Species BirdsMountain Bluebird

Mountain Bluebird

Sialia currucoides

CommonBird
Illustration of Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides)

The Mountain Bluebird is the most vivid blue of the three bluebird species, the male's sky-blue plumage being nearly unmatched among North American passerines. It hunts open montane and subalpine terrain by hovering — a hunting technique used more than in the other bluebirds — before dropping onto insects on the ground. It is the state bird of Idaho and Nevada.

Habitat
Open montane meadows, alpine zones, and sagebrush flats
Diet
Insects, spiders, and berries
How common
Common

Best time to see a Mountain Bluebird

The best time to see a Mountain Bluebird is January–June, when about 61% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 16,230 research-grade iNaturalist observations.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Not certain it is a Mountain Bluebird? What bird is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.

Recent Mountain Bluebird sightings near you

Live, research-grade observations from iNaturalist. Allow location to center the map on you.

Spot a Mountain Bluebird? Identify it instantly.

Point Huck at any plant, bird, or animal for an instant ID, its rarity, and a live map of where it is being seen near you.

Get Huck

Get an alert when a Mountain Bluebird is spotted

Pick a park, state, or city and we’ll email you when one turns up there. One check a day, only when there’s something new.

Free. Unsubscribe from any email. See our Privacy Policy.

Love birds? Get Huck field notes

Spotting tips, new species, and the best of what people are finding in the wild - straight to your inbox.

By subscribing you agree to receive Huck emails. No spam, unsubscribe anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

More birds

Mountain Chickadee
Mountain Chickadee
Poecile gambeli
Mountain Plover
Mountain Plover
Charadrius montanus
Mountain Quail
Mountain Quail
Oreortyx pictus
Mountain Trogon
Mountain Trogon
Trogon mexicanus
Mourning Dove
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
Mourning Warbler
Mourning Warbler
Geothlypis philadelphia
Muscovy Duck
Muscovy Duck
Cairina moschata
Mute Swan
Mute Swan
Cygnus olor