The world is home to several beautiful bird species, but few are as eye-catching or intriguing as black birds with blue heads. Due to the striking contrasts in their coloring, these birds are instantly recognizable.
With their stunning black feathers and vivid blue plumage, these avian marvels mesmerize, creating a truly amazing sight that is impossible to dismiss.
Whether you’re an experienced birdwatcher or just interested in wildlife in general, this list of black birds with blue heads is guaranteed to pique your interest.
23 Black Birds With Blue Heads
1. Rook
| Scientific Name: | Corvus frugilegus |
| Conservation Status: | Least Concern |
| Length: | 17–18 in (44–46 cm) |
| Weight: | 9.9–12 oz (280–340 g) |
| Wingspan: | 32–39 in (81–99 cm) |
| Lifespan: | Up to 20 years |
This blue-headed black bird has glossy, metallic-looking black feathers all over it. The silky feathers on their head, throat, and shoulders reflect a blue or bluish-purple hue in direct sunlight.
Rooks are among the smartest and most sociable corvids. They have evolved over time to live on modern farms and are now adapting more and more to suburban and urban areas.
Despite their very sociable nature, rooks create pair relationships that can last a lifetime. During the mating season in the fall, pair bonds gather in rookeries, which are large communal roosts, before returning to their own nests to lay eggs.
Rooks rely on the ground to probe for their primary food source: worms, beetles, and other invertebrates. They also eat a variety of other foods, including grains, fruits, acorns, and even bird eggs.
Rooks can be found throughout Europe and western Asia, but they are most common in areas with soft, fertile soil, including farmlands, river plains, and grassland regions.
2. Tree Swallow
| Scientific Name: | Tachycineta bicolor |
| Conservation Status: | Least Concern |
| Length: | 4.7–5.9 in (12–15 cm) |
| Weight: | 0.6–0.9 oz (16–25 g) |
| Wingspan: | 11.8–13.8 in (30–35 cm) |
| Lifespan: | Up to 12 years |
Tree Swallows are tiny black birds with blue heads, long, narrow wings, and tiny, webbed feet.
In addition to having forked tails, they also have black wing feathers and white feathers on their breasts and bellies. They are one of those avians classified under the broader group of blue birds.
Tree Swallows consume flying insects such as grasshoppers, dragonflies, horseflies, moths, and beetles.
They fly around looking for bugs on land and in the water and then catch them in midair. They may eat berries during the colder months.
When they require more calcium to create eggs, they may forage for fragments of eggshells in backyard compost piles during the breeding season.
Tree Swallows are one of the most extensively researched bird species in North America, and their research has contributed to important discoveries in various subfields of ecology.
The Tree Swallows are common summertime residents of northern North American fields and marshes. They often rest in cane or reed beds over water, though they can often be seen on land, as well as on wires and trees.
3. Black Grouse
| Scientific Name: | Lyrurus tetrix |
| Conservation Status: | Least Concern |
| Length: | 15.7–19 in (40–48 cm) |
| Weight: | 38–44 oz (1,000–1,250 g) |
| Wingspan: | 25.6–31.5 in (65–80 cm) |
| Lifespan: | Up to 12 years |
The Black Grouse has elaborate plumage that is primarily black with deep blue tints on the neck and back that contrast with the white of the undertail coverts and the bright red marking located directly above the eye.
Males are dark blue in color with a white fan tail and wing bars. Females, on the other hand, are smaller and more mottled grayish brown than their male counterparts.
One of my favorite behaviors to observe in male Black Grouses, often known as Blackcocks, is their elaborate courtship ritual, which they are well-known for.
Observing from afar, I would usually catch these males puff out their heads and fan out their intricate lyre-shaped tails in selected open areas to proclaim their territory and strength and get the attention of a hen to mate with.
Their adult diet consists primarily of buds, shoots, grass, and berries in the fall and winter. On the other hand, chicks are dependent on their parents to provide them with a steady diet of insects.
