Blue Birds in the US & Canada: The Complete List + Photos for Fast & Accurate ID

ByTammy Poppie Updated on
Lazuli Bunting

Inside: The complete list of blue birds (blue colored birds) in the US and Canada including a full-color photo of each blue bird, details about their habitat, diet, appearance, nesting habits, and a range map to show you where in the state you may see them.

There’s something about spotting a blue bird (a blue-colored bird to be more exact) in your yard that gets your heart pumping. Luckily there are plenty of types of blue-colored birds across the US and Canada so your chances of seeing one are very good. And I don’t just mean the famous bird called the “Eastern Bluebird“. Yes, this blue beauty is included but oh so much more.!

With more than 20 years of experience attracting backyard birds to my yard, I’ve seen every blue-colored bird species in my area (Wisconsin) and acquired a lot of knowledge about these blue birds. For those species that are outside my area, I have my trusty sourcebooks and friends at The Cornell Lab of Ornithology to guide me.

I’ll never forget my first blue-colored bird spotting – which I later learned was an Indigo Bunting! You’d have thought I’d seen Elvis in my backyard. I screamed “blue bird, blue bird” and ran around my house like a lunatic looking for my camera. It was still there when I returned, but not for long. I looked him up in my guide book and there he was in all his royal blue glory. Breathtaking.

My hope is that you’ll be able to easily identify the blue bird you saw or plan to see in my article. Here you’ll find all types of wild blue birds (species) found in the US & Canada. They could be all blue or blue with a secondary color. They could be tiny blue birds, small blue birds, large blue birds, bright blue birds, dark blue birds, and light blue birds – all variations are here.

The range maps are color-coded so you know if it’s a year-round bird, there to breed, migrating through, or there during a nonbreeding time.

range map color coded key

I also included a closeup photo of each blue bird to help you identify them quickly along with detail about them such as:

  • Size & appearance description
  • Diet in the wild and at the bird feeder
  • Habitat
  • Nest & eggs description

So let’s get at it, here are the blue-colored birds in the US and Canada.

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Keep this article handy because I guarantee when you see an amazing blue bird you WILL want to know the species and details about it. Trust me!

Happy Birding!

Sources

All About Birds. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. 2021
eBird. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. 2021
Tekiela, Stan. Birds of Wisconsin Field Guide. 1999
Noah, Strycker, and Alderfer Jonathan. National Geographic Backyard Guide to the Birds of North America. 2nd ed., National Geographic, 2019.