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Western Bluebird

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	Western Bluebird
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	Topics Western Bluebird Topic Home The Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana) is a medium-sized thrushThrush (bird) See also other birds with Thrush in their name: Waterthrush, Shrike-thrush, Thrush Nightingale... . Adults have a grey belly. Adult males are bright blue on top and on the throat with a red breast; they have a brown patch on their back. Adult females have duller blue wings and tail, a brownish breast and a grey crown, throat and back. Northern birds migrateBird migration Long-distance land bird migrationMany species of land migratory birds migrate very long distances, the most common pattern being ... to the southern parts of the range; southern birds are often permanent residents. These birds wait on a perch and fly down to catch insects, sometimes catching them in midair. They mainly eat insectInsect Insects are invertebrates that are taxonomically referred to as the class Insecta.... s and berries. Nesting Nesting habitat Their breeding habitat is semi-open country across western North AmericaNorth America North America is a continent in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost fully in the western hemisphere.... , but not desertDesert In geography, a desert is a landscape form or region that receives little precipitation.... areas. They nest in cavities or in nest boxNest box A nest box is a man-made box provided for animals to nest in.... es, competing with Tree SwallowTree Swallow The Tree Swallow, Tachycineta bicolor, is a migratory passerine bird that breeds in North America and winters in Mexico,... s, House SparrowHouse Sparrow The House Sparrow is a member of the Old World sparrow family Passeridae.... s, and European StarlingEuropean Starling The European Starling or Common Starling, Sturnus vulgaris, is a passerine bird in the family Sturnidae.... s for natural nesting locations. Because of the high level of competition, House sparrows often attack western bluebirds for their nests. The attacks are made both in groups or alone. Nest type and habitat comparison In restored forests Western Bluebirds have a higher probability of successfully fledging young than in untreated forests, but they are at greater risk of parasitic infestations. The effects on post-fledging survival are unknown. Western Bluebirds have been found to enjoy more success with nest boxes than in natural cavities. They started egg laying earlier, had higher nesting success, lower predation rates, and fledged more young in boxes than in cavities but they did not have larger clutches of eggs. The eggs are commonly 4-6 which average 20.8 x 16.2mm. Eggs are oval shape wih a smooth and glossy shell. They are pale blue to bluish white and sometimes white in color. Nestlings remain in a nest about 19-22 days before fledging. Rearing of young According to genetic studies, 45% of Western Bluebirds' nests carried young that were not offspring of the male partner. In addition, western bluebirds will help their parents raise a new brood after their own nest fails. Western Bluebirds are also helped by other birds belonging to a different species altogether. Violet-green swallowsViolet-green Swallow The Violet-green Swallow, Tachycineta thalassina, is a small swallow.... have been seen feeding and defending the nests of Western Bluebirds. External links on the Internet Bird Collection