Sialia currucoides
female
A male Mountain Bluebird is a beautiful, relatively long-winged songbird. The sexes are dissimilar. Adult males have blue plumage, darkest on the wings and tail, and palest on the belly and undertail. Adult females have mainly gray upperparts, with blue on the wings and tail. The underparts are gray-buff with a variable orange-buff suffusion on the breast. Juveniles are similar to an adult female but the underparts have pale spots.
The Mountain Bluebird is present as a breeding species across much of its North American range from April to August. Outside the breeding season it moves south and to lower altitudes, and its winter range is mainly southwest U.S.A.; it is present year-round in parts of the region. Although they regularly perch on wires and branches, Mountain Bluebirds often hover while scanning for prey.
juvenile
male
FACT FILE
LENGTH 7.25 in (18.5 cm)
FOOD Invertebrates and fruit
HABITAT Lightly wooded open habitats
STATUS Widespread and fairly common summer visitor; winters farther south, and present year-round in zone where seasonal ranges overlap
VOICE Song comprises a series of call-like notes such as tchi-uu
