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Western Birds and Their Eastern Counterparts

Many western birds look somewhat familiar to eastern eyes. Take a look at some common western birds and their eastern cousins.

by Jill Staake on September 23, 2017

The United States is a big country, so when you travel to a new part of it, you’re likely to spot some new birds. On a recent trip to Colorado and the Rocky Mountains for the first time, I saw a handful of western birds that were new to me. However, most of them were also somewhat familiar, as they have similar-looking cousins back east. Here are four examples of western birds with eastern counterparts.

Western Bluebird (inset, Eastern Bluebird)

Western Bluebird

There are actually three kinds of bluebirds found in the U.S.: Eastern, Western, and Mountain. The Mountain Bluebird is the easiest to identify, as it is nearly all blue and is usually found, as you would guess, in the mountains at higher elevations. The Eastern and Western Bluebirds can be a little harder to tell apart, and their range do overlap in a few places. If you’re not sure, look at the throat. The Western Bluebird has a blue throat, while the Eastern Bluebird’s orange belly extends all the way to its beak. 

\I thought maybe you would like to also get some birding tips!

Everyone enjoys feeding and watching birds. The cardinals have been singing so good sign for upcoming Spring! It won’t be long and we will be stocking up on grape jelly for the Orioles of all kinds. Please add pictures of your birds in the comment section for all to see!