Male - Los Osos, California, US - March 17, 2008
Credit: Kevin Cole

North American field guide

Western Bluebird

Sialia mexicana

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Identification

Field notes

18 cm (7") Fairly common. Western United States, southwestern Canada. Open woodlands, orchards, farmlands.

Male: purplish-blue head, throat, wings and tail. Dark rusty breast. Usually some rust on upper back. Grayish white belly. Similar male Eastern Bluebird has a rusty throat, male Lazuli Bunting has white wing bars.

Female: brownish-gray head. Blue wings and tail. Pale gray throat, pale rusty breast. Similar female Eastern Bluebird has a pale rusty throat, not gray.

Nest in tree holes, nest boxes.

Song: "mew" or "few" call.

 

Watch and learn

Videos

2 videos

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.

Approximate reconstruction of a historical map. Source date unknown.

Geography: Natural Earth
Bird Advisor Identification rules 2 variants 4 rules

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

Western Bluebird (Male)

2 rules
Rule 1 13 criteria confidence 6
What was the sex of the bird ?
Male · Unknown
Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?
No · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?
Blue · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?
Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?
Blue · Black, purple, or dark · 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
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?
Blue · Black, purple, or dark · 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:704-western-bluebird-male:1:1 Source: 704 Western Bluebird (Male), row 1
Rule 2 7 criteria confidence 5
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:704-western-bluebird-male:2:1 Source: 704 Western Bluebird (Male), row 2

Western Bluebird (Female)

2 rules
Rule 1 15 criteria confidence 6
What was the sex of the bird ?
Female · Unknown
What colour were the WINGS ?
Blue · 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) · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · 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 ?
Yellow · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · 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:705-western-bluebird-female:1:1 Source: 705 Western Bluebird (Female), row 1
Rule 2 7 criteria confidence 5
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:705-western-bluebird-female:2:1 Source: 705 Western Bluebird (Female), row 2