Black Grouse live in open areas all over Europe, but they can also be found in Great Britain, Scandinavia, Estonia, and across Russia.
Watch this video of these Black Grouse exhibiting their lekking behavior to know more about them:
4. Purple Martin
| Scientific Name: | Progne subis |
| Conservation Status: | Least Concern |
| Length: | 7.5–7.9 in (19–20 cm) |
| Weight: | 1.6–2.1 oz (45–60 g) |
| Wingspan: | 15.3–16.1 in (39–41 cm) |
| Lifespan: | Up to 13 years |
This blue-headed black bird is the biggest of its kind in North America. The Purple Martin isn’t actually purple, despite what its name suggests; however, they are still categorized under the list of purple bird species.
The iridescent sheen of their feathers, created by the reflection of light, changes their look from a dark blue to a brilliant blue, navy blue, or even a deep purple.
Purple Martins are swift fliers with a unique style of flight that combines quick flapping with glide. These birds will descend rapidly with tucked wings as they approach their breeding spot.
These birds eat insects. They catch dragonflies and other large flies in midair for a meal. They also have a particular fondness for fire ants.
Colonies of Purple Martins can have up to a hundred birds. Purple Martins almost always lay their eggs in birdhouses in eastern North America, whereas those in the west primarily use natural cavities.
Purple Martins like grassy places close to water, such as those found around marshes and damp meadows.
Fun Fact: Purple Martins can consume as many as 400 flies daily!
5. Shiny Cowbird
| Scientific Name: | Molothrus bonariensis |
| Conservation Status: | Least Concern |
| Length: | 7–8.7 in (18–22 cm) |
| Weight: | 1–1.4 oz (31–40 g) |
| Wingspan: | 11.8–12.2 in (30–31 cm) |
| Lifespan: | Up to 5 years |
The Shiny Cowbird is a stunning species of blue-headed black bird. Male adults look black in low light but are actually purple. However, adult females have an overall brown appearance with a white throat and brow.
Shiny Cowbirds are nest parasites. Similar to other cowbirds, these birds do not build their own nest and instead rely on those of other species to hatch and raise their young.
Different host species respond to cowbirds taking over their nests in different ways, from taking in and caring for the cowbird eggs to ignoring them completely.
Shiny Cowbirds hunt in groups, frequently alongside different blackbird species. They forage for food on the ground, primarily eating bugs, grains, and other seeds.
These birds dwell in places like open woods and cultivated land over the majority of South America.
They can be found in a wide variety of open and semi-open habitats, including urban and suburban areas, agricultural regions, and natural areas such as riparian forests and mangroves.
6. Indigo Bunting
| Scientific Name: | Passerina cyanea |
| Conservation Status: | Least Concern |
| Length: | 4.7–5.1 in (12–13 cm) |
| Weight: | 0.4–0.6 oz (12–18 g) |
| Wingspan: | 7.5–8.7 in (19–22 cm) |
| Lifespan: | Up to 13 years |
The Indigo Bunting, a member of the Cardinalidae family, is a beautiful bird with a deep blue coloration. Their head is the only part that is indigo. They have black wings and a tail with accents of cerulean blue.
Indigo Buntings, like every other blue bird, have no blue pigment in their feathers.
Tiny structures in their feathers refract and reflect blue light, just as the airborne particles that make the sky blue. This gives their feathers their jewel-like beauty.
Additionally, due to the bluish reflection of these birds, they are sometimes even mistaken for the mythical blue Cardinal.
Indigo Buntings eat both insects and plants. They feed on grass seeds, spiders, beetles, caterpillars, and other insects during the breeding season. In the winter, grass seeds serve as their primary source of food.
Breeding areas for Indigo Buntings include southern Canada, Maine, northern Florida, eastern Texas, and southern Nevada. They enjoy roadside bushes, hedgerows, overgrown areas, and edges.
