Guide

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Eastern bluebirds that stay through the winter

December to February

Some eastern bluebirds do not fly south. They stay in Massachusetts, some as pairs near where they nested and some roaming in small flocks, and they live mostly on fruit.

Why this time of year

Insects are scarce, so the bluebirds that stayed eat mostly fruit and move between fruiting shrubs and trees, some in pairs and some in small flocks.

How to notice it

  1. Scan open fields, orchard edges, and backyards with fruiting shrubs for a plump, blue-backed bird with an orange chest (females are duller), often sitting upright on a post or bare branch.
  2. Look at fruiting staghorn sumac and eastern red cedar (the blue-berried evergreen) and bayberry shrubs; bluebirds visit these when insects are scarce.
  3. Listen for a soft, liquid 'turee' call as the birds move between perches, then count how many you see.

Try this with kids: Count the blue birds you can see from a window or a path, and tell a grown-up which berries or branches they land on.

Safety

  • If you have a nest box, do not open it or shake it on a cold day; birds may be sleeping inside. Watch from a distance.
  • Wash hands after handling feeders or fruit-bearing branches, and do not eat wild berries.

Sources

  • massaudubon.orgMass Audubon: winter bluebirds have been climbing in number; birds that stay in Massachusetts eat soft fruit; a pair may remain on or near the breeding territory all winter; other bluebirds flock and migrate. Does not name specific fruits or mention roosting. Refute pass 2026-10-30 also read: 'Males sport bright blue above and warm orange below, whereas females maintain a more muted appearance.'
  • massaudubon.orgMass Audubon: in winter, Eastern Bluebirds can be found in large suburban and rural backyards across Massachusetts; fruiting trees, feeders and nest boxes help them survive the cold.
  • audubon.orgAudubon field guide: outside nesting season they roam the countryside in small flocks; also eats many berries, especially in winter (no fruits named). Refute pass 2026-10-30 also read: call 'a liquid and musical turee or queedle', song 'a soft melodious warble'.
  • nysbs.orgNY State Bluebird Society (volunteer conservation group): table of plants bluebirds have been observed eating; Eastern Red Cedar marked Preferred under Winter Fruit; Staghorn Sumac and Bayberry marked under Winter Fruit. Winterberry and American Bittersweet marked under Fall Fruit, so left out.
  • westboroughlandtrust.orgWestborough Land Trust nature note (local conservation group, not roster): bluebirds dine on fruit from late summer through winter; birds leave most sumac berries until late winter; many no longer migrate south.
  • sialis.orgSialis.org (expert site, anecdotal): bluebirds often roost in regular nest boxes, especially in northern states; reports of 6 birds in one box.

Checked against these sources on October 30, 2026.

In the guide for December, January, February

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