Examples of birds with blue eggs include the American robin, black tinamous, blue grosbeak, blue jays, and blue mockingbird.
Birds are some of the most diverse and interesting animals on the planet. They come in all shapes and sizes and can be found in a variety of different habitats. One of the most interesting things about birds is their eggs.
While many bird eggs are plain white, there are some species that have blue eggs. In this blog post, we will take a closer look at birds with blue eggs and explore why they lay eggs that are different colors than the average bird egg.
Examples of Birds with Blue Eggs
1. American Robin
| Scientific Name | Turdus migratorius |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | almost anywhere south of Canada |
The American robin is a common bird found in North America. These birds are known for their red breast and their cheery song. American robins typically lay light blue eggs that have brown spots on them. The eggs of this species hatch after about 12-14 days.
2. Black Tinamous
| Scientific Name | Tinamus osgoodi |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | the Andes of South America |
The Black Tinamou is a South American bird that is closely related to the better-known Gray Tinamou. These birds are found in tropical rainforests and lay eggs that are blue with black spots. The eggs of the Black Tinamou are among the largest of all tinamou eggs, measuring about 4 inches long.
3. Blue Grosbeak
| Scientific Name | Passerina caerulea |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | most of the southern half of the United States into Mexico and Central America |
The blue grosbeak is a member of the Finch family and is found in North and South America. The male blue grosbeak has a blue body with black wings and a tail. The female blue grosbeak is brown with streaks of gray on her wings and tail. Both sexes have an orange beak.
4. Blue Jays
| Scientific Name | Cyanocitta |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | most of the eastern and central United States |
The blue jay is a member of the crow family and is known for its striking blue plumage. These birds are found in North America and are a common sight in backyard bird feeders. Blue jays typically lay 3-5 eggs that are pale blue with brown spots.
5. Blue Mockingbird
| Scientific Name | Melanotis caerulescens |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | endemic to Mexico, but has occurred as a vagrant in the southern United States |
The blue mockingbird is a small bird that is found in the Caribbean. The blue mockingbird lays blue eggs. The blue color of the eggshell is due to pigments that are deposited in the shell during its formation.
The blue color of the eggshell helps to camouflage the egg from predators. The blue color also helps to reflect heat, which helps to keep the egg warm.
The blue mockingbird has a dark blue plumage with white bars on its wings. The blue color of the plumage is also due to pigments that are deposited in the feathers during their formation.
6. Blue-Footed Booby
| Scientific Name | Sula nebouxii |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | on islands in the tropical eastern Pacific |
The Blue-footed Booby is a seabird that can be found in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. These birds get their name from their blue feet, which are used to attract mates. The Blue-footed Booby lays blue eggs that are incubated by both parents.
7. Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher
| Scientific Name | Polioptila caerulea |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | eastern United States |
The blue-gray gnatcatcher is a small songbird that is found in the eastern United States. The female of this species lays two to four eggs that are sky blue with brown spots. The eggs hatch in about two weeks and the young birds are able to fly a few weeks after that.
8. Bluethroat
| Scientific Name | Luscinia svecica |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | North America only on the tundra of Alaska and the Yukon Territory |
The Bluethroat is a small songbird that is found in Europe and Asia. The female Bluethroat has a blue throat and breast. The rest of its body is grayish-brown. The eggs of the Bluethroat are pale blue with dark spots.
9. Cassin’s Finch
| Scientific Name | Haemorhous cassinii |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | evergreen forests in the mountains up to about 10,000 feet elevation |
This small finch is found in the western United States and Canada. The male Cassin’s Finch has a brown back and wings with a gray breast. The belly and flanks are white with streaks of black. The female Cassin’s Finch is similar in appearance to the male, but she has a buff-colored breast instead of gray.
Read Also: Do Black Rosy-Finch Look Like Sparrow?
10. Common Blackbird
| Scientific Name | Turdus merula |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | temperate Eurasia, North Africa, the Canary Islands, and South Asia |
The common blackbird is a species of true thrush. The adult male has black feathers and yellow eyes. The female is brown with orange eyes. Both sexes have a white ring around the neck. The common blackbird is found in Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Their eggs are blue with brown spots.
11. Common Mynas
| Scientific Name | Acridotheres tristis |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Africa, India, southeast Asia, and Indonesia |
The Common Myna is a bird that is found in Asia and parts of the Middle East. These birds are known for their ability to imitate human speech. The Common Myna lays eggs that are blue with brown spots.
12. Dunnock
| Scientific Name | Prunella modularis |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | large areas of Eurasia, inhabiting much of Europe including Lebanon, northern Iran, and the Caucasus |
The Dunnock is a small, brown bird that is found in Europe and Asia. The female of the species lays three to five blue eggs in a nest made of twigs and leaves.
13. Eastern Bluebird
| Scientific Name | Sialia sialis |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | across eastern North America and south as far as Nicaragua |
The Eastern Bluebird is a small thrush that is found in the eastern United States. These birds are most likely to lay blue eggs if they are nesting in a nest box or cavity. The reason for this is that the bluish color helps to camouflage the eggs from predators.
14. Eurasian Bullfinch
| Scientific Name | Pyrrhula pyrrhula |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Great Britain in the west through central and northern Europe and Asia to the Pacific coast of Japan and Russia |
The Eurasian bullfinch is a small bird that is found in Europe and Asia. The male of the species has a reddish-brown body with a black head, while the female is mostly gray with a white belly. The Eurasian bullfinch lays blue eggs that are spotted with brown.
15. Eurasian Jackdaw
| Scientific Name | Corvus monedula |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | across Europe, western Asia and North Africa |
The Eurasian Jackdaw is a small member of the crow family. They are found in Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Jackdaws have black feathers and greyish-blue eggs.
