Birds that are notably Blue

Herons and Egrets – Family Ardeidae

The large Great Blue Heron has a steel blue color.

This Little Blue Heron is in non-breeding, adult plumage. Juvenile Little Blue Herons are all white.

Kingfishers – Family Alcedinidae

The Belted Kingfisher is always found near water.

Jays – Family Corvidae

The feathers of a Blue Jay are not really blue. The blue color comes from the structure of the feather and light refraction.

The Florida Scrub-Jay is a threatened species. The very similar Western Scrub-Jay has a darker back and dark blue forehead.

The Pinion Jay nests in loose colonies and is often seen in larger flocks.

The Steller's Jay is a western species that is often seen stealing food from picnic tables.

Thrushes – Turdidae

Eastern Bluebird populations have recovered from a very low level thanks to thousands of man-made bluebird boxes. The similar, male Western Bluebird has a blue throat, giving it a hooded appearance.

The Mountain Bluebird (male shown here) is the only one of the three bluebird species that does not have red on the chest.

Wood-Warblers - Family Parulidae

The Black-throated Blue Warbler is primarily a bird of the northeastern United States and southern Canada. Like most warbler species, it is highly migratory and is present in the United States only during migration and the nesting season.

Buntings and Grosbeaks – Family Cardinalidae

Indigo Buntings (male shown here) have been used to study migration, and helped reveal that they navigate by the North Star.

The male Blue Grosbeak is a striking blue color. The brown wing bars help separate it from the Indigo Bunting.