Feet: Being a typical perching bird, the Bluebird has very well developed feet. The hind toe is larger than any of the front ones and is of great value in grasping a twig or larger branch.
Nest: When the Bluebird has found his mate, the pair begin their search for a home. It may be in a hollow tree, fence post, or in a box built by some friendly hand. Within the nesting hole a bed of dried grass is made. Five or six pale blue eggs are laid and then the new family is well on its way.
Song: The song of the Bluebird, while not very lengthy, is very soft and sweet. It has a musical tone and is one of the most beautiful of the early Spring bird voices. The notes are somewhat unsteady and have a tender, plaintive quality.
John Burroughs has said of the Bluebird:—
“And yonder Bluebird, with the earth tinge on his breast and the sky tinge on his back, did he come down out of heaven on that bright March morning when he told us so softly and plaintively that, if we pleased, Spring had come?”
William Cullen Bryant has written:—
“When beechen buds begin to swell,
And woods the Bluebird’s warble know,
The yellow violet’s modest bell
Peeps from last year’s leaves below.”