The Other Two Species

Many of the facts shared in my blogs pertaining to the eastern bluebird can be applied to the other two species. Being similar but different.

Mountain Bluebird Sialia currucoides

Adult Male                         Adult Female

The Mountain Bluebirds are slightly larger than both western and eastern bluebirds. They have longer thinner bills and their tails are longer. Mountains bluebirds tend to hover when hunting for food. Somewhat like an American kestrel. The mountain bluebird sometimes hybridizes with the eastern bluebird where their ranges overlap. The mountain bluebird ranges broadly overlaps that of the western bluebird, and there are several reports of the two species pairing together and producing what is called hybrid young.

The range of the mountain bluebird is in the western part of the United States. The bird breeds in the western states and western Canada, as far east as northeast North Dakota and far north as central Alaska. The mountain bluebird is the most migratory of the three species which extends farther south into Texas and southern Mexico. It has been from extensive conservation efforts by many people that the mountain bluebirds population is increasing. If not for people getting involved in conservation efforts to help these birds, all three species of bluebirds would have been eradicated from the earth.

Western Bluebird Sialia mexicana

Adult Male                          Adult Female

Only the Western male bluebird could be confused with the male Eastern bluebird since they are the only two bluebirds with red on their breast. The big difference is the western bluebird has a  blue chin rather than a red chin that the eastern bluebird has.

The western bluebirds are paring with mountain bluebirds and raising hybrid young. This is to be expected since their ranges so broadly overlap. The western bluebird can be found breeding in most of the western states and British Columbia. It is most abundant along the California coast and in the southwestern states. It winters in the same areas it inhabits, and therefore is not a migratory bird as the mountain and the eastern bluebird are. Of the three species of bluebirds, the western bluebird is the most in decline. In the 1970s more bluebirds trails were formed and the western bluebird is now beginning to make a come back. Again this is a result of so many people getting involved in conservation efforts.

Bluebirds are secondary cavity nesting bird, which mean that they are unable to create a cavity for themselves. They must rely on other animals or birds such as woodpeckers to create a cavity for them. It’s now a known fact that bluebirds would have been an extinct species if not for conservation efforts. A big thank you goes out there on behalf of all the Bluebirds to the many Landlords across the United States of America

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