Muntain bluebird

Muntain bluebird
Male
Female
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kinrick:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Cless:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Faimily:	Turdidae
Genus:	Sialia
Species:	S. currucoides
Binomial name
Sialia currucoides (Bechstein, 1798)
Mountain Bluebird distribution:      Breeding range     Year-round range     Wintering range

The muntain bluebird (Sialia currucoides) is a middlin bird wichtin aboot 30 g (1.1 oz) wi a lenth frae 16–20 cm (6.3–7.9 in). They hae licht unnerbellies an black een. Adult males hae thin bills an are bricht turquoise-blue an somewha lighter unnerneath. Adult females hae duller blue wings an tail, grey breast, grey croun, throat an back. In fresh faw plumage, the female's throat an breast are tinged wi reid-orange, brounish near the flank contrastin wi white tail unnerpairts. Their caw is a thin 'few'; whilk their sang is warbled high 'chur chur'. It is the state bird of Idaho and Nevada. It is a omnivore an it can live 6 tae 10 years in the wild. It eats spiders, grasshoppers, flies an ither insects, an smaw fruits. The muntain bluebird is a relative o the eastren an wastren bluebirds.

Feedin

These birds hover ower the grund an flee doun tae catch insects, fleein an aw frae a perch tae catch thaim. They mainly eat insects an berries. They mey forage in flocks in winter, when they mainly eat grasshoppers. Muntain bluebirds will come tae a platform feeder wi live meal worms, berries, or peanuts.

Breedin

This species can be a pouder blue or wi a gray chest an aw.

Their breedin habitat is open kintra athort wastren North Americae, includin muntainous auries, as far north as Alaska. They nest in pre-existin cavities or in nest boxes. In remote auries, these birds are less affectit bi competeetion for natural nestin locations than ither bluebirds. Muntain bluebirds are a monogamous breed. The male can be seen singin frae bare branches. The singin taks place richt at dawn, juist when the sun rises. Females uisually build the nests thairsels. Eggs are pale blue an unmarkit, sometimes white. The clutch size is fower or five eggs. Young are nakit an helpless at hatchin an mey hae some doun. Incubation normally last 14 days an the young will tak aboot 21 days afore they leave the nest. Baith males an females fiercely protect the nest.

State bird

The muntain bluebird is the state bird o Idaho an Nevada.

Nest boxes

Muntain bluebirds are cavity nesters an can become vera pairtial tae a nest box, especially if they hae successfully raised a clutch. They mey even reuse the same nest, tho no aye. Muntain bluebirds will no abandon a nest if human activity is detected close bi or at the nest. Acause o this, they can be easily bandit whilk they are still in the nest.

Conservation

Muntain Bluebirds are fairly common, but populations declined bi aboot 26% atween 1966 an 2014, accordin tae the North American Breeding Bird Survey. Partners in Flicht estimates the global breedin population of 4.6 million, with 80% spending some part of the year in the U.S., 20% breedin in Canadae, an 31% winterin in Mexico. The species rates an 8 oot o 20 on the Continental Concern Score. Mountain Bluebird is a U.S.-Canada Stewardship species, an is no on the 2014 State of the Birds Watch List. These bluebirds benefitit frae the wastwaird spread o loggin an grazin in the late nineteent an early twintiet centuries, when the clearin o forest creatit open habitat for foragin. The subsequent wanin o these industries, coupled wi the deliberate suppression o wildfires, led tae a dwindlin o open acreage in the Wast an the decline o the species. Mair recently, as laund-uise practices hae stabilizit, so hae Muntain Bluebird populations. Construction o nest boxes in suitable habitat haes providit a population boost an aw. Populations are declinin in auries whaur trees are too smaw tae provide naitural nestin cavities, an whaur forest an agricultural management practices hae reducit the availability o suitable nest steids. Amang birds that nest in cavities but canna excavate thaim on their awn, competeetion is heich for nest steids. Muntain, Wastren, an mair recently Eastren bluebirds compete for nest boxes whaur their ranges owerlap. Hoose Sparraes, European Starlings, an Hoose Wrens compete fiercely wi bluebirds for nest cavities an aw.

Similar species

• Wastren bluebird (Sialia mexicana)
• Eastren bluebird (Sialia sialis)

References

• All About Birds: Mountain Bluebird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
• The Condor, Vol. 83, No. 3 (Aug., 1981), pp. 252–255

Freemit airtins

• Mountain Bluebird Information and Awareness
• North American Bluebird Society
• Mountain bluebird videos, photos, an soonds at the Internet Bird Collection
• Mountain bluebird photo gailerie at VIREO (Drexel Varsity)