16. Gray Catbirds
| Scientific Name | Dumetella carolinensis |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | southern areas of the United States, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean |
The Gray Catbird is a small songbird that is found in North America. The bird has black fur on its head and back, with gray fur on its sides and belly. The bird’s wings are black with white stripes, and its tail is black with white tips. The Gray Catbird lays blue eggs.
The eggs of the Gray Catbird are a light blue color. The eggs have dark spots on them, and the shells are thinner than average.
17. Great Blue Heron
| Scientific Name | Ardea herodias |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | North America |
The Great Blue Heron is a large wading bird that can be found in North and Central America. These birds typically lay three to five eggs at a time, and the eggs are pale blue-green in color.
18. House Finch
| Scientific Name | Haemorhous mexicanus |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | western North America |
The house finch is a small bird that is found in North America. These birds are very common and can often be seen at bird feeders. The eggs of the house finch are pale blue with brown speckles.
19. Indigo Bunting
| Scientific Name | Passerina cyanea |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | across the eastern half of the U.S |
The Indigo Bunting is a small songbird that is found in North America. The males of this species are a beautiful blue color, while the females are brown. The Indigo Bunting lays light blue eggs that have dark spots on them.
20. Linnets
| Scientific Name | Linaria cannabina |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Europe, West Asia and North-West Africa |
The linnet is a small finch that is found in Europe and Asia. They are common birds that can be found in gardens and open countryside. The linnet has red breasts and a white belly with black wings. The male and female look similar but the male has more brightly-colored plumage.
The linnet lays 3-6 eggs that are a pale blue color. The eggs have dark spots on them and are about the size of a pea.
21. Little Blue Heron
| Scientific Name | Egretta caerulea |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Florida including swamps, estuaries, ponds, lakes, and rivers |
The Little Blue Heron is a small wading bird that can be found in the southeastern United States. These birds get their name from their blue-grey plumage. The eggs of the Little Blue Heron are pale blue with brown spots.
22. Magpies
| Scientific Name | Gymnorhina tibicen |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | temperate regions of Europe, Asia, and western North America, with populations also present in Tibet and high-elevation areas of Kashmir |
The magpie is a member of the crow family and is found in Europe, Asia, and parts of Africa.
Magpies typically lay between 4 and 6 eggs at a time, and those eggs are usually a bluish-green color. It is thought that the blue color of the magpie’s eggs helps to camouflage them from predators.
23. Mountain Bluebird
| Scientific Name | Sialia currucoides |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | North America, as far north as Alaska |
The Mountain Bluebird is a small thrush that can be found in the western United States and Canada. These birds are mostly blue with white underbellies and have long, thin bills. The eggs of the Mountain Bluebird are a beautiful sky blue color.
24. Oriental Greenfinch
| Scientific Name | Chloris sinica |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Japan, North and South Korea, eastern and southern China, and Vietnam |
The Oriental greenfinch is a small songbird that is found in parts of Asia. The males of this species are green with yellow wings and a black tail. The females are brown with streaked feathers. The Oriental greenfinch lays pale blue eggs.
25. Red-Winged Blackbirds
| Scientific Name | Agelaius phoeniceus |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | North and South America |
The red-winged blackbird is a species of bird that is found in North and South America. These birds are easily recognizable by their striking black and red plumage. The red-winged blackbird lays its eggs in nests that are built in trees or shrubs.
The nests are made out of grass, twigs, and leaves and are lined with hair, feathers, or moss. The female red-winged blackbird will lay a clutch of 3-5 eggs. The eggs are blue with brown spots and are around 1 inch in diameter.
26. Snowy Egrets
| Scientific Name | Egretta thula |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | the United States and southern Canada, south through Central America, the West Indies, South America, and Argentina |
The Snowy Egret is a small white bird that is found in North and South America. These birds have long necks and legs, and they are known for their beautiful plumage. The Snowy Egret’s eggs are blue with darker spots on them.
27. Song Thrush
| Scientific Name | Turdus philomelos |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East; it has also been introduced into New Zealand and Australia |
The song thrush is a small to a medium-sized bird that is found in Europe, Asia, and Africa. The song thrush has a brown back and wings with a black stripe running down the center. The stomach and breast of the song thrush are white with black spots. The song thrush lays blue eggs that are speckled with brown.
28. Starling
| Scientific Name | Sturnus vulgaris |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | across the United States, in the Bahamas, Central America, Yucatan Peninsula, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and Cuba |
The starling is a small to medium-sized passerine bird. The adult has black feathers with white spots, and the juvenile has brown feathers. The eggs are blue with black spots.
29. Western Bluebird
| Scientific Name | Sialia mexicana |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | east of the Rockies, and range from Canada to Mexico and Honduras |
The Western bluebird is a small thrush that is found in the western United States. These birds are common in mountain meadows and open forests. The male has a bright blue body with rusty-brown streaks on its chest. The female is similar in appearance but has a grayish-blue body.
The eggs of the Western bluebird are blue with brown spots. These eggs are usually laid in a nest that is built in a tree cavity or on a ledge.
Conclusion
Birds that lay blue eggs typically have dark blue plumage and white bars on their wings. The blue color of the eggshell helps to camouflage the egg from predators and also helps to reflect heat, which helps to keep the egg warm. The blue color of the eggshell is due to pigments that are deposited in the shell during its formation.
Hi, I’m Garreth. Living in South Africa I’ve had the pleasure of seeing most of these animals up close and personal. When I was younger I always wanted to be a game ranger but unfortunately, life happens and now at least I get to write about them and tell you my experiences.