Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides)

Common Name	(in English) Mountain Bluebird
Common Name	(in Chinese) 山藍鴝
Scientific Name	(in Latin) Sialia currucoides
Peculiar characteristics / external features:	The mountain bluebird is a medium-sized bird weighing about 30 g with a length from 16–20 cm. They have light underbellies and black eyes. Adult males have thin bills and are bright turquoise-blue and somewhat lighter underneath. Adult females have duller blue wings and tail, grey breast, grey crown, throat and back. In fresh fall plumage, the female’s throat and breast are tinged with red-orange, brownish near the flank contrasting with white tail underparts.
Distributions:	Mountain Bluebirds are fairly common, but populations declined by about 26% between 1966 and 2014, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. Partners in Flight estimates the global breeding population of 4.6 million, with 80% spending some part of the year in the U.S., 20% breeding in Canada, and 31% wintering in Mexico. Their breeding habitat is open country across western North America, including mountainous areas, as far north as Alaska.
Habits:
Dietary	These birds hover over the ground and fly down to catch insects, also flying from a perch to catch them. They mainly eat insects and berries. They may forage in flocks in winter, when they mainly eat grasshoppers. Mountain bluebirds will come to a platform feeder with live meal worms, berries, or peanuts.
Reproductive (Solitary/Social/Territorial, Courtship Behavior, Taking care of youngs, etc)	They nest in pre-existing cavities or in nest boxes. Mountain bluebirds are a monogamous breed. The males can be seen singing from bare branches. The singing takes place right at dawn, just when the sun rises. Females usually build the nests themselves. Eggs are pale blue and unmarked, sometimes white. The clutch size is four or five eggs. Young are naked and helpless at hatching and may have some down. Both males and females fiercely protect the nest.
Whatever appropriate	Construction of nest boxes in suitable habitat has also provided a population boost. Populations are declining in areas where trees are too small to provide natural nesting cavities, and where forest and agricultural management practices have reduced the availability of suitable nest sites. Among birds that nest in cavities but cannot excavate them on their own, competition is high for nest sites. Mountain, Western, and more recently Eastern bluebirds compete for nest boxes where their ranges overlap. House Sparrows, European Starlings, and House Wrens also compete fiercely with bluebirds for nest cavities.
Interesting Fact:	The mountain bluebird is the state bird of Idaho and Nevada.