Common Nesting Birds

meet your neighbors

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Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides)


Photo © B. Holling

Mountain Bluebird nest

Photo © René Corado

Mountain Bluebird, white eggs

Photo © René Corado

Mountain Bluebird eggs

Photo © Anne Elliott

Adult male

Photo © Darren Clark / Macaulay Library

Female/immature

Photo © Kalin Ocaña / Macaulay Library

Juvenile

Photo © Van Remsen / Macaulay Library

Female/immature

Photo © Jody Wells / Macaulay Library

Adult male

Photo © Chris Wood / Macaulay Library

Adult male

Photo © Ian Routley / Macaulay Library

Adult male

Photo © Marc North / Macaulay Library

Habitat

Photo © Kalin Ocaña / Macaulay Library

Flock

Photo © Chris Wood / Macaulay Library

Song

© Andrew Spencer / Macaulay Library

Song

© Dave Herr / Macaulay Library

Calls

© Robert C. Stein / Macaulay Library

Calls

© William W. H. Gunn / Macaulay Library

Calls

© Geoffrey A. Keller / Macaulay Library

Calls

© Nathan Pieplow

Juvenile calls

© Bob McGuire / Macaulay Library

When To Look

Source: Birds of the World

Where To Find It

Habitats

grassland

mountain

open woodland

Substrates

Nestbox or Birdhouse

Live Tree Cavity

Dead Tree Cavity

What You'll Find

Nest Type

cavity

Chick

Altricial

Clutch Size

4
8

Nest Height

50 ft
2 ft

Nesting Statistics

Incubation Period

13-14
days

Brooding Period

17-22
days

Useful Hints

  • Historically, the Mountain Bluebird depended for its nest sites on tree cavities excavated by woodpeckers, but the increased provisioning of nest boxes has created new breeding opportunities.
  • While showing off nest cavities, males give their most elaborate display: sing on or near the structure housing the nest cavity and at the entrance, and fly back and forth between a perch near the female and the nest cavity itself (sometimes this is accompanied by male copulation attempts).
  • Only the female builds the nest. The male sometimes acts as if he is helping, but he either brings no nest material or he drops it on the way.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Cornell Lab of Ornithology