Western Bluebirds
are found in open and semi-open habitats in the western United States.
They are most easily distinguished from Eastern
Bluebirds by range and by their blue throat (compared to rusty orange on an Eastern
Bluebird). Their normal range is a few hundred miles from South
Dakota, and they are considered only very rare visitors to the state.
Habitat: Found
in semi-open and open habitats in all seasons, such as open pine and oak
woodlands, riparian bands of trees, pinyon-juniper woodlands, and farmland.
Diet: Insects
make up the majority of the diet, but berries and fruits can also be an
important food item, especially in the winter when insects aren't as plentiful.
Behavior: Often
feeds by perching low in vegetation and swooping down to the ground to snatch
insects. They will also fly from a perch to catch insects in mid-air, and
will forage among the foliage.
Breeding: Non-breeder in South Dakota
Song: Short sweet warbling.
Migration: Summers throughout
the Northwest and Southwest U.S., extreme southwestern Canada, and in
Mexico. Those in the northwestern part of their range migrate southward
for the winter, but the rest are generally permanent residents.
Status: Numbers have declined over much of their
range in recent decades due to loss of natural nesting sites and competition
with other songbirds (including introduced species).
2)
Cornell Lab of Ornithology -Western Bluebird
3)
eNature.com:
Western Bluebird
Photo Information: May 1st, 2008 - Zion National Park, Utah - Terry Sohl
Additional Photos: Click on the image chips or
text links below for additional, higher-resolution Western Bluebird photos.
