Class Aves
Order Songbirds
Family Old World Flycatcher
Genus Sialia

North American field guide

Mountain Bluebird

Sialia currucoides

Explore this bird

Identification

Field notes

18 cm (7") Fairly common in western North America. Open country, scattered trees, farmlands, roadsides; prefers higher elevations in summer. Casual east during migration or winter.

Male: beautiful sky blue upperparts, pale blue beneath with no rust like other bluebirds.

Female: brownish-gray above with blue on rump, wings and tail. Grayish-brown breast, not rusty like other bluebirds.

Often hovers above prey, usually insects, before pouncing on them. Also catches insects on the wing like flycatchers.

Song: soft warbling "tru-ly", "few" call.

Details in the field

Photo gallery

5 photos

Credit: oldbilluk

Male - Bernardo, New Mexico, US - February 15, 2010

Credit: Jerry Oldenettel

Pair - Sialia currucoides, just outside Rocky Mountain NP, CO - May 7, 2006

Credit: Dan Hutcheson

Credit: TJfrom AZ

Credit: Andrew Reding

Watch and learn

Videos

2 videos

Mountain Bluebird

Credit: Don DesJardin

Mountain Bluebird

Credit: Don DesJardin

Where it lives

Distribution maps

Source legend · original intervals

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Unshaded in source · does not imply absence

Generic and winter maps may use different intervals.

Bird Advisor Identification rules 2 variants 6 rules

These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.

Mountain Bluebird (Male)

3 rules

Rule 1 13 criteria confidence 4

What was the sex of the bird ?: Male · Unknown
Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: No · Unknown
What colour were the WINGS ?: Blue · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: Blue · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Blue · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Blue · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Unknown
What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ?: Light area between the bill and the eye · Light area over, below, behind or around the eye · Light area running up the side of the neck or head · Sideburn stripe running down beneath the eye · Dark area behind, under, through or around the eye · Ear "tufts" or horns · NONE of the above or a PLAIN unmarked FACE · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Blue · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Warbler-like · Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:706-mountain-bluebird-male:1:1 Source: 706 Mountain Bluebird (Male), row 1

Rule 2 14 criteria confidence 1

What was the sex of the bird ?: Male · Unknown
Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: No · Unknown
What colour were the WINGS ?: Blue · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: Blue · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Blue · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Blue · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Unknown
What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ?: Light area between the bill and the eye · Light area over, below, behind or around the eye · Light area running up the side of the neck or head · Sideburn stripe running down beneath the eye · Dark area behind, under, through or around the eye · Ear "tufts" or horns · NONE of the above or a PLAIN unmarked FACE · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Blue · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Warbler-like · Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Spring · Fall · Winter
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northeastern Canada or United States · Southeastern United States

result:706-mountain-bluebird-male:2:1 Source: 706 Mountain Bluebird (Male), row 2

Rule 3 7 criteria confidence 3

What was the sex of the bird ?: Male · Unknown
Was the bird seen best or only on the ground ?: No
What TAIL BEHAVIOURS if any were noted ?: Pointing downward
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Identify from a Unique Behaviour
What type of environment was the bird seen in?: Open area: field, prairie, meadow, farmland, tundra · Thickets or shrubs · Deciduous forest · Coniferous forest · Mixed forest · Wooded freshwater habitat · Freshwater marsh or wetland
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:706-mountain-bluebird-male:3:1 Source: 706 Mountain Bluebird (Male), row 3

Mountain Bluebird (Female)

3 rules

Rule 1 19 criteria confidence 4

What was the sex of the bird ?: Female · Unknown
Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: No · Unknown
What colour were the WINGS ?: Blue · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the TAIL ?: Square or slightly notched at the end · Unknown
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?: None · Unknown
What colour was the TAIL ?: Blue · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: Blue · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?: Uniform color · Streaked lengthwise (from head to tail) · Spotted or mottled · Barred crosswise (from side to side) · Has a central spot · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Unknown
What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ?: Light area between the bill and the eye · Light area running up the side of the neck or head · Sideburn stripe running down beneath the eye · Dark area behind, under, through or around the eye · Ear "tufts" or horns · NONE of the above or a PLAIN unmarked FACE · Unknown
Was the HEAD striped ?: No · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:707-mountain-bluebird-female:1:1 Source: 707 Mountain Bluebird (Female), row 1

Rule 2 20 criteria confidence 1

What was the sex of the bird ?: Female · Unknown
Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: No · Unknown
What colour were the WINGS ?: Blue · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the TAIL ?: Square or slightly notched at the end · Unknown
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?: None · Unknown
What colour was the TAIL ?: Blue · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: Blue · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?: Uniform color · Streaked lengthwise (from head to tail) · Spotted or mottled · Barred crosswise (from side to side) · Has a central spot · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Unknown
What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ?: Light area between the bill and the eye · Light area running up the side of the neck or head · Sideburn stripe running down beneath the eye · Dark area behind, under, through or around the eye · Ear "tufts" or horns · NONE of the above or a PLAIN unmarked FACE · Unknown
Was the HEAD striped ?: No · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Spring · Fall · Winter
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northeastern Canada or United States · Southeastern United States

result:707-mountain-bluebird-female:2:1 Source: 707 Mountain Bluebird (Female), row 2

Rule 3 7 criteria confidence 3

What was the sex of the bird ?: Female · Unknown
Was the bird seen best or only on the ground ?: No
What TAIL BEHAVIOURS if any were noted ?: Pointing downward
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Identify from a Unique Behaviour
What type of environment was the bird seen in?: Open area: field, prairie, meadow, farmland, tundra · Thickets or shrubs · Deciduous forest · Coniferous forest · Mixed forest · Wooded freshwater habitat · Freshwater marsh or wetland
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:707-mountain-bluebird-female:3:1 Source: 707 Mountain Bluebird (Female), row 3