Sialia currucoides
The plumage of the male Mountain Bluebird is like a piece of mountain sky come to life. Just as the last spring snows are retreating from the mountain landscape, Mountain Bluebirds arrive from the south. These spring migrations routinely consist of small groups of birds, but, on occasion, Mountain Bluebirds migrate in flocks numbering over 100 birds. Because of their early spring arrival, late spring snowstorms occasionally prove fatal for many Mountain Bluebirds. The Mountain Bluebird is the state bird of Idaho and Nevada. Mountain Bluebirds breed in Alaska, farther north than any other North American bluebird.
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I.D.: General: black eye, bill and legs. Male: sky blue body; upperparts are darker than the underparts. Female: sky blue wings, tail and rump; blue-gray back and head; gray underparts. Size: L 7 in. (18 cm). Range: uncommon to common migrant and breeder throughout the Rockies. Habitat: open forests, forests edges, burned forests and mountain grasslands from the upper foothills to the subalpine; alpine meadows in late summer and early fall. Nesting: in an abandoned woodpecker cavity, natural cavity or nest box; nest is built of plant stems, grass, conifer needles and twigs and frequently lined with a few feathers; female incubates 5-6 pale blue eggs for 13 days. Feeding: swoops from a perch for flying and terrestrial insects; also forages on the ground for a variety of invertebrates, such as beetles, ants and bugs. Voice: call is a low turr turr. Male: song is a short warble of churs. Similar Species: Western Bluebird: male has a chestnut red breast. Steller's Jay and Blue Jay: prominent crest. Western Scrub-Jay: longer tail; blue is less intense. Pinyon Jay: larger; larger bill. Townsend's Solitaire: peach-colored patches in the wings and tail; white outer tail feathers. |
