American bluebirds (such as the Eastern Bluebird) are strictly native to North America. They were never successfully introduced to the wild in Europe. While some British colonists and European aviculturists imported singing males to Europe as prized cage birds in the 19th century, no wild, sustaining populations ever established there.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the movement of birds was common. European settlers were mesmerized by the American bluebird’s bright plumage, often referring to it as the “Blue Robin”. However, acclimatization attempts were largely confined to captivity. Early bird importers largely shipped over vibrant, colorful males, leaving the drabber females behind, which made breeding nearly impossible. By 1888, zoological gardens in Europe were breeding them in captivity, but these birds were never released to naturalize in the European countryside.
Many people wonder about bluebirds in Europe because of the famous World War II song “The White Cliffs of Dover,” which features the lyric, “There’ll be bluebirds over the white cliffs of Dover.” Songwriters Walter Kent and Nat Burton did not realize that true American bluebirds do not live in England. In British vernacular, the term “bluebird” was actually an old country name for migratory swallows and house martins, which have a bright blue-sheened plumage.
While the American bluebird never made a home in Europe, European species were very successfully—and destructively—brought to America. In the 19th century, organizations like the American Acclimatization Society introduced birds like the House Sparrow (1851) and the European Starling (1890) to the United States. Because bluebirds rely on tree cavities for nesting, these aggressive, imported European birds nearly drove American bluebirds to extinction by outcompeting them for nesting sites. Fortunately, modern conservation efforts and widespread man-made nest box trails like those along US 20 in Upstate NY have allowed the bluebird to make a somewhat of a comeback in North America.
