Fun Mountain Bluebird Facts For Kids

The mountain bluebird, Sialia currucoides as its scientific name suggests, is one of the three species of  bluebirds. The other two are the eastern and the western bluebirds who are the close relatives of the mountain bluebirds.

These birds were initially called the Ultramarine Blue or Arctic bird due to the variety of its blue-colored plumage. Later on, they acquired their name mountain bluebirds due to their populated presence in the mountain ranges of western North America. They can also be called the rocky mountain bluebird as they try to nest in the cavities of the mountain trees. A fun fact is that although these birds cannot be domesticated, they like to live in nest boxes laid out in the open. So you can attract them easily to your front or backyards.

For more information and details about these kinds of bluebirds read on below. To check out other interesting bird facts do not miss out on green heron and lyrebird.

What type of animal is a mountain bluebird?

Mountain bluebirds are birds that belong to the Turdidae family of animals.

What class of animal does a mountain bluebird belong to?

Mountain bluebirds belong to the Aves class of animals. This class of vertebrates is warm-blooded.

How many mountain bluebirds are there in the world?

Mountain bluebirds have an increasing population in the bird category. There are around 4600000-6000000 birds all over the world and the number is increasing by the day.

Where does a mountain bluebird live?

The mountain bluebird habitat is usually located in the western North American areas. They travel up to the far side of northern Alaska and western Canada. The mountain bluebird migration usually happens during the winters. These North American birds spend their winters in the southern-central parts of Mexico. Mountain bluebirds compete with the short-term cold or storm-like weather. However, they cannot survive in prolonged or severe cold weather conditions as their habitat might freeze and they might starve to death.

What is a mountain bluebird's habitat?

The mountain bluebird's habitat is known to be in open country. This means they survive and usually roam around in tree-filled grasslands and nest in the tree cavities present in the western mountain forests. They are also inclined towards the nesting cavities in the mountain meadows and prairies and the forest junctions with nest boxes. They are also spotted in and around the burned or cut-over areas of open land.

Who do mountain bluebirds live with?

Mountain bluebirds are known to be monogamous birds. That means they live with their partner until either of them dies. Members of this species are highly social, and they usually feed or even migrate in large flocks.

How long does a mountain bluebird live?

An average lifespan of a mountain bluebird range would be somewhere between six years to a maximum of 10 years in the wild.

How do they reproduce?

Mountain bluebirds are monogamous birds. The female and the male mountain bluebird stay together in a nest throughout their breeding season. Mountain bluebird eggs are laid in succession in a single clutch per year in the breeding season.

The male mountain bluebirds are responsible for choosing the favorable nest sites before breeding. After selecting a few sites, the mountain bluebird female chooses one site to make the nest and lays the eggs in it while the male is responsible for looking after and guarding the nest sites. These cavity nesters usually lay only one egg per day and wait to incubate the eggs until the whole clutch is together. This is so that all the eggs can hatch together.

The eggs are incubated for a period of around two weeks. In case of repeated breeding, the pair of birds might even reuse their old nest. Once the baby birds hatch, the young ones leave the nest after 21 days and are usually independent enough in two months time.

What is their conservation status?

This species of bluebird is considered to have a gradually increasing population. One of the major reasons why the International Union for Control of Nature has listed these birds and their family as Least Concern.

What do mountain bluebirds look like?

The North American mountain bluebirds are blue in color as their name suggests. The male bird usually has a turquoise blue cluster on the head and at the back. This bird usually has bright-colored wings and tail, with sky blue feathers on their chest. The female birds on the other hand are rather faded in color. They would have pale blue-gray plumage along with a light orange-brown breast. They have a tint of blue on the wings and tail. All the similar species of the mountain bluebirds have just slight changes in the mentioned color scheme, for instance, the male usually has a blue-colored neck while the female would have a gray-buff and whitish lower belly. All of these species are stout and stocky with a short and pointed bill.

How cute are they?

Although they are wild birds, this colorful and cute bird species can still be named as a mountain bluebird. Mountain bluebirds are also considered to have a sweet sounding call. When repeated, this sound turns into a sweet song for human ears.

How do they communicate?

Mountain bluebird call is usually recognized by a soft, nasal sound that they use to communicate with each other. Their sound can be recognized by non-musical 'tew' or 'few' notes when they try to communicate normally. In case of danger, they use a high-pitched note termed 'tink' to alarm the flock.

How big is a mountain bluebird?

Mountain bluebirds are three times bigger than the small bird named Bee Hummingbird. This bird species can grow as big as 6.3 in to a maximum of 7.9 in, in length. Their size might appear to be a little bigger based on the wingspan which may range from 11-14.2 in long.

How fast can a mountain bluebird fly?

This species of bird is quite active and tiny, which helps in quick movements. A mountain bluebird flying during alarming times can fly at a speed of 17 mph.

How much does a mountain bluebird weigh?

Mountain bluebirds are tiny species of birds with a weight of around 0.05-0.06 pounds, which would be only 26-30 grams.

What are their male and female names of the species?

There are no specific names for male and female mountain bluebirds. They are usually recognized based on their color differences.

What would you call a baby mountain bluebird?

The young bluebird is called a nestling just like the other birds. Post the breeding season, these birds leave their nest when they are around 16 to 21 days old.

What do they eat?

The Mountain bluebird diet usually is heavy on insects. They feed on butterflies, spiders, grasshoppers, earthworms, moths, and other insects along with their larvae. As these birds are omnivores, they usually feed on berries and fruits during the winter months and insects become their prey during the warmer months.

Are they friendly?

Bluebirds are birds that love to live in cavities that occur naturally. They also like nesting boxes created by humans and can be spotted in human company. They are friendly and fearless while nesting near humans and they do not seem to mind if humans try to check on the eggs in the nest post their breeding session.

Would they make a good pet?

Irrespective of their friendly nature, mountain bluebirds cannot be considered pets. They are free and wild birds of the order Passeriformes. This bird would rather be pleased with nesting in the tree cavity than being indoors as a pet.

Did you know...

The mountain bluebird (Sialia currucoides) is known as the state bird of the places Idaho and Nevada. This is mainly because the bluebirds have been remembered in many of the writers’ as well as the poets’ works, in their imagination of joy and happiness.

As these birds love nesting in cavities or man-made nest boxes, to attract them one can place a cute nest box in an open area. This is mainly because the birds like open spans. One can also keep water and mealworms near the nest so that the birds stick around a bit and even take care of any insects that seem to bother the surroundings.

What does the mountain bluebird symbolize?

Mountain bluebirds are considered spiritual and sacred symbols due to their azure-colored feathers. Spiritually the bird is known to reflect happiness and joy with the additional ideas of loyalty, trust, depth, wisdom, faith, and intelligence woven in. When someone sees the bluebirds, they are said to have a lot of joy and happiness to follow in their future. In the Navajo mountains, the locals even regard this bird as an image of god and the messenger of the rising sun.

How do female mountain bluebirds choose a mate?

It is common during their breeding season for the male to sing and do different kinds of things to attract the female's attention. The mountain bluebird song by the male usually starts at dawn with a loud chirruping sound and goes on throughout the day to get the female attention. The male birds then try to show off their nesting cavity in different areas so that the females can choose the one they would want to lay their eggs in. The females are usually more interested in the nesting cavity and the site than the mate. The other attributes like singing, flying, or appearance are usually the second aspect for the females while choosing a partner during the breeding season.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds including towhee, or shrike.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our mountain bluebird coloring pages.