If you are familiar with robin’s egg blue, you will find that most bluebird eggs look fairly similar in color, but they are just a little bit paler. This lighter bluebird egg color hasn’t been given a special name yet, but I think that “bluebird egg blue” deserves some attention today. It’s a beautiful color!
Looking back on some photos of our backyard bluebird nests from the past three years, I can’t help but want to write about bluebird eggs, and some of the differences you might notice in their appearance. If you have ever wondered about the color of bluebird eggs, you’ve come to the right place. So, what color are bluebird eggs?
Bluebirds lay eggs that are light blue in color (even lighter than Robin’s egg blue). According to one study, around 2% of Eastern Bluebirds lay white eggs, and less than 1% lay pink eggs. Bluebird eggs that are white or pink tend to hatch just fine, but may be a sign of declining health in the female bluebird.
In this article, I will show you some examples of bluebird eggs that are the typical blue to blue-green color, and I’ll also show you some photos of non-blue bluebird eggs. There is a little bit of variance in color from bird to bird, but with some photos to go off of, you’ll get the perfect idea of what to look for in a nest box. Let’s get started!
Bluebird Egg Color: Blue (What to Expect 97% of The Time)
Bluebirds lay light blue eggs almost 97% of the time. This is true for Eastern, Western, and Mountain Bluebirds. The light blue color can range from very light blue to a brighter turquoise or blue-green color, but they are almost always lighter blue in appearance than a robin’s egg.
American Robin Eggs (Robins-Egg-Blue)
For the sake of comparison, here is a photo of an American Robin’s nest with a clutch of bright blue eggs:
Eastern Bluebird Eggs (Lighter Blue)
Here is a photo of an Eastern Bluebird’s nest with a clutch of typical light blue eggs:
Notice how the Robin’s-egg-blue color of the first eggs is slightly darker and shinier in appearance than the bluebird egg color.
Even though they are lighter in appearance than Robin’s eggs, when you find a bluebird egg in the nest box for the first time, you might think they look the same.
Robin’s eggs and bluebird eggs are very similar in color, the only difference being that robin eggs are usually bigger, shinier, and darker.
One interesting note is that if you find a bright blue egg on the ground in your yard, it’s most likely a robin’s egg. Since robins nest in trees instead of nest boxes, their eggs are more likely to be blown or bumped out of the nest by the wind or another animal. So, if you find a blue egg on the ground by a tree, just know that it probably came from a robin nest.
Now, let’s talk about an occasional bluebird egg color that you might see from time to time: white.
Best Nest Box: My all-time favorite nest box for bluebirds is the Nature’s Way model CWH4. It has so many features that I love. Get one of these bird houses on Amazon here.
White Bluebird Eggs – The Rare but Normal Exception
Why would bluebird eggs be white?
As a general rule, bluebirds lay white eggs about 2% of the time. This statistic comes from a 2005 study of Eastern Bluebirds. While white eggs are rarer than blue eggs, these eggs usually hatch successfully and are not a cause for concern.
Photo by scrapkat1 is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
My experience with bluebird eggs also supports this 2% statistic. In my 20 years of experience attracting bluebirds to my backyard, I have only ever seen white bluebird eggs one time. With 2-3 bluebird nests every year for 20 years, only one nest had white eggs. That averages out to exactly two percent!
Although there is some correlation between white egg color and poor health/genetics in the female bluebird, there is no reason to be concerned if you see white bluebird eggs. These eggs usually hatch fine and produce healthy baby bluebirds just like blue eggs. It’s just a rare occurrence which is an exception to the blue rule.
Variations in Bluebird Egg Color – Pink Eggs
Surprisingly enough, some bluebird eggs are actually pink!
As a general rule, less than 1% of bluebird eggs are pink. Typically, these eggs are off-white or light pink in color. This statistic comes from a 2005 study of Eastern Bluebirds. While these eggs are very rare to see, there is usually nothing wrong with them and they produce healthy baby bluebirds.
I wish I had a good photo to show you of pink bluebird eggs, but unfortunately, they are so uncommon that I can’t find a picture.
The important thing to note is that bluebird eggs don’t often vary in color – they are usually just blue – but even if you find white or pink bluebird eggs, there’s nothing to worry about. They’ll hatch just fine.
If you want to get started attracting bluebirds to your own back yard, click here to learn the basics.