a blue feeder bird

    Eastern Bluebird

    Bright blue above, reddish-brown throat and chest, white belly.
  3. Indigo Bunting, a blue feeder bird

    Indigo Bunting

    Deep blue all over in spring and summer.
  4. Lazuli Bunting, a blue feeder bird

    Lazuli Bunting

    Sky-blue with a rusty chest, white belly and white wing bars.
  5. Steller's Jay, a blue feeder bird

    Steller's Jay

    Very dark jay, the only all-dark jay with a crest
  6. Painted Bunting, a blue feeder bird

    Painted Bunting

    Blue head, bright green back and red throat, chest and rump.
  7. Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay, a blue feeder bird

    Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay

    Slim, crestless jay: dull blue head, wings and tail, greyer back, light grey underparts with a faint blue ches
  8. Blue Tit, a blue feeder bird

    Blue Tit

    Yellowish chest, green-blue cap and wings, white face with a black eye stripe.
  9. California Scrub-Jay, a blue feeder bird

    California Scrub-Jay

    Crestless jay with blue head, wings and tail, grey back and a white throat bordered by a streaked necklace.
  10. Broad-billed Hummingbird, a blue feeder bird

    Broad-billed Hummingbird

    Dark blue-green with a red-based bill
  11. White-breasted Nuthatch, a white feeder bird

    White-breasted Nuthatch

    White face and chest, blue-grey back and narrow black crown stripe.
  12. Common Grackle, a black feeder bird

    Common Grackle

    Glossy black with an iridescent blue or purple head, pale eye and long creased tail.
  13. Red-breasted Nuthatch, a gray feeder bird

    Red-breasted Nuthatch

    Black eye stripe, white eyebrow, buffy-orange underparts and blue-grey back.
  14. Chaffinch, a pink feeder bird

    Chaffinch

    Blue-grey cap and rust-red underparts, two white wing bars and white sides to the tail.
  15. Jay, a pink feeder bird

    Jay

    Pinkish-brown crow with a bright blue wing panel, black moustache, white rump and black tail.
  16. Magpie, a black feeder bird

    Magpie

    Black and white with a long tail
  17. Nuthatch, a gray feeder bird

    Nuthatch

    Blue-grey above, whitish below with chestnut sides and a black eye stripe.
  18. Zebra Dove, a gray feeder bird

    Zebra Dove

    Small dove with fine barring, a blue-grey face and bare blue skin around the eyes.

Questions

Blue birds: questions

What blue birds come to feeders?

Blue Jay, Eastern Bluebird, Indigo Bunting, Lazuli Bunting, Steller's Jay, Painted Bunting, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay, Blue Tit.

Why does the bird look duller than in the photos?

Many species show their brightest colours only in adult males in spring and summer; females, young birds and winter plumage are often duller.

How do I find out which blue birds live near me?

Choose your state or UK nation in the filter above, or enter your ZIP code on the home page for the birds within 30 km.

By colour

Identify birds by colour