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Mountain Bluebird
Sialia currucoides
Size: 7" (18 cm)
Male: An overall sky blue with a darker blue back, wings, tail and head.
Female: similar to male, but paler with a nearly gray head, chest and white 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 California, Arizona, Mexico
Food: insects
Compare: Similar to Western Bluebird (pg. 57), but not as dark blue and lacks Western's rusty red chest.
Stan’s Notes: Common in open mountainous country, nesting on the eastern two-thirds of the state. Due to conservation of suitable nest sites (dead trees with cavities and man-made nest boxes), populations have increased dramatically. Like the other bluebirds, Mountain Bluebirds take well to nest boxes and will 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.
