Discover 12 Blue Birds in Michigan

Birding in Michigan is a popular pastime, and the state offers many opportunities, from national parks and trails to the Great Lakes Coastline. Whether you are a beginner birder or like to casually view birds at your feeder, this handy guide will help you identify blue birds in Michigan. Discover where they live, what they eat, and how they sound.

Tree Swallow

Habitat: You can find tree swallows throughout Michigan during the breeding season in spring and summer. They live in open country areas near water, such as marshes, lakes, and meadows.

How to Identify: They are relatively small songbirds with long, pointed wings and notched tails. Their plumage is bluish-green above and white below with brownish-black wings and tails.

Diet: Insects, berries, and seeds

Vocalizations: High-pitched chirps and gurgles

Nest: A cup of grass placed in holes in dead trees

Barn Swallow

Habitat: The barn swallow breeds throughout Canada and the United States, including Michigan. This species is common around human habitations, like parks, baseball fields, farms, and beaches.

How to Identify: It is slightly larger than the tree swallow and features a flat head, broad shoulders, and pointed wings. They are deep steely blue above with rufous-colored underparts.

Diet: Insects, spiders, snails, berries, and seeds

Vocalizations: Twitter warbles and mechanical whirrs

Nest: A cup of mud and dried grass under eaves or open buildings

Purple Martin

Habitat: The purple martin spends its springs and summers in the Great Lakes state and throughout the eastern half of the country. You can find them in towns, farms, mountain forests, and many other common semi-open areas.

How to Identify: Despite its name, purple martins are dark bluish-purple, and iridescent. And their wings and tails are brownish-black. They are large birds with broad chests, tapered wings, and forked tails.

Diet: Insects and spiders

Vocalizations: Throaty chirps and rattles

Nest: A cup made of leaves and grass placed in old woodpecker holes

Indigo Bunting

Habitat: Another breeding bird in Michigan, the indigo bunting inhabits the state during spring and summer. You can find them in brushy pastures, wood edges, and roadsides.

How to Identify: The male’s summer plumage is all blue, with the head darker than the body. It also features a silver beak and dark streaks on its wings and tail. They are relatively small and stocky with short, thick bills and round tails.

Diet: Seeds and insects

Vocalizations: Clear, high-pitched notes and short “chip” calls

Nest: Open grass cup in dense shrubs or trees

Northern Parula

Habitat: Most northern parulas pass through Michigan during migration. But small groups breed near the Great Lakes. Look for them in humid woods, coniferous forests, and swamps.

How to Identify: These small warblers have short tails and thin bills. They are bluish-gray above and white below with bright yellow chests and throats and some black streaking on the wings.

Diet: Insects, spiders, larvae, and berries

Vocalizations: Buzzy trills and sharp chips

Nest: Small hanging pouch in tree lichens

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Habitat: You can find blue-gray gnatcatcher breeding populations in northern Michigan. Find them in open woods, deciduous forests, and thickets.

How to Identify: They are tiny and slim with long legs and long tails. These birds are pale bluish-gray with light gray to white underparts and mostly black tails.

Diet: Insects and spiders

Vocalizations: Continuous sharp chips and nasal calls

Nest: Open grass cup in a tree

Blue Jay

Habitat: They live year-round in the eastern United States, including all over Michigan. You can find them in woodlands, groves, towns, suburbs, gardens, and many other areas near humans.

How to Identify: Blue jays are pretty large songbirds with crests and long, rounded tails. Their plumage is a mix of various shades of blue, black, and white.

Diet: Seeds, grains, nuts, berries, small fruits, insects, rodents, reptiles, baby birds, and carrion

Vocalizations: Quiet clicks and loud jeers

Nest: A bulky twig cup placed in the fork of a tree

White-breasted Nuthatch

Habitat: They are a permanent resident in Michigan and throughout most of the United States. They live in forests, woodlots, mature deciduous forests, and groves.

How to Identify: A small songbird with a large head, the white-breasted nuthatch has short tails and a long bill. They have bluish-gray backs, white undersides and throats, and black caps.

Diet: Insects and seeds

Vocalizations: Rapid, nasal “wha-wha”

Nest: A bark fiber cup in a tree cavity

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Habitat: The black-throated blue warbler migrates through the state and breeds in the northern tip near the Great Lakes. You can find them in the interior of mixed forests, where they like to breed in undisturbed areas.

How to Identify: These small, plump birds have well-proportioned bodies and pointed bills. Males are streaky dark blue above and white below with black throats and bills.

Diet: Insects, seeds, berries, and flower nectar

Vocalizations: Slow-paced buzzy notes

Nest: Open cup of bark in thick shrubs

Eastern Bluebird

Habitat: As its name suggests, the eastern bluebird lives in the eastern half of the country, where it spends springs and summers in Michigan during the breeding season. You will find them in open country areas with scattered trees, like farms and forest clearings.

How to Identify: This small thrush has a large, round head with big eyes and short tails. Males are bright blue above, white underneath, and rusty brown on their chests.

Diet: Insects and berries

Vocalizations: Low-pitched warbles and harsh chatters

Nest: A weed cup placed in a tree cavity

Belted Kingfisher

Habitat: The belted kingfisher lives year-round in southern Michigan and breeds in northern portions of the state. They live in many aquatic habitats, such as streams, lakes, bays, and coasts.

How to Identify: This stocky bird has a large head and a shaggy crest. They feature bluish-gray plumage on their heads, backs, and chests. And their necks and undersides are white with hints of brown.

Diet: Fish, frogs, aquatic insects, small mammals, and lizards

Vocalizations: Mechanical rattles and harsh screams

Nest: Tunnels in steep dirty banks

Common Grackle

Habitat: The common grackle breeds throughout most of Michigan, but some populations live year-round in the far southern regions. Look for them in farms, towns, groves, and streamsides.

How to Identify: Large and lanky, the common grackle features long legs and long tails. They have shiny blue and green heads and iridescent bronze bodies.

Diet: Insects, fish, frogs, lizards, eggs, and small rodents

Vocalizations: Squeaks, whistles, and croaks

Nest: Bulky weed cup in dense tree branches

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