Western Bluebirds
I've mentioned before that blue-colored birds are some of my favorites, from iridescent Tree Swallows to Lazuli Buntings and Blue Grosbeaks, but of course, that list must include bluebirds themselves! While Eastern Bluebirds are the picture-perfect postcard bird across much of the United States, out here in the West we have our own western specialties: the Mountain Bluebird and the Western Bluebird. Male Western Bluebird Western Bluebirds ( Sialia mexicana ) are with us throughout the year, and I've been seeing quite a few of them around this spring. Birds of open woodlands and forest edges, they are also relatively comfortable in urban settings, provided suitable habitat is available. Though they are less strictly associated with meadows and grasslands than Eastern and Mountain Bluebirds, they do still seem to prefer expanses of lawn and other open areas in town. A male Western Bluebird, in a common pose: perched on a fence post As cavity nesters, t...