7. Purple Sunbird
| Scientific Name: | Cinnyris asiaticus |
| Conservation Status: | Least Concern |
| Length: | 3.1–4 in (8–10 cm) |
| Weight: | 0.2–0.4 oz (7–11 g) |
| Wingspan: | 4–4.7 in (10–12 cm) |
| Lifespan: | Up to 22 years |
The Purple Sunbird is a small black bird with blue heads that belong to the sunbird family.
Males have a glossy metallic sheen that ranges in color from bluish to purplish on their upper body, and their wings resemble dark brown. Females have an olive top and a yellowish underside.
They may hover like hummingbirds to sip nectar but prefer to perch near the bottom of blooms. They’re frequently seen in pairs and mostly consume nectar while also consuming insects.
Purple Sunbirds play a crucial role in the pollination of numerous types of plants. They also eat grown grapes, tiny berries, and fruits, though to a lesser extent.
In addition, these birds are extremely vociferous, calling to one another and forming large flocks to attack owls and other predators.
The species is widespread, with populations in Southeast Asia, West Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. They are non-migratory and do not move large distances.
8. Brown Sicklebill
| Scientific Name: | Epimachus meyeri |
| Conservation Status: | Least Concern |
| Length: | 8.3–9.1 in (49–52 cm) |
| Weight: | 1.2–2.3 oz (166–310 g) |
| Wingspan: | 17–19 in (43–48 cm) |
| Lifespan: | Up to 7 years |
In the New Guinean highlands, there is a huge, black bird with a blue head known as the Brown Sicklebill. They have irises that are light blue and a sickle-shaped beak.
Their black upper parts are iridescent, with greenish blue on the mantle and back. Their breast is dark brown, while the sides are heavily washed with purple.
Females, in general, have shorter bodies and shorter tails than males. They don’t have the same iridescence as males and have a completely distinct appearance overall.
Brown Sicklebills are commonly seen in montane forests of the middle and upper elevations and in mossy and disturbed woods, secondary growth, and forest edges.
9. Satin Bowerbird
| Scientific Name: | Ptilonorhynchus violaceus |
| Conservation Status: | Least Concern |
| Length: | 12.6–13 in (32–33 cm) |
| Weight: | 6–10.2 oz (170–290 g) |
| Wingspan: | 13.7–15.7 in (35–40 cm) |
| Lifespan: | Up to 30 years |
The Satin Bowerbird is a medium-sized black bird with a blue head. The glossy black plumage, white bill, and violet eyes of adult males make them easily identifiable.
Juvenile males and females seem very similar; therefore, they are often referred to as green birds since they share a single color.
Their wings and tails are brown, and they have an olive-green upper body and an off-white underside with dark scalloping.
Satin Bowerbirds are another bird species that captured my attention in terms of how males impress potential mates. Males construct elaborate bowers out of twigs and decorate them with colored trinkets, saliva, and charcoal.
Personally observing the skill of these birds, I am not surprised that Satin Bowerbirds are frequently regarded as the most developed species of birds.
In terms of their distribution, the majority of Australia’s eastern and southern coasts are home to Satin Bowerbirds.
Although Satin Bowerbirds are primarily rainforest residents, they do make their home in the Atherton Tableland’s wetter forests, woodlands, and surrounding open areas.
10. European Starling
| Scientific Name: | Sturnus vulgaris |
| Conservation Status: | Least Concern |
| Length: | 7.9–9.1 in (20–23 cm) |
| Weight: | 2.1–3.4 oz (60–96 g) |
| Wingspan: | 12.2–15.8 in (31–40 cm) |
| Lifespan: | Up to 23 years |
European Starlings are loud, black birds with blue heads common in urban and rural areas. These hefty birds have triangular wings, long, pointed beaks, and short tails.
When viewed from a distance, this magnificent bird looks to be entirely black. Yet, a closer inspection reveals its iridescent green and purple feathers.
This type of feature in these avians also makes them identifiable as one of the black birds with yellow beaks.
European Starlings, which were first introduced to North America by Shakespeare aficionados in the nineteenth century, are now among the continent’s most common songbirds.
An organization that wanted America to have every bird Shakespeare ever mentioned released the birds on purpose.
Now, from Alaska to Mexico, there are more than 200 million European Starlings, regarded as pests by many. They fly across the skies and swarm lawns in large, raucous flocks during the majority of the year.
European Starlings like places with short grass where they may easily forage, such as cities and suburbs, reedbeds, farms, pastures, sports grounds, golf courses, and airports.
They occasionally inhabit open woods and woodlands and are sometimes seen in shrubby places.
11. Common Grackle
| Scientific Name: | Quiscalus quiscula |
| Conservation Status: | Nearly Threatened |
| Length: | 11.0–13.4 in (28–34 cm) |
| Weight: | 2.6–5.0 oz (74–142 g) |
| Wingspan: | 14.2–18.1 in (36–46 cm) |
| Lifespan: | Up to 22 years |
The Common Grackle is a blue-headed black bird with bright golden eyes, dark bills, and long tails.
Male adults have a mostly bronze sheen throughout their body plumage and a black appearance with purple, green, or blue iridescence on their heads.
Female adults are smaller than males and typically less iridescent. Their tails, in particular, are shorter and do not keel when they fly; they are also brown rather than purple or blue.
Common Grackles typically travel in big groups, either flying together or foraging together in yards and fields. They walk proudly on their elongated feet and peck at food instead of scratching it.
They’re omnivores that consume a variety of foods, including insects, minnows, frogs, eggs, berries, seeds, grains, and even small birds and mice.
Common Grackles breed throughout North America east of the Rockies. They thrive next to farmlands, feedlots, urban green spaces, and suburban lawns.
They can also be found in semi-open environments, including fields, grasslands, and wetlands.
12. Black Oropendola
| Scientific Name: | Psarocolius guatimozinus |
| Conservation Status: | Least Concern |
| Length: | 15.7–18.5 in (40–47 cm) |
| Weight: | 8.1–18.3 oz (230–520 g) |
| Wingspan: | 15–17.7 in (38–45 cm) |
| Lifespan: | Up to 20 years |
This blue-headed black bird belongs to the Icteridae family. Black Oropendolas have a mostly black body with contrasting dark chestnut colors on their back and wings.
They also feature a big blue patch of skin at the base of their orange-tipped bill.
Their primary diet consists mostly of fruits, nectar, tiny vertebrates, and invertebrates like insects and spiders. These animals typically hunt in the treetops.
Colonies of up to twenty of these birds may nest in a single tree. The alpha male of each colony performs an elaborate bowing show before mating with the majority of the females.
Black Oropendolas can only be found in the wet woods of northwest South America. They are non-migratory birds.
13. Superb Fairy-wren
| Scientific Name: | Malurus cyaneus |
| Conservation Status: | Least Concern |
| Length: | 5.5–6.3 in (14–16 cm) |
| Weight: | 0.2–0.4 oz (8–13 g) |
| Wingspan: | 5.5–6.7 in (14–17 cm) |
| Lifespan: | Up to 6 years |
Among blue-headed blackbirds, Superb Fairy-wrens have some of the brightest plumage during the breeding season.
Their upper parts, including the throat, are covered in deep blue and black feathers. They have black bills and grey-white underbellies. Females and juveniles seem similar to adult males, but their heads and bills are brown.
Unlike other fairy-wren species, these birds spend more time foraging on the ground. They also frequent low-canopy shrub and tree environments.
They feed primarily on insects such as grasshoppers and ants, as well as small seeds and fruits. They take cover in bushes and hop out to capture their prey.
Male Superb Fairy-wrens pluck out yellow petals during the breeding season to show off to females because of the striking contrast between the color and their plumage.
They often gather in small groups. These flocks often include an alpha male, multiple females, and young birds.
Their natural habitats span much of southeastern Australia’s parks, gardens, and open forests.
14. Brewer’s Blackbird
| Scientific Name: | Euphagus cyanocephalus |
| Conservation Status: | Least Concern |
| Length: | 8.3–9.8 in (21–25 cm) |
| Weight: | 2.1–3.0 oz (60–86 g) |
| Wingspan: | 14.6–15.5 in (37–39 cm) |
| Lifespan: | Up to 12 years |
The Brewer’s Blackbird is a blue-headed black bird that has vivid yellow eyes and is primarily black in color.
They have heads and necks that shine a vivid blue or purplish blue, and the remainder of their bodies feature glossy bluish-green accents.
The sociable Brewer’s Blackbirds build their nest among a group of up to 100 other birds. When it’s not breeding season, they often gather in groups with other blackbirds to feed in large groups.
Moreover, they eat mostly seeds and insects, as well as occasional berries, and they can be seen foraging in shallow water or fields.
Brewer’s Blackbirds have evolved to live in North America’s natural ecosystems.
Hence, they inhabit a variety of habitats, including wetlands in the mountains, mixed chaparral forests, coastal scrublands, woods, riparian zones, and sagebrush ecosystems.
Nonetheless, Brewer’s Blackbirds favor open settings, whether manmade or natural, including parks, lawns, golf courses, city streets, and agricultural fields.
15. Asian Fairy-bluebird
| Scientific Name: | Irena puella |
| Conservation Status: | Least Concern |
| Length: | 9.4–10.6 in (24–27 cm) |
| Weight: | 2–2.6 oz (56–75 g) |
| Wingspan: | 9.8–10.6 in (25–27 cm) |
| Lifespan: | Up to 15 years |
The Asian Fairy-bluebird, named for its distinctive blue head, is a black bird that lives in trees and is constantly roaming the forest.
While their feathers may look dull in the shade, their backs become brilliant sapphire when illuminated by the sun. They have red irises, pink eyelids, flesh-colored beaks, legs, claws, and black bills.
The Asian Fairy-bluebird mostly consumes fruits, such as berries and figs from ficus trees, and nectar from various flowering plants in specific regions of its habitat. They may also eat insects in flight, including termites.
They hunt in the canopy and at intermediate levels of the forest. They hardly make their way to the ground.
Asian Fairy-bluebirds can be found in tropical southern Asia, including Indochina, the Greater Sundas, the Philippines, the Himalayan foothills, India, and Sri Lanka.
These woodland species might move from their natural habitat into tea and coffee plantations with a few dispersed trees, perhaps drawn by the flowering and fruiting trees.
16. Blue-black Grosbeak
| Scientific Name: | Cyanocompsa cyanoides |
| Conservation Status: | Least Concern |
| Length: | 5.9–6.3 in (15–16 cm) |
| Weight: | 0.9–1.1 oz (26–31 g) |
| Wingspan: | 11–12.2 in (28–31 cm) |
| Lifespan: | Up to 6 years |
The Blue-black Grosbeak is a species of black bird with a blue head in the family Cardinalidae.
Male Blue-black Grosbeaks are an intense blue overall, with paler blue at the bill’s base and on the shoulders. The tip of their large, dark bill tapers to a silvery base.
Females are characterized by their chestnut-colored plumage and darker bills.
Blue-black Grosbeaks are known to eat a wide variety of foods, including seeds, fruits, and even invertebrates like spiders and ants. The seeds are crushed before consumption.
Further, they are understory birds that prefer to eat in moist, semi-deciduous forests. During the rainy season, they tend to also move into scrubby environments.
They usually hang out in pairs and hide in low to medium levels of dense vegetation. These beautiful birds are found only in Central and South America.
17. Southern Cassowary
| Scientific Name: | Casuarius casuarius |
| Conservation Status: | Least Concern |
| Length: | 8.3–9.1 in (127–170 cm) |
| Weight: | 1023–2081.1 oz (29,000–59,000 g) |
| Wingspan: | 59–79 in (150–200 cm) |
| Lifespan: | Up to 40 years |
The Southern Cassowary is a large, dark bird with a vivid blue head, a casque, two bright red skin flaps, and long, dense black satin-like feathers that give it a prehistoric appearance.
Southern Cassowaries, which can grow to a height of six feet, are the second heaviest bird after ostriches and the third tallest after emus, both of which are related to them.
They often eat snails, mushrooms, and fallen fruits, but when they have a taste for high-protein food, they will consume both dead and alive small mammals and reptiles.
They comb the forest floor with their feet in search of food. Because of their need for fruit, they require a woodland habitat rich in perennial plants that bear fruit throughout the year.
Southern Cassowaries are ratites, or flightless birds, like ostriches, emus, rheas, and kiwis. Ratites have flat breastbones that cannot support the muscles needed for flight.
They can be found in the rainforests of New Guinea, Indonesia’s islands of Ceram and Aru, and northeastern Australia.
18. Blue-black Grassquit
| Scientific Name: | Volatinia jacarina |
| Conservation Status: | Least Concern |
| Length: | 4–4.5 in (10.1–11.4 cm) |
| Weight: | 0.3–0.4 oz (9–12 g) |
| Wingspan: | 4–5 in (10.1–12.7 cm) |
| Lifespan: | Up to 10 years |
The Blue-black Grassquit is a little bird belonging to the Thraupidae family. These blue-headed black birds have a short, conical black bills.
Male Blue-black Grassquits have glossy blue-black coats, black tails, and white underwings that are visible when flying. Females and young birds have buff undersides with dark streaks and brown backs.
These birds are known locally as Johnny Jump-ups because of their spectacular jumping antics. They perform a series of vertical jumps from a perch, each 50 cm to 90 cm in height, as part of their courtship act.
Male birds use these brief flights to sing their short, buzzy song while showing off the white axillary dots on their underwings. They dive down, head first, and perform this trick over and over again.
They are a widespread species, with breeding populations in southern Mexico, throughout Central America, and into northern Chile, Argentina, and Paraguay, as well as in Trinidad and Tobago.
They frequent open spaces like gardens and farmlands with plenty of grass and weeds.
19. Blue-necked Tanager
| Scientific Name: | Galbula cyanicollis |
| Conservation Status: | Least Concern |
| Length: | 7.5–8.7 in (19–22 cm) |
| Weight: | 0.7–0.9 oz (21–26 g) |
| Wingspan: | 7.8–8.6 in (20–22 cm) |
| Lifespan: | Up to 8 years |
The Blue-necked Tanager is primarily black, with a dazzling blue neck and head. Their wings and tail are blue to golden in color.
Men are distinguished from females by their more vividly colored wing bands. Juveniles resemble adults, except they are brownish-gray in color instead of black.
They eat various foods, including fruit, berries, flower petals, and insects. They often travel in mixed-species flocks as they forage in the canopies of humid montane forests and along forest borders.
Blue-necked Tanagers can be found in their native habitats of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
They like humid lowland forests in the subtropics or tropics, humid mountainous areas, and places where there used to be a lot of trees, but they have been cut down a lot.
20. Shining Honeycreeper
| Scientific Name: | Cyanerpes lucidus |
| Conservation Status: | Least Concern |
| Length: | 3.9–4.5 in (10–11.4 cm) |
| Weight: | 0.3–0.4 oz (9–12 g) |
| Wingspan: | 4–5 in (10.1–12.7 cm) |
| Lifespan: | Up to 12 years |
The Shining Honeycreeper is one of the most colorful tanagers. These small black birds with blue heads feature a long, thin, decurved bill and a short tail.
Males of these plucky little birds are purplish blue overall with a black throat and chest patch, black wings, and bright yellow legs with contrasting black toenails.
The females are just as stunning, with green bodies, blue cheek stripes, blue breast streaks, and buffy necks.
They eat nectar, fruit, and insects. They harvest arthropods off vines and twigs, sally out to catch flying insects and rummage around in decaying leaves to find insects hidden there.
Shining Honeycreepers have a tendency to be fairly aggressive and can drive away larger birds when they are feeding. Furthermore, they’ll visit hummingbird feeders in search of nectar.
They inhabit the tropical regions of the New World, specifically southern Mexico, Panama, and northwest Colombia. Humid evergreen forest edges and interiors are common habitats for them.
21. Blue-black Kingfisher
| Scientific Name: | Todiramphus nigrocyaneus |
| Conservation Status: | Near Threatened |
| Length: | 8.3–9.8 in (21–25 cm) |
| Weight: | 1.2–2.3 oz (51–57 g) |
| Wingspan: | 12.2–13 in (31–33 cm) |
| Lifespan: | Up to 8 years |
This black bird with a blue head is distinguished by its black bill, blue cap, and white chest.
Male Blue-black Kingfishers can have rufous or dark bellies with a white crescent, depending on their geographic location. The bellies of females are white.
Blue-black Kingfishers mostly consume small fish and aquatic invertebrates like insects, crabs, and mollusks.
They are expert predators who use pointed bills to seize their prey. They look for prey from perches close to the water’s surface and then dive for it.
Blue-black Kingfishers live in the islands of New Guinea and the surrounding waters, specifically Salawati, Batanta, and Yapen.
Because of threats, including the deforestation of lowland swamp forests and the deterioration of water quality, this species is thought to be extremely rare and on the decline.
22. Black-throated Blue Warbler
| Scientific Name: | Setophaga caerulescens |
| Conservation Status: | Least Concern |
| Length: | 4.3–5.1 in (11–13 cm) |
| Weight: | 0.3–0.4 oz (8–12 g) |
| Wingspan: | 7.5–7.9 in (19–20 cm) |
| Lifespan: | Up to 9 years |
This small, well-proportioned warbler with a blue head is distinguished by its sharp, pointed beak. They’re big and round compared to other species of warbler.
Male and female Black-throated Blue Warblers were first described as two distinct species because they look drastically different from one another.
Males have a black neck, face, and sides with a white underside and a midnight blue top. Females have a uniform grayish-olive color, though some have bluish highlights on their wings and tail.
Moreover, the wings of both genders feature a little white square, often referred to as a pocket handkerchief.
Male Black-throated Blue Warblers, in contrast to other warblers, maintain their striking black-and-blue coloring throughout the entire year.
These species prefer the higher elevations of the northeastern United States and southeast Canada. They spend the winter in the Greater Antilles, where they frequent tropical woodland and scrub environments.
They nest in dense understory vegetation in mixed coniferous-deciduous forests.
23. Blue-and-White Flycatcher
| Scientific Name: | Cyanoptila cyanomelana |
| Conservation Status: | Least Concern |
| Length: | 6.3–6.7 in (16–17 cm) |
| Weight: | 0.8–0.9 oz (23–25 g) |
| Wingspan: | 9.8–11 in (25–28 cm) |
| Lifespan: | Up to 6 years |
The Blue-and-white Flycatcher is a black bird with a blue head that boasts a stunning appearance.
Male Blue-and-white Flycatchers are distinguished by their cobalt-blue upper parts, blackish head-sides, throat, and breasts, and mostly white underparts.
On the other hand, females are characterized by their uniformly brownish upper parts and breasts, white bellies, white throat patches, and entirely black bills.
Blue-and-white Flycatchers eat a variety of insects, such as beetles, caterpillars, and flies. They are airborne hunters and capture their prey in flight.
Typically, they take off from a perch and land on the same or another adjacent perch. They occasionally swoop down to the ground or the foliage and pick off insects there as well.
Moreover, these birds are well recognized for being opportunistic feeders, and when available, they will also take advantage of other food sources, including fruit and nectar.
Blue-and-white Flycatchers are mainly found in forest and woodland environments around Asia. In addition to wooded areas, you can spot them in lush gardens and parks.
Which of these blue-headed blackbirds caught your eye, then? Please feel free to share your thoughts with us in the comment section below, along with any questions you may have about these cool-colored birds!
