Western Bluebird
Sialia mexicana
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyTurdidae (Thrushes)
- GenusSialia (Bluebirds)
- SpeciesSialia mexicana (Western Bluebird)
About the Western Bluebird
The western bluebird (Sialia mexicana) is a small North American thrush. The western bluebird was formally described by the English naturalist William Swainson in 1832 and given the binomial name Sialia mexicana. Six subspecies are recognized:
S. m. occidentalis Townsend, JK, 1837 – southwest Canada to north Baja California (northwest Mexico) S. m. bairdi Ridgway, 1894 – interior west USA to Sonora and Chihuahua (northwest Mexico) S. m. jacoti Phillips, AR, 1991 – south central USA and northeast Mexico
S. m. amabilis Moore, RT, 1939 – northcentral Mexico S. m. nelsoni Phillips, AR, 1991 – central Mexico S. m. mexicana Swainson, 1832 – south central Mexico The western bluebird is a small stocky bird with a length of 15 to 18 cm (5.9 to 7.1 in). The adult male is bright blue on top and on the throat with an orange breast and sides, a brownish patch on back, and a gray belly and undertail coverts. The adult female has a duller blue body, wings, and tail, a gray throat, a dull orange breast, and a gray belly and undertail coverts. Both sexes have a thin straight bill with a fairly short tail. Immature birds have duller colors than the adults, and have... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park
Mountain Bluebird
Sialia currucoides
Eastern Bluebird
Sialia sialis
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Hermit Thrush
Catharus guttatus
Townsend's Solitaire
Myadestes townsendi
Rufous-backed Robin
Turdus rufopalliatus
Swainson's Thrush
Catharus ustulatus
Varied Thrush
Ixoreus naevius
Verdin
Auriparus flaviceps
House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
Lesser Goldfinch
Spinus psaltria
Abert's Towhee
Melozone aberti
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Zion National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Guadalupe Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 8 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Redwood National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Rocky Mountain National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 14 | Glacier National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 15 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 16 | Banff National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Western Bluebird in Saguaro National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Western Bluebird sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 3,973 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Western Bluebird in Saguaro National Park?
January has the highest sighting rate for Western Bluebird in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.