[Length 9.75 in. Wingspan xx in.]

This male European Blackbird was photographed at Highland Wildlife Park, Kingussie, Scotland, Great Britain. Photo taken with a Nikkor 180mm EDAF-D f2.8 lens (EFL=270mm) on a Nikon D100 camera. (Date: June 20, 2004)

[Length 11.25 in. Wingspan xx in.]

This Eurasian Blackbird was photographed at the Nanhui Refuge, Nanhui (Shanghai), Shanghai, China. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Nikkor 300mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens + Nikkor TC17E II 1.7x Teleconverter on a Nikon D7100 camera. (Date: May 05, 2017)

[Length 9.75 in. Wingspan xx in.]

This female European Blackbird was photographed at Sumburgh, Mainland, Shetland, Scotland, Great Britain. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF-S f4 lens (EFL=450mm) on a Nikon D100 camera. (Date: June 12, 2004)

[Length 9.75 in. Wingspan xx in.]

This male European Blackbird was photographed at Titchwell RSPB Reserve, Norfolk, England, Great Britain. Photo taken with a Nikkor EDAF 300 f4.0 lens on Kodachrome 200 film. (Date: May 2002)

[Length 9.75 in. Wingspan xx in.]

This female European Blackbird was photographed at Titchwell RSPB Reserve, Norfolk, England, Great Britain. Photo taken with a Nikkor EDAF 300 f4.0 lens on Kodak Elitechrome 200 film. (Date: May 2002)

[Length 9.75 in. Wingspan xx in.]

This male European Blackbird was photographed at Kensington Park, London, England, Great Britain. Photo taken with a Nikkor EDAF 300 f4.0 lens on Kodak Elitechrome 200 film. (Date: April 2002)

[Length 5.5 in. Wingspan xx in.]

This Blackcap was photographed at Titchwell RSPB Reserve, Norfolk, England, Great Britain. Photo taken with a Nikkor EDAF 300 f4.0 lens on Kodachrome 200 film. (Date: May 2002)

[Length 7 in. Wingspan 13 in.]

The electric blue coloring of male Bluebirds certainly makes them one of the most beautiful of the New World thrushes. Bluebirds declined in numbers for several decades due to several factors. One is that European Starlings and House Sparrows competed aggressively with them for nesting sites. Another is that Bluebirds require open spaces, which are disappearing as land is developed for housing and business uses. However, the concerted efforts of people to put up specially-designed nest boxes specifically sized for Bluebirds (and slightly too small for Starlings) have resulted in promising increases in their numbers. This Eastern Bluebird was photographed at a city park in northern New Jersey, USA. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm f4 EDAF lens on Kodachrome 200 film. (Date: November 1993)