Watercolor portrait of Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana)

Western Bluebird

Sialia mexicana
Found year-round along the Pacific Coast… Open woodlands, woodland edges, and scru… Common Song

Learn to identify the Western Bluebird by ear. Master the "cheer, churr-lee" phrase and tell it apart from similar species.

“cheer, churr-lee”

What the Western Bluebird sounds like

A small thrush with a vivid royal blue and rusty-orange plumage in males. The male Western Bluebird has a bright blue head, back, and throat, and a rusty orange chest and sides with a grayish belly. Females are gray-buff with touches of blue in the wings and tail, and a subdued orange wash on the breast. Both sexes have thin black bills and posture upright on wires or low branches.

“cheer, churr-lee”

How to tell it apart

Listen for:A soft, low, warbling song consisting of several phrases that sound like "cheer cheerful-charmer" or a subdued whistle with slurred notes. It is quieter and less musical than an Eastern Bluebird's song, but both are fairly low volume. Males often sing from a high perch or during fluttering flight in early spring. Often written as “cheer, churr-lee”.
Don't confuse with:The Eastern Bluebird — male eastern has an orange throat and white belly, versus western's blue throat and gray belly. female eastern is more buffy overall with a whitish belly, whereas female western is grayer with a dull orange breast and gray belly.

Where you'll hear it

Open woodlands, woodland edges, and scrubby clearings in the West. They favor areas with at least some trees for nesting cavities but with open ground for foraging. Common in pine-oak woodlands, ponderosa pine forests, and along woodland edges of meadows. They also use farmlands, orchards, and even desert washes with scattered mesquites in winter.

In spring, Western Bluebirds return early (they're short-distance or altitudinal migrants, often arriving in February/March). Males sing and display to establish territories – you might see them fluttering in front of nest cavities showing off their blue and orange to females. Through summer they breed, often having two broods. By fall, they gather in small flocks and feed on abundant berries, sometimes hundreds concentrating in juniper berry crops. Many move to lower elevations or to the southern parts of their range in winter, where flocks roam fields and open woods.

Similar species

Eastern Bluebird

Male Eastern has an orange throat and white belly, versus Western's blue throat and gray belly. Female Eastern is more buffy overall with a whitish belly, whereas female Western is grayer with a dull orange breast and gray belly.

Mountain Bluebird

Male Mountain Bluebird is entirely sky-blue with no orange at all, and is a bit larger with a thinner bill. Female Mountain is pale gray with only a faint bluish tinge on wings and tail – she lacks any orange on the breast (Western females have orangish tint).

Western Bluebird song FAQ

What does a Western Bluebird sound like?
A soft, low, warbling song consisting of several phrases that sound like "cheer cheerful-charmer" or a subdued whistle with slurred notes. It is quieter and less musical than an Eastern Bluebird's song, but both are fairly low volume. Males often sing from a high perch or during fluttering flight in early spring. Listen for the "cheer, churr-lee" phrase.
How do I tell a Western Bluebird from a Eastern Bluebird by sound?
Eastern Bluebird: Male Eastern has an orange throat and white belly, versus Western's blue throat and gray belly. Female Eastern is more buffy overall with a whitish belly, whereas female Western is grayer with a dull orange breast and gray belly.; Their ranges meet in New Mexico/Arizona where they can be confused – voice helps (Western has a softer call, Eastern a sharper "chur-lee" and different song). Visually, the color of throat and belly is the key: Western = blue throat, Eastern = orange throat..
When is the best time to hear a Western Bluebird?
In spring, Western Bluebirds return early (they're short-distance or altitudinal migrants, often arriving in February/March). Males sing and display to establish territories – you might see them fluttering in front of nest cavities showing off their blue and orange to females. Through summer they breed, often having two broods. By fall, they gather in small flocks and feed on abundant berries, sometimes hundreds concentrating in juniper berry crops. Many move to lower elevations or to the southern parts of their range in winter, where flocks roam fields and open woods.