Mountain Bluebird in Lake Country, BC

You will find mountain bluebirds in open country with sparse trees.  I have seen them three times now, all sightings have been in grasslands dotted with the occasional tree.  I photographed a bluebird chick a few years ago while visiting Drumheller, Alberta.  You can see it in the image below.

All bluebirds are cavity nesters.  They readily take to holes found in trees and nest boxes.  The problem is that those nesting sites are often desired by other birds such as house sparrows and starlings, both introduced species that have caused the decline in certain bird populations.  Fewer nesting sites means a declining population.

Fortunately, bluebirds readily take to nest boxes.  The problem is with keeping unwanted species out.  Building birdhouses with an oval hole instead of a round hole tends to dissuade house sparrows and starlings.  Another method is to build a slot at the top or bottom of the house to enter.  A narrow slot of 1-1/8th inches is often enough.  There are plans online (click here) to build them yourself or you can buy them prefabricated.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com