Mountain Bluebird

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About six or seven inches long. Blue head, neck, back, rump and tail (lighter blue than the other bluebirds.) Grayish white underside. Black bill and eyes.

Mountain bluebirds inhabit the Rocky Mountains and higher elevated plains throughout most of western North America from southern Alaska, the Yukon, above Alberta in the Northwest Territories around the Great Slave Lake area, as far east as Manitoba, south to northern Mexico, overlapping both the Western and Eastern Bluebird ranges. They migrate to and within the U.S. and Mexico.

Mountain bluebirds forage for insects near to or on the ground, usually watching from a perch, sometimes hovering. They eat beetles, spiders, moths, crickets, caterpillars and other available insects and their larvae and wild berries (especially sumac) and other fruits and seeds from plants, shrubs and trees.

Feed bluebirds mealworms, suet, peanuts, seeds, grapes, raisins and other fruits.

Attract bluebirds. Plant any of sumac, mountain ash, blackberry, red cedar, choke cherry, cranberry bush, Virginia creeper, dogwood, elderberry, euonymus, hackberry, holly, huckleberry, juneberry, juniper, mulberry, pokeberry, raspberry and strawberry.

Mountain bluebirds build nests of grass and the shredded inner bark of cedar trees in natural or abandoned tree and post hollows, cliff crevices, abandoned mines, barns, cabins, odd building nooks and crannies, and birdhouses

Females lay three to seven greenish blue eggs which hatch after about two weeks incubation and young leave the nest in about another three weeks.

Mount mountain bluebird houses 3′ – 6′ high on posts in woodland clearings, shelter belt edges bordering fields, among scattered trees, or pasture fence lines about 300 yards from other bluebird houses. Avoid constant shade, but also avoid direct sunlight through the entrance if possible.

On fence lines mount houses on the sides of posts facing the next post. The recessed position helps avoid cattle or other large animals that like to rub against them.

This birdhouse will also accommodate eastern bluebirds and may be useful in areas where the mountain and eastern bluebird ranges overlap, in the western portions of the Dakotas and the border area between southern Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Tree swallows occupying houses in the vicinity of bluebird houses will help provide protection from sparrows and starlings. 

If bluebirds and tree swallows fight over boxes don’t interfere. Once they establish their claims, they mind their own broods and the swallows deter the more problematic house sparrows. Provide boxes for both within 15′ of each other. Other bluebirds will not nest in the second one making it available for tree swallows. Some have attracted a pair of each species with a tree swallow box and a bluebird box mounted on the same post.

Monitor the boxes for unwanted squatters. Deter predators with steel posts or sheet metal wrapped around wood posts.

Remove the nest and clean the box after the brood rearing seasons are over.

Flycatchers, chickadees, titmice, wrens, nuthatches and woodpeckers may also use these boxes.

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Western Bluebird

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About six or seven inches long. Blue head, neck, back, rump and tail (lighter blue than the other bluebirds.) Grayish white underside. Black bill and eyes.

Mountain bluebirds inhabit the Rocky Mountains and higher elevated plains throughout most of western North America from southern Alaska, the Yukon, above Alberta in the Northwest Territories around the Great Slave Lake area, as far east as Manitoba, south to northern Mexico, overlapping both the Western and Eastern Bluebird ranges. They migrate to and within the U.S. and Mexico.

Mountain bluebirds forage for insects near to or on the ground, usually watching from a perch, sometimes hovering. They eat beetles, spiders, moths, crickets, caterpillars and other available insects and their larvae and wild berries (especially sumac) and other fruits and seeds from plants, shrubs and trees.

Feed bluebirds mealworms, suet, peanuts, seeds, grapes, raisins and other fruits.

Attract bluebirds. Plant any of sumac, mountain ash, blackberry, red cedar, choke cherry, cranberry bush, Virginia creeper, dogwood, elderberry, euonymus, hackberry, holly, huckleberry, juneberry, juniper, mulberry, pokeberry, raspberry and strawberry.

Mountain bluebirds build nests of grass and the shredded inner bark of cedar trees in natural or abandoned tree and post hollows, cliff crevices, abandoned mines, barns, cabins, odd building nooks and crannies, and birdhouses

Females lay three to seven greenish blue eggs which hatch after about two weeks incubation and young leave the nest in about another three weeks.

Avoid constant shade, but also avoid direct sunlight through the entrance if possible.

This birdhouse will also accommodate eastern bluebirds and may be useful in areas where the mountain and eastern bluebird ranges overlap, in the western portions of the Dakotas and the border area between southern Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Tree swallows occupying houses in the vicinity of bluebird houses will help provide protection from sparrows and starlings.

If bluebirds and tree swallows fight over boxes don’t interfere. Once they establish their claims, they mind their own broods and the swallows deter the more problematic house sparrows. Provide boxes for both within 15′ of each other.

Other bluebirds will not nest in the second one making it available for tree swallows. Some have attracted a pair of each species with a tree swallow box and a bluebird box mounted on the same post.

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