Friday, November 12, 2010

Mountain Bluebirds

There are three types of bluebirds that are native to North America. The eastern bluebird is the most common and has the largest range, the western bluebird, which can be found in the Eastern coastal states and down into Mexico, and the mountain bluebird, which has a range similar to the western bluebird except that is extended in the north and the east.
It is usually easy to tell the difference between the male mountain bluebirds and males of the other two types of North American bluebirds. Adult male mountain bluebirds have a blue chest with little to no rufous color. The male eastern and western bluebird have a mostly rufous colored chest.
Female mountain bluebirds come in two different color phases. There is the gray phase, which are mostly gray all over except for the blue on the wings like the one pictured above, or the rufous phase which have a rufous colored chest. The rufous phase female can be difficult because it can look at first glance like a light colored eastern or western female.

12 comments:

Arija said...

What a lovely shade of blue the mountain bluebird is!
Your photos are stunning too.

Shirley said...

I agree with Arija. These birds are a beautiful blue. Great photos!

Jenn said...

Beautiful mountain bluebirds!

Anonymous said...

Wow - those bluebirds are so pretty!

Rachel said...

I love the way the male mountain bluebirds feathers reflect the light. I never knew there were 3 different kinds of blue birds.

jabblog said...

They are such pretty birds - how lovely.

Martha said...

Beautiful! I don't know that I have ever knowingly seen a bluebird in the wild.

My CC

Iowa Gardening Woman said...

The beauty of this bird is breath taking!

Sally in WA said...

We have the mountain bluebirds at our second home. I love the brightness of their feathers.

Joanne Olivieri said...

Look at those sweet faces and beautiful blue color. Thanks so much for bringing them to us.

Kerri Farley said...

I have only seen the Eastern ones! Your Mountain ones are GORGEOUS!

Dolan Geiman said...

Beautiful pictures! Here's my ode to the bluebird