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Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana)
uses birdhouses
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uses wildlife trees
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FIELD MARKS
With their brilliant bright-blue colour and sweet song, bluebirds are very
popular birds. The Western Bluebird is a little bigger than the House Sparrow,
the male has a rusty-red breast with a blue throat and patches of reddish-brown
on its back. The females are duller than the males. Approximate length:
14 cm
FOOD
The Western Bluebird feeds mainly on insects and berries. It forages by
perching on a low branch and capturing insects on the ground, but also catches
insects in the air and on plants.
HABITAT
The Western Bluebird favours open plant communities. It does not need extensive,
open habitats like the Mountain Bluebird does. Instead, it prefers open
forests, logged forests and farm fields. These birds are migratory.
NESTING
Western Bluebirds are cavity-nesters. They prefer small woodpecker holes
and birdhouses. Unfortunately, there is fierce competition for these sites,
which are often used by other birds such as Tree Swallows, House Wrens,
Northern Flickers, and even deer mice, flying squirrels, bees and wasps.
Their nests are made mainly of grasses, but also feathers, conifer needles,
plant stems, mosses, animal hair, fine rootlets, string and plant down.
The female builds the nest and incubates the eggs. She lays 3-6 pale blue
or white eggs. The pair may mate again at another site on the same territory
before the youngsters have left the nest. The male+ usually stays at the
old nest.
STATUS
The Western Bluebird population has declined sharply in some areas such
as the Southern Coast and Vancouver Island. This is due to competition for
nest sites with the introduced House Sparrow and the European Starling,
reduced food supply due to insecticide use and habitat loss due to urban
sprawl. Fortunately, with the Bluebird Nestbox Programs, which involved
putting up thousands of birdhouses along roads in the interior, the population
is recovering.
DISTRIBUTION
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