This is Bird Note.

If the cheerful melody of the eastern bluebird doesn't bring a smile to your face,

perhaps it's striking color and skillful acrobatics will brighten your day.

Males are swathed in sapphire blue feathers with a rufous breast and white belly.

The females wear demure shades of the same colors.

Look for them along country roads, city parks, and other open woodlands with plenty of grassy

patches where they can hunt for insects. These birds can spot a snack from 60 feet away

before swooping down to pounce on their prey. Bluebirds build their nests in cavities,

like hollow trees and old woodpecker holes. In the early 20th century, eastern bluebird populations were on the decline,

as invasive house sparrows and European starlings took over available nesting sites.

So backyard birders and conservation groups began putting up nest boxes and constructing Bluebird

trails to help restore their breeding habitat. Thanks in large part to this community-led

advocacy, eastern bluebirds are now thriving. For Bird Note, I'm Michael Stein.

Today's show is in memory of Bud Ailer,

whose trail of nest boxes helped bring eastern bluebirds back to southwest Iowa.