Mountain Bluebird
Sialia currucoides
Silhouette: Richard Rich · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyTurdidae (Thrushes)
- GenusSialia (Bluebirds)
- SpeciesSialia currucoides (Mountain Bluebird)
About the Mountain Bluebird
The mountain bluebird (Sialia currucoides) is a migratory small thrush that is found in mountainous districts of western North America. It has a light underbelly and black eyes. Adult males have thin bills and are bright turquoise-blue and somewhat lighter underneath. Adult females have duller blue wings and tail, grey breast, grey crown, throat and back. In fresh fall plumage, the female's throat and breast are tinged with red-orange which is brownish near the flank, contrasting with white tail underparts. Their call is a thin 'few' while their song is a warbled high 'chur chur'. The mountain bluebird is the state bird of Idaho and Nevada. This bird is an omnivore and it can live 6 to 10 years in the wild. It eats spiders, grasshoppers, flies and other insects, and small fruits. The mountain bluebird is a relative of the eastern and western bluebirds.
The mountain bluebird was formally described in 1798 by the German ornithologist Johann Matthäus Bechstein and given the name Motacilla s. Sylvia currucoides. The specific epithet combines curruca, from Carl Linnaeus's binomial name Motacilla curruca for the lesser whitethroat with the Ancient Greek -oidēs meaning "resembling... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Mountain Bluebird in Death Valley National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Death Valley National Park
Western Bluebird
Sialia mexicana
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Hermit Thrush
Catharus guttatus
Swainson's Thrush
Catharus ustulatus
Varied Thrush
Ixoreus naevius
Townsend's Solitaire
Myadestes townsendi
Wood Thrush
Hylocichla mustelina
Rufous-backed Robin
Turdus rufopalliatus
Common Raven
Corvus corax
House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Setophaga coronata
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Wrangell-St. Elias National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 6 | Wood Buffalo National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Mountain Bluebird in Death Valley National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Mountain Bluebird sighting in Death Valley National Park, based on 244 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Mountain Bluebird in Death Valley National Park?
December has the highest sighting rate for Mountain Bluebird in Death Valley National Park in our monthly data.