bluebird

American  

[bloo-burd] / ˈbluˌbɜrd /

noun

bluebirds plural

1. any of several small North American songbirds of the genus Sialia, having predominantly blue plumage, as the eastern S. sialis, which has a blue back and a reddish-brown breast.

2. fairy bluebird.

3. (usually initial capital letter) a member of Camp Fire, Inc., who is between the ages of six and eight.

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bluebird British  

/ ˈbluːˌbɜːd /

noun

1. any North American songbird of the genus Sialia , having a blue or partly blue plumage: subfamily Turdinae (thrushes)

2. any songbird of the genus Irena , of S and SE Asia, having a blue-and-black plumage: family Irenidae

3. any of various other birds having a blue plumage

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• bluebirds
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bluebird

First recorded in 1680–90; blue + bird

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bluebird bluebirds

He didn’t have much time to linger, so he headed back up the hill, stopping to admire a wooden sign with a rainbow and a bluebird.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 22, 2024

When FDA announced its decision last week, it also approved another sickle cell therapy— Lyfgenia, from maker bluebird bio—that adds a gene for adult hemoglobin to similar stem cells.

From Science Magazine ● Dec. 13, 2023

They have now succeeded with a new method: they have developed a material that exhibits the same structural design of the bluebird feathers, while additionally offering potential for practical applications thanks to its nanonetworks.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 1, 2023

The bluebird skies that settled over the Pacific Northwest around Thanksgiving made for a sun-soaked holiday weekend, but left local ski areas high and dry.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 28, 2023

Once, last year, the language arts teacher assigned him a poem about this rough-and-tumble guy who couldn’t let people see the bluebird that lived in his heart.

From "We'll Fly Away" by Bryan Bliss

Dorothy belts “Over the Rainbow” underneath newly actualized bluebirds and an impressively ominous sky.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2025

I don’t like house sparrows when I see them near bluebirds.

From Salon ● Apr. 29, 2025

Secondary cavity nesters include other birds — bluebirds, tree swallows, various wrens and owls, and even wood ducks — as well as flying squirrels, bats and more.

From Seattle Times ● May 22, 2024

Blue jays, eastern bluebirds, and indigo buntings are all blue birds, but the rich azure of an indigo bunting is nothing like the softer, sky blue of a jay.

From National Geographic ● Dec. 7, 2023

All that was missing were bluebirds and chirpy music.

From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan