Western Bluebird

About the Western Bluebird
Also known as: California Bluebird, Chestnut-backed Bluebird, Mexican Bluebird, San Pedro Bluebird
Western Bluebird

There are three species of bluebird found in North America: Eastern Bluebird; Mountain Bluebird; and Western Bluebird. All three are part of the thrush family. Western Bluebirds range in the southwestern United States and down into Mexico.

Male Western Bluebirds have orangeish breasts, greyish bellies, and bright blue backs, heads, and throats. They can be distinguished from similar Eastern Bluebirds by the blue around the neck, which their eastern cousins lack.

Western Bluebirds don't prefer open spaces, like their North American blubird cousins. Instead, Western Bluebirds can be found in more wooded areas.

Find cute products & gifts with our Birdorable Western Bluebird

Details & Statistics

Conservation

The Western Bluebird is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List and was last assessed in 2012 by BirdLife International. This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be increasing, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is extremely large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

International Names

Cute gifts with this bird

Designs with this bird

Related Articles

Did you know? Fecal sacs

Birds don't wear diapers. But in some songbirds, babies expel their waste in a membrane-filled sac, which is then removed from the nest by a parent. Fecal...  Read more »