Interesting Mountain Bluebird Facts

1. Bluebirds are held in very high esteem. This is shown in the many times it is mentioned in poetry and prose. Bluebirds are often depicted as a symbol of love, happiness and renewed hope. As another sign of peoples high regard for the bluebird the Mountain Bluebird was chosen as the state bird of both Idaho and Nevada.

2. Aside from Mountain Bluebirds two other species of bluebirds exist in North America – the Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis, and the Western Bluebird Sialia mexicana.

3. It is not very easy to attract Mountain Bluebirds to nest in small backyards. They prefer to nest in more open spaces in communities that are located in city edges. The chances of attracting them in areas where they are not common are almost non-existent. This is especially true for inner city communities. In areas where the Mountain Bluebirds are common though they can be attracted to ones backyard by putting up bluebird birdhouses, placing mealworms and making birdbaths available.

4. Mountain Bluebirds can also be attracted in areas where they just pass by during migration. They are most easily enticed by the combination of heated birdbaths (emphasis on the word heated) and bluebird houses.

5. Mountain bluebirds are often spied in places outside its normal range during winter. Some places where the lone mountain bluebird has been reported to have wandered to are western and northern parts of Alaska and mid-western and even eastern states of the United States.

6. Since the number of bluebirds is in the decline due to the significantly decreased natural nesting sites most studies about the Mountain Bluebird are actually of birds that live in man-made birdhouses. Sadly, knowledge about the species natural nesting requirements and habits is limited.

7. The different species of bluebirds are not very friendly with each other and even try to exclude the other species from their territories. This is especially true between Mountain Bluebirds and Western Bluebirds since they compete for the same nesting sites. Since Mountain Bluebirds and Eastern Bluebirds rarely occupy the same area this isnt much of a problem between the two species. However, when they are found in the same place it is the Mountain Bluebird that usually wins thus limiting the westward movement of the Eastern Bluebird.

Interesting Mountain Bluebird Facts

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