Bluebird of Happiness
I am sure you remember, the legendary lyric “Somewhere over the rainbow, Bluebirds fly” made famous by Judy Garland in the “The Wizard of Oz”. That one line went a long way in cementing the symbolism of the bluebird of happiness in American culture.
“The Blue Bird” a movie from 1940 starring Shirley Temple and based on a play of the same name written in 1908, tells the story of an unappreciative, ill-tempered little girl that is whisked away in a dream by a fairy on an adventure filled journey to find the bluebird of happiness. In the end she awakens a much happier more grateful young lady, a great old family film.
In the mid 1940’s Jan Peerce recorded his best selling record “Bluebird of Happiness” with Art Mooney and His Orchestra which at least at one time was among the all-time best selling records by opera singers.
References to the bluebird of happiness throughout American history are well documented.
But did you know that stories, songs, poems, folklore and myth about the bluebird of happiness have been recorded and passed down for many generations in almost every culture. For many Native American tribes the bluebird is sacred. In fact, the bluebird is globally accepted as a symbol of happiness, joy, good health and the renewal of spring.
Our love affair with the bluebird in America dates back to colonial times and stems in part, from the bluebirds willingness to nest in man made nest boxes and to feed in open areas where we may easily sit a spell and watch them flutter around and care for their young.
There are 3 species of bluebirds in the United States, the Mountain and Western Bluebirds found in the western third of America, and the most prevalent of the three and the one we will focus on, the Eastern Bluebird found east of the Rockies.
No matter which of these three bluebirds of happiness you are trying to attract to your feeders and nest boxes, one way sure to keep them nearby is by offering them a great, reliable source of healthy wild bird food such as Avian Cuisine Wild Bird Foods – Bluebird Delight.
