Mountain Bluebird |
Mountain Bluebird Interesting Facts About Lovely Bird
Mountain Bluebird is considered to be a friendly and lovely bird. Among these magnificent birds, the male can be easily identified by its bright blue color. The body of the Mountain Bluebird is bluer than all the North American Bluebirds. Let us know about the interesting facts of Mountain Bluebird,
Where Are Mountain Bluebird Birds Found
Mountain Bluebirds are found in the continent of North America in which the countries are Canada, Mexico, United States. Mountain Bluebird, Sialia currucoides, as the scientific name of this bird suggests, is one of the three species of bluebirds. Apart from this, the other two are Eastern and Western Bluebirds which are considered to be close relatives of the Mountain Bluebird.
Scientific Name Of Mountain Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird is also known as Arctic Bluebird and the scientific name of Mountain Bluebird is Sialia currucoides. Currucoides is a Latin word. These birds were earlier known as Ultramarine Blue or Arctic Bird due to the variety of its blue color feathers.
Later, these birds acquired their name mountain bluebirds due to their populous presence in the mountain ranges of western North America. They are also known as Rocky Mountain bluebirds because these birds try to nest in the cavities of mountain trees.
Habitat Of Mountain Bluebird
Mountain bluebird habitat is mostly located in the western North American regions. These birds travel as far as northern Alaska and western Canada. The migration of mountain bluebirds occurs during winters. These North American birds have been seen spending their winters in the south-central parts of Mexico.
These birds compete with cold or stormy weather. But they cannot survive in long or severe cold weather conditions as the habitat of these birds can freeze and they can starve to death. These lovely birds live in the grasslands, deserts, mountains and farms of western Canada, the United States and Mexico.
These birds prefer to live at an altitude of about 7,000 feet and these birds breed in grasslands where scattered shrubs and forests are present. These birds require cavities for nesting and spend the winter in flat grasslands, which include meadows, fields and various types of forests with some trees and shrubs.
How Do Mountain Bluebird Look Like
Mountain bluebirds are brown, blue, white in appearance. As the name of these birds suggests, North American mountain bluebirds are blue in color. The male bird has a turquoise blue color group on the head and back and this bird mostly has bright colored wings and tail, with sky blue feathers on the chest. The female birds in these birds are faded in color and they have light blue-gray feathers with a light orange-brown breast.
Apart from this, there is blue color on their wings and tail. The female of these birds is mainly brown in color. But especially blue spots are present on its wings and tail and light red-brown color is found on the breast and throat of the female. In adolescence, the children look like their mother. But the color of the child is somewhat faded and dark. Read- Crowned Eagle | This Is The Fifth Largest Eagle In The World
Mountain Bluebird |
What Do Mountain bluebird Eat
Mountain bluebirds eat mainly seeds, fruits, insects and spiders. When hunting, these birds usually sit on trees or bushes to monitor insects. When they spot prey, they swoop down to the ground to catch it. In addition to swooping down to the ground to catch their prey, mountain bluebirds also catch insects in the air.
Sometimes when these birds see an insect, they hover over it and chase it in the air by flapping their large wings to catch it. It is known that 92% of this bird's diet consists of insects. Mountain bluebirds, like other species of bluebirds, are primarily insectivores and eat insects. Mountain bluebirds eat mostly insects during the summer season but in the winter these birds start eating fruits.
Mountain Bluebird Size And Weight
Mountain bluebirds are three times larger than hummingbirds and this bird species can grow from 6.3 inches to about 7.9 inches in length. The size of these birds may appear a little bigger depending on the wingspan which can be 11 to 14.2 inches long. Mountain bluebirds weigh about 27 to 34 grams.
Mountain bluebirds are known as monogamous birds which means that these birds stay with their partner until one of them dies. Members of this species are highly social and these birds feed or even migrate in large flocks.
How Mountain Bluebirds Communicate
The voice of the mountain bluebird is identified by a soft, nasal sound that these birds use to communicate with each other. When mountain bluebirds try to communicate normally their voice can be identified by the non-musical ‘tw’. In case of danger, mountain bluebirds use a high-pitched sound called ‘tink’ to alert the flock.
Mountain bluebirds are wild birds but still this colorful and cute bird species can still be known as a mountain bluebird. Mountain bluebirds are also considered to be a sweet sounding bird species and this sound when repeated turns into a melodious song for human ears.
How Fast Can Mountain Bluebirds Fly
The birds of this species are quite active and small in size, which helps in moving fast. A mountain bluebird flying during dangerous times can fly fast with a speed of about 17 miles per hour.
