Western Bluebird

Sialia mexicanaOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Thrushes (Turdidae)

Codes: Common Name: WEBL Scientific Name: SIAMEX ITIS Taxonomic No.: 179806

Breeding Location:

Grassland with scattered trees, Desert, Desert, semi

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Solitary nester

Breeding Population:

Egg Color:

Pale blue

Number of Eggs:

3 - 8

Incubation Days:

13 - 14

Egg Incubator:

Female

Nest Material:

Grass, weeds, stems, pine needles, and twigs.

Migration:

Northern birds migrate

General

Western Bluebird: Small thrush with deep blue hood and upperparts, crescent mark across upper back, red-brown breast, and white belly. Female is gray above with dull blue wings and tail. Breast and flanks are chestnut, throat is pale gray. Juvenile resembles female but is grayer and has speckled underparts.

Range and Habitat

Western Bluebird: Breeds from southern British Columbia and western Alberta south to Baja and east throughout the mountains of the west to eastern New Mexico and extreme western Texas. Spends winters throughout most of its breeding range, although northernmost populations usually withdraw slightly southward. Preferred habitats include open woodlands and pastures where old trees provide nest sites.

Breeding and Nesting

Western Bluebird: Three to eight pale blue eggs are laid in a grass nest built in a tree cavity or woodpecker hole. Incubation ranges from 13 to 14 days and is carried out by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

Western Bluebird: Diet consists of insects, earthworms, spiders, and snails. Takes berries during winter. Often hunts from low perches, from which it drops down to the ground to capture prey; also catches flying insects.

Readily Eats

Raisins, Currants, Nut Meal

Vocalization

Western Bluebird: Call is a soft "kew," repeated several times.

Similar Species

Western Bluebird: Eastern Bluebird has red-brown throat and breast, white belly and undertail coverts, and blue back.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Western Bluebird

Western Bluebird: Small thrush with deep blue hood and upperparts, crescent mark across upper back, red-brown breast, and white belly. Bill, legs and feet are black. Populations are declining due to competition for nest sites with European Starlings, Tree Swallows and House Sparrows.

● Song: "kew-kew-kew-kew-kew"

● Foraging & Feeding: Western Bluebird: Diet consists of insects, earthworms, spiders, and snails. Takes berries during winter. Often hunts from low perches, from which it drops down to the ground to capture prey; also catches flying insects.

● Breeding & nesting: Western Bluebird: Three to eight pale blue eggs are laid in a grass nest built in a tree cavity or woodpecker hole. Incubation ranges from 13 to 14 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Western Bluebird: Eastern Bluebird has red-brown throat and breast, white belly and undertail coverts, and blue back.

Flight Pattern

Slow flight with shallow wing beats.

Western Bluebird Breeding Male Body Illustration

● Range & Habitat: Western Bluebird: Breeds from southern British Columbia and western Alberta south to Baja and east throughout the mountains of the west to eastern New Mexico and extreme western Texas. Spends winters throughout most of its breeding range, although northernmost populations usually withdraw slightly southward. Preferred habitats include open woodlands and pastures where old trees provide nest sites.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^Population

^MigrationNorthern birds migrate

^Weight1 Ounces

Underparts

Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

Belly

The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.

Breast

The upper front part of a bird.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America