Eastern Bluebird vs Northern Gannet
Sialia sialis compared with Morus bassanus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Eastern Bluebird | Northern Gannet |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Sialia sialis | Morus bassanus |
| Order | Passeriformes | Suliformes |
| Family | Turdidae | Sulidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 17.5 cm (6.9 in) | 93.0 cm (36.6 in) |
| Wingspan | 27.0 cm (10.6 in) | 180.0 cm (70.9 in) |
| Weight | 31.0 g (1.09 oz) | 3000.0 g (105.82 oz) |
| Diet | Insects in summer, berries in winter. Hunts from low perches, dropping to the ground to … | Shoaling fish, especially mackerel, herring, and capelin. Plunge-dives from heights of 30 meters at speeds … |
| Clutch Size | 4-5 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Eastern Bluebird
Open woodland, farmland edges, orchards, and parks with scattered trees and open ground. Readily uses nest boxes.
Northern Gannet
Open ocean and coastal waters. Breeds in dense colonies on steep rocky islands and sea stacks.
Song & Call Comparison
Eastern Bluebird
A rich, melodious warbled 'chur-wi, tur-a-lee' song. Both sexes sing. Call is a soft, musical 'turee'. Song is gentle and flute-like, suggesting a small thrush. Given from exposed perch.
Northern Gannet
Loud, harsh 'urrah-urrah' grunting and croaking at breeding colonies on sea stacks. Also gives a softer 'karrr' in flight. Large colonies are extremely noisy during the breeding season.
Geographic Range & Migration
Eastern Bluebird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to Honduras and Nicaragua. Partially migratory.
Northern Gannet
North Atlantic, breeding from Newfoundland and Gulf of St. Lawrence to Norway, Iceland, and Britain. Winters at sea south to the tropics.
Conservation Status
Eastern Bluebird
Northern Gannet
How to Tell Them Apart
Eastern Bluebird
Males are vivid royal blue above with a rusty-red breast and white belly. Females are grey-blue with a paler rust breast.
Short, thin, dark bill
Northern Gannet
Brilliant white body with black wingtips and a golden-yellow wash on the head and nape. Blue-grey bill with dark lines and pale blue eye-ring.
Long, straight, pointed, pale blue-grey bill with serrated edges
About These Birds
Eastern Bluebird
The eastern bluebird is a beloved symbol of happiness in North America. Once declining due to habitat loss and competition from introduced species, populations recovered dramatically thanks to a massive citizen science nest box campaign. These gentle thrushes form loose winter flocks and huddle together in nest boxes during cold snaps.
Northern Gannet
The northern gannet is a spectacular plunge-diver, folding its two-meter wingspan into an arrow shape to hit the water at up to 100 km/h. Air sacs under the skin and a reinforced skull protect it from the impact. Bass Rock in Scotland hosts over 150,000 gannets, the largest single colony of any seabird in the world.