Mountain Bluebird

 

Mountain Bluebirds are fairly small thrushes with round heads and straight, thin bills. Compared with other bluebirds they are lanky and long-winged, with a long tail.

I photographed this Mountain Bluebird alongside a small stream in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.

Male Mountain Bluebirds are sky-blue, a bit darker on wings and tail and a bit paler below, with white under the tail. Females are mostly gray-brown with tinges of pale blue in the wings and tail.

Unlike other bluebird species, Mountain Bluebirds often hover while foraging; they also pounce on their insect prey from an elevated perch. In winter, the species often occurs in large flocks wandering the landscape feasting on berries, particularly those of junipers. Cornell All About Birds.

I photographed this Mountain Bluebird right here in Lambton County on Kerry Road back in 2012. As I was using my images to backfill my ebird sightings it was very interesting to see who had gone to see the bird the same day as me. Many people who I would later become friends with.