7 Blue Birds in North Dakota
A no-fuss guide to the blue birds you'll actually run into around the state
People hear "North Dakota" and picture wheat fields, grain elevators, maybe a snowstorm. Fair enough. But start paying attention to the fence lines and the edges of the shelterbelts and you'll notice something - there's a surprising amount of blue out there.
I stumbled onto this a few summers back. Was driving out to a friend's farm and spotted this little blue bird parked on a wooden post, just sitting there like it owned the road. No idea what it was at the time. Looked it up later - Eastern Bluebird. And once you know what to look for, they start showing up everywhere.
Below are the seven blue birds you're most likely to see across North Dakota, plus a few notes on drawing them into your own yard. Also, if backyard feeding is your thing, there's a useful rundown on the best bird food choices for backyard feeding worth pairing with this list.
1. Eastern Bluebird
They favor open ground - pastures, golf courses, farm fields with fence posts scattered around. That's their whole hunting method actually. Perch, watch the grass, drop down on a bug, fly back up. You'll see this most in the eastern and central parts of the state during warmer months. A handful stick around into early winter if the food holds out, but most head south.
They nest in cavities, which means they need holes in trees or a proper nest box. Natural cavities aren't easy to come by anymore, so a box on a post does a lot of good here. More background on the species is on Wikipedia's Eastern Bluebird page.
2. Mountain Bluebird
Paler than the Eastern Bluebird, a sky-blue all over on the males, no orange at all. Females lean gray with just a wash of blue on the wings and tail.
This is more of a western North Dakota bird - Badlands country, open grassland, that kind of terrain. They like even barer ground than Eastern Bluebirds do, honestly. Near Theodore Roosevelt National Park, check the fence wires. That's usually where they turn up.
3. Blue Jay
Not a "bluebird" by name, but it's blue and loud and there's no missing it. Sharp blue, white, and black pattern, plus that crest on top of the head.
These stay put all year, unlike most of the birds on this list. Smart birds, a little bossy at feeders, and they'll eat just about anything - seeds, bugs, even other birds' eggs given the chance. Usually you hear them before you spot them. That harsh "jay jay jay" call travels pretty far across a yard.
A lot of the same feeder setups that pull in goldfinches work for jays too. There's a good breakdown on attracting American Goldfinches if you're looking at feeder placement.
4. Indigo Bunting
Small bird, and the males are genuinely striking - deep, almost velvet blue during breeding season. Females are plain brown, which trips a lot of people up since they look nothing alike.
They're summer visitors here, showing up around late May and gone again by early fall. Brushy roadsides, thickets, spots near water - that's where to look. Males sing from the tops of small trees, and once you learn the song you'll start picking them out by ear before you ever see one.
5. Belted Kingfisher
Chunky, a bit odd looking, shaggy crest and a heavy bill. Blue-gray upperparts with a crisp white collar. Females actually have an extra rusty band across the belly that males don't - unusual, since it's the female that's more colorful for once.
Rivers, lakes, ponds - anywhere there's fish. They perch on a branch or wire right over the water, wait, then dive in headfirst. Worth watching for a while along the Missouri River or one of the bigger lakes if you catch one working the shoreline.
6. Cerulean Warbler
A rarer one. Pale sky-blue on top, white underneath, thin dark streaking. They pass through during migration, mostly sticking to mature woodlands along river valleys.
Takes some patience to actually see one. They stay high in the canopy and rarely sit still. Late spring migration is the best window, and binoculars help a lot since they're small and blend into the leaves fast.
7. Tree Swallow
Glossy blue-green sheen on the back, clean white belly, and they move fast - low, acrobatic flights over ponds and open fields chasing insects.
Cavity nesters as well, and they'll take to nest boxes readily, sometimes the same ones bluebirds want, which leads to a bit of squabbling over real estate. Spring and summer are the times to look for them, since they clear out well before the first snow. For a sense of how different things look once birds like this migrate south, there's a companion piece on winter birds in Texas.
Quick note: Most of these respond well to open perching space, a few native berry bushes, and clean water nearby. Nothing fancy required.
Getting Blue Birds Into Your Own Yard
A few things that have actually made a difference for me over the years.
Put up a proper nest box if you can. Bluebirds and swallows especially rely on cavities, and old trees with natural holes are getting harder to find. A box with a 1.5-inch entrance hole, mounted about 4 to 6 feet up on open ground, tends to work.
Keep some water out. A shallow birdbath, cleaned every couple of days, brings in more birds than most people expect. Just don't let it sit and get stagnant, especially once it heats up in July.
Plant a few native shrubs if you have the space - chokecherry, serviceberry, dogwood. Gives birds both insects and berries depending on the time of year. Slow project, but it pays off eventually.
And skip the pesticides where you can. Most of these birds depend heavily on insects, especially while raising young. Spraying the yard just cuts off their food supply.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common blue birds in North Dakota?
Eastern Bluebirds and Blue Jays are the two you'll come across most. Mountain Bluebirds are fairly common in the western part of the state, and Tree Swallows show up around water once the weather warms up.
When is the best time to see blue birds in North Dakota?
Late spring through early fall covers most of them, since a good number are migratory. Blue Jays are the exception - they don't leave.
Are bluebirds found year-round in North Dakota?
Not really. Most head south for winter. A few tough individuals stay behind sometimes if there's enough food, particularly berries, but it's not the norm.
How can I identify blue birds in North Dakota?
Size, chest color, and habitat get you most of the way there. Robin-sized with an orange chest on a fence post - probably an Eastern Bluebird. Crested and loud at a feeder - Blue Jay. Small and deep blue in a thicket - likely an Indigo Bunting. It takes a bit of practice, but the patterns click fast once you've seen a few.
How can I attract blue birds to my backyard in North Dakota?
Nest box, clean water, native plants, no pesticides. Those four things together make a real difference within a season or two, sometimes sooner.
Final Thoughts
North Dakota doesn't get much credit as a birdwatching destination, but it probably should. Between the bluebirds, the jays, the swallows skimming over ponds - there's more color out there than most people give it credit for. Just takes some patience and a decent pair of binoculars.
For a deeper look at the full range of blue birds across the state, there's a more detailed guide at this North Dakota blue birds roundup. And if you want a different color palette entirely, the red birds of Colorado and yellow birds of Arkansas are both worth a look.
Still not sure which bird you saw? It's worth checking a proper identification resource before calling it a rare sighting. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Wikipedia list of North Dakota birds are both solid starting points.