Mountain Bluebird Nests
These magnificent birds pair up in a mating pattern. This means that the male birds mate with only one female and the female with only one male. Mountain Bluebirds choose the nest site as being a cavity in a tree or a rock crevice. It is built inside a hole made by a nesting bird woodpecker or a naturally occurring hole in the tree.
The male of these birds flies around the cavity to attract the female and show the female that he has found something that she should look for. Then the female bird will investigate the nest site and when she likes it she starts building the nest. The breeding season of these birds is from April to September and the nest is built by the female.
The male bird then guards the area and brings food. After the nest is ready, the female bird lays 4-8 light blue eggs and incubates these eggs for an incubation period of 13-14 days. In these birds, both parents raise and protect the chicks. During this time, these birds sometimes become quite aggressive. The chicks of these birds are ready to leave the nest in 18 to 21 days. Read- Green Jay Interesting Facts And Information With Picture
Mountain Bluebird |
How Many Mountain Bluebird Are There In The World
Mountain bluebirds are currently classified as Least Concern (LC) in the IUCN Red List and today the number of these birds is increasing. Mountain bluebirds are quite common birds and are not currently in danger. But their population is decreasing in places where trees are not big enough to provide them with natural places to nest and hunt.
Mountain bluebirds have a growing population in the bird category and there are about 4600000-6000000 birds present all over the world and their number is increasing day by day. The population of these birds is not threatened and 80% of these birds breed in the US, 20% in Canada, while 31% winter in Mexico. This species of bluebird is considered to be a bird with a slowly increasing population.
How Long Do Mountain Bluebird Live
The lifespan of a mountain bluebird will be between about 6 years to a maximum of 10 years in the wild.
Mountain Bluebird Behavior
Mountain bluebird behavior is not dangerous to humans and they are friendly and fearless when nesting near humans. These birds do not seem to mind if humans try to check on the eggs in the nest. Bluebirds are birds that prefer to live in naturally occurring cavities and they also like nest boxes made by humans.
Mountain Bluebird Facts For Kids
1. Why is the mountain bluebird important to Idaho?
Idaho recognized these birds as its state bird in 1931 and Idaho school children suggested it as the state bird. The bluebird got this name because this bird prefers to live in the mountains of western North America. This bird lives in the northern areas of Idaho for most of the year.
2. What is the diet of the mountain bluebird?
Mountain bluebirds eat mainly seeds, fruits, insects and spiders in their diet. When hunting, these birds usually sit on trees or bushes to monitor insects. When they see their prey, they swoop down to the ground to catch it.
3. What is the myth of the bluebird?
In American mythology, some tribes consider the bluebird to be a spirit in animal form that symbolizes the dawn of a new day and others associate the bird with the sun. The Iroquois believe the bird is a harbinger of spring who fights the evil god of winter, Tawiskaran.
4. How long do mountain bluebirds live?
The lifespan of a mountain bluebird will be between about 6 years to a maximum of 10 years in the wild.
5. What is the life cycle of a bluebird?
After the nest is ready, the female bird lays 4-8 light blue eggs and keeps these eggs for an incubation period of 13-14 days. In these birds, both parents raise and protect the chicks. During this time, these birds sometimes become quite aggressive. The chicks of these birds are ready to leave the nest in 18 to 21 days.
6. What does the bluebird symbolize?
This lovely bird is known as the bluebird of happiness which means that this bird is associated with the concepts of joy, happiness and harmony. This bird is considered a symbol of hope, love, positivity and renewal.
7. Do bluebirds have any special meaning?
This is because symbolically this bird represents happiness, love, and hope. The bluebirds almost universal symbolism has historically been evident in many cultures including Russian, Chinese, and Native American folklore.
8. Why do people love bluebirds so much?
This bird is associated with hope, happiness, and the things we love. Bluebirds have probably appeared in more songs, poems, and literature than any other bird.
9. What is the purpose of the bluebird?
This bird has a great historical and cultural significance in the eastern United States. These birds play an important role in protecting crops from insects thereby ensuring a reliable food source for people. Farmers place bluebird boxes around agricultural fields so that bluebirds can eat insects that might otherwise destroy crops.
10. Why is the bluebird the symbol of happiness?
It has long been believed that the bluebird is a symbol of happiness and this belief was first held by the Chinese, who considered the bluebird immortal, protector and a symbol of the sun. Native Americans also had a deep reverence for this bird.