- Sialia currucoides
Identification
Length 16·5–20 cm (6.5-7.25"), Wingspan 32-35 cm (12.5-13.75"), weight 29gm.
Easily identified within its range by overall blue plumage, paler on the underparts; only the belly and undertail are white.
Coloration in the male ranges from pale sky-blue to a bright turquoise-blue. Darker ear-coverts and lores
Adult females have duller blue wings and tail and a grey breast, grey crown, throat and back. Some females show a pale rufous wash on the breast, inviting confusion with Western Bluebird; look for a longer tail and thinner bill in Mountain Bluebird.
Distribution
Most of western North America west of the Dakotas. Year-round in central part of range: northern New Mexico and Arizona, southern Colorado, Utah, and Nevada. Winters in southern part of range, well into central Mexico. Summer range extends in latitude from central Utah through western Canada (except coastal areas) through southern Yukon Territory and barely into central eastern Alaska. Casual vagrant to eastern United States.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Nests typically above 7000' (2135m.) in mountainous terrain and open country. Descends to lower elevations in winter.
Behaviour
Diet
Their diet consists mostly of arthropods during the spring and summer months, moving to seeds and small fruit in the autumn and winter.
Breeding
A monogomous species. They nest in cavities or bird boxes. They often hover before dropping on their prey.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- ohnson, L. S. and R. D. Dawson (2020). Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (P. G. Rodewald, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.moublu.01
- BF Member observations
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2021) Mountain Bluebird. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 29 April 2021 from https://www.birdforum.net/wiki/Mountain_Bluebird
