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Mountain Bluebird
Sialia currucoides
Size: 7" (18 cm)
Male: An overall sky blue bird with a darker blue head, back, wings and tail and white lower belly. Thin black bill.
Female: similar to male, but paler with a nearly gray head and chest and a whitish belly
Juvenile: similar to adult of the same sex
Nest: cavity, old woodpecker cavity, wooden nest box; female builds; 1-2 broods per year
Eggs: 4-6; pale blue without markings
Incubation: 13-14 days; female incubates
Fledging: 22-23 days; female and male feed young
Migration: complete, to southwestern states, Mexico
Food: insects
Compare: Similar to Western Bluebird (pg. 69), but not as dark blue and lacks Western's rusty red chest. Male Indigo Bunting (pg. 61) is smaller and lacks a white lower belly. Male Blue Grosbeak (pg. 65) has chestnut wing bars and an oversized bill.
Stan’s Notes: This bird is common in open mountainous country. Due to conservation of suitable nest sites (dead trees with cavities and man-made nest boxes), populations have increased dramatically over the last 30 years. Like other bluebirds, Mountain Bluebirds take well to nest boxes and tolerate close contact with humans. Young will imprint on their first nest box or cavity, then choose a similar type of box or cavity throughout the rest